It's fair to say that Virgin River is not the kind of success story Netflix will shout about, but the platform needs more of that, and fewer Stranger Things-like shows. Virgin River is far from a sexy tentpole release, aimed more at the Grey's Anatomy audience, with more than a slight soap opera feel to it, but it is a legitimate phenomenon. And fundamentally, Virgin River should be the future of Netflix, or at least a significant part of it. Sadly, right now, it doesn't feel like that would be heeded.
Whenever it is quietly released, Virgin River hits the top of the Netflix chart immediately, with season 4 dethroning both Stranger Things and Resident Evil - shows with comparatively massive marketing power behind them. And Virgin River's success is all the more impressive because both of those shows weren't just hoped to hit the top, they were expected to. While there are 111 search results for Stranger Things on Netflix's press site, Virgin River pulls back only 9 (and just 3 mention it in the title). Both are hugely popular, both are four seasons deep, but they're not treated the same. There is no Virgin River Day, no panel dedicated during Geeked Week, no prime focus in TUDUM!
It's clear that Virgin River is fighting a battle to be considered alongside Stranger Things, even if fans don't need the marketing push or the celebration. When Stranger Things season 4 passed a billion hours viewed, the news was everywhere, because Netflix released the information in celebration. In contrast, during the week of Loki's finale release on Disney+, the first 3 seasons of Virgin River pulled in 2.1 billion minutes watched according to Nielsen stats. That stat is dwarfed by Stranger Things season 4 finale generating a record-breaking 7.2 billion streamed minutes, but the mismatch in reporting around the two achievements, considering anything in the billions is astonishing is eye-opening. Weirdly, none of this matters to Virgin River, whose success is defiant and speaks to the right kind of fans for Netflix, if they can capitalize on the dynamic further.
Netflix Needs More Shows Like Virgin River, Not Stranger Things
Virgin River is the model for more shows that Netflix should be investing in, not only because it's hugely popular, but because it's a comparatively frugal option. Stranger Things season 4 reportedly cost $30m per episode, while Virgin River costs just $3m per episode. While Stranger Things will have to end before its escalating scale makes it prohibitively expensive, Virgin River is an easy renewal for as long as anyone watches. And judging by the commitment of the audience and the impressive viewing figures, that's a guarantee for a while. Investing in more shows that follow Virgin River's lead is a no-brainer, even if it doesn't quite fit with Netflix's blue-chip IP acquisition model. But then, the model shouldn't be protected against realities this enlightening.
Virgin River's engagement factor can be traced to the same factors that give shows like Grey's Anatomy very rare longevity: it pushes character moments, romance, and kitchen sink intrigue, throws in pin pricks of drama, like the abandoned baby in the first episode or murder plots like the one finally answered in season 4. Mel and Jack are relationship goals. Virgin River itself is aspirational and comforting as a place. The show is unashamedly aimed at fans of romance, as well as the readers of Robyn Carr's book series, and not afraid of throwing in darker storylines. It is, effectively, almost a Bridgerton without the gimmicky frills or the expense, via the Hallmark Channel, but avoiding reductive genre cliches that could have made it a story of rugged lumberjacks and their little women. It is a show that its fans adore without the need for escalation: that it's not at the heart of Netflix's development plans for future series is confusing, to say the least.
In a time when Netflix's spending is being scrutinized and stability is being questioned more than ever, in the wake of subscriber losses, Virgin River is the answer. Netflix doesn't need the next Stranger Things as much as it needs the next ten Virgin Rivers, and the sooner the company realizes and it stops being considered as a somehow lesser-tiered release, the better.