Virgin River Scores Season 7 Renewal, Becomes Netflix's Longest-Running Drama

We have some very good (and very early) news regarding one of Netflix‘s most beloved shows.

Ahead of the December 19 premiere of Virgin River Season 6, the show has already been renewed for a seventh season.

News of the renewal comes courtesy of Deadline, who notes that the series is now poised to become the longest-running current show, as well as the longest-running English-language drama in Netflix history.

Both Grace and Frankie and Orange is the New Black ran for seven seasons, but the former was a comedy, and the latter was submitted as such for award consideration in its first two seasons.

With this renewal, Virgin River will outlast Netflix stalwarts such as The Crown and House of Cards.

The list of the streamer’s longest-running shows is made up mostly of 30-minute comedies like The Ranch, BoJack Horseman, and Fuller House, making Virgin River a major outlier.

Only the Spanish-language high school drama Elite has been around longer, with eight seasons (but fewer episodes).

The success of Virgin River doesn’t come as a total shock, of course.

The show is based on a series of popular novels by Robyn Carr. And anyone who’s ever turned on the Hallmark Channel can attest to the popularity of small-town romances.

But Virgin River has transcended the usual tropes and limitations of its genre, a fact that’s helped the series in developing a legion of cultishly devoted fans.

As for what comes next for the long-suffering couple at the heart of the show, that’s anyone’s guess.

Mel and Jack got engaged in Season 4, and Netflix execs have promised that we’ll see a wedding sometime in Season 6.

But you can bet there will be quite a few obstacles between these two lovebirds and the altar.

And that’s just the sixth season. With a seventh on the way, it sounds like we’ll get to see at least a year of the couple’s new life as newlyweds.

It’s exciting stuff, and it’s nice to know that a relatively low-budget show that’s devoid of big-name stars and action scenes can still find this sort of success.