14 November, 2026 (Nosheen): Netflix has renewed its popular romantic drama Virgin River for a ninth season, making it the longest-running scripted original series in the streaming platform’s history. The announcement comes ahead of the premiere of Season 8, which completed production over the summer and is scheduled to debut in 2027. The ninth season will feature 10 episodes, bringing the show’s total episode count to 94. According to Variety, only two other Netflix original productions, animated comedy Big Mouth and Spanish drama Elite, have previously reached eight seasons. With its latest renewal, Virgin River will surpass both series in terms of seasons among Netflix’s scripted originals. Netflix also revealed that the show’s first seven seasons have collectively generated more than 500 million views, calculated through total viewing hours divided by the series’ overall running time. Showrunner Patrick Sean Smith welcomed the renewal, thanking Netflix, the cast, production team, writers and viewers for their continued support. He said the series had created a world that audiences repeatedly returned to and expressed enthusiasm about developing its story further. Alexandra Breckenridge, who plays Melinda Monroe, also celebrated the news, while Martin Henderson, known for his role as Jack Sheridan, expressed excitement about returning for another season. Based on Robyn Carr’s bestselling book series, Virgin River follows nurse practitioner Melinda Monroe, who moves to a small California town in search of a fresh start. The book series has sold more than 13 million copies, with over 20 novels published. Patrick Sean Smith will continue as showrunner and executive producer for the ninth season, extending the drama’s successful run and bringing further stories about Mel, Jack and the residents of the fictional community to Netflix audiences.