‘Virgin River’: Netflix Is Working on a Prequel Series!!

Virgin River fans, heads up, we have double cause for celebration as Deadline reveals Netflix is expanding the franchise with a prequel. Furthermore, the long delayed sixth season also begins production today in Vancouver, Canada. Fans have been long waiting to see the aftermath of the finale of season 5 but per the report the upcoming season will also laydown the foundation for the prequel.

While fans are too invested by Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge) and Jack’s (Martin Henderson) romance the Season 5 Christmas special revealed that Mel’s late mother also fell in love with a man, Everett, who was revealed to be her biological father. The prequel will trace this love story, tracing Sarah and Everett’s origins. The story will tie in with Virgin River Season 6, where we will see young Sarah and Everett in flashbacks.

In the cliffhanger ending of Season 5 Part 1 finale, Joey discovered love letters to her mother that revealed Everett, as Mel’s biological father. In the Christmas special, Mel and Jack searched the mystery man which leads them to Everett Reid. While initially he wanted nothing to do with Mel, by the end of the episode he comes around. While we haven’t seen Sara on the show, the episode introduced John Allen Nelson as present-day Everett. It’ll be interesting to see him recounting the time spent with Sara, in the upcoming season as we see them in flashbacks.

How Is the Prequel Series Shaping Up?

The prequel is being written in the development stage by the original series showrunner, Patrick Sean Smith. The casting for the actors to play young Sarah and Everett is underway, they will first appear in guest roles in the sixth season, in success they’ll also lead the spin-off. Previously Netflix took a similar route with the Bridgerton spin-off Queen Charlotte prequel, that connected the past and present timelines and was a pretty big success for the streamer. So, chances for the untitled Virgin River prequel look good as fans are always interested in and welcoming of a familiar universe.

The Team Behind ‘Virgin River’

The series also cast Colin Lawrence as John, Jenny Cooper as Joey, Lauren Hammersley as Charmaine, Annette O’Toole as Hope, Tim Matheson as Doc, Sarah Dugdale as Lizzie, Zibby Allen as Brie, Kandyse McClure as Kaia, Kai Bradbury as Denny, and many more. Based on the novel of the same name by Robyn Carr, the series is developed by Sue Tenney.