Virgin River showrunner Patrick Sean Smith gave fans a solid promise about Season 6's release window on Netflix.
Amid the Hollywood writers' strikes in May 2023, Virgin River actress Annette O'Toole shared that they will begin filming for Season 6 "as soon as the strike is settled."
However, this plan was derailed when the SAG-AFTRA strike began in July 2023.
In October 2023, Smith confirmed that "half of season six" had already been written. This is on top of the update in the same month that the writers' room already reopened for Virgin River Season 6.
When Will Virgin River Season 6 Release?
Speaking with Glamour, Virgin River showrunner Patrick Sean Smith shared an update on when to potentially expect Season 6.
When asked if fans are going to have to wait until 2025 to get new episodes, Smith responded by saying that he's "going to do [his] darnedest to make sure that doesn't happen," indicating that they are aiming for a late 2024 release window.
Glamour also inquired about the production start for Season 6 to which Smith admitted that they "don't have an exact date yet:"
"I don’t know. We don’t have an exact date yet, but I know that everybody is working towards trying to get us back in front of the cameras as quickly as possible. But as to when that is next year, I don’t know yet."
In a separate interview with Deadline, Smith confirmed that Season 6 is set to begin production in the first half of 2024.
Virgin River lead star Alexandra Breckenridge told the outlet in the same interview that the cameras could begin rolling "hopefully in the spring [of 2024]:"
"We’re going to start as soon as the Vancouver weather allows. So hopefully in the spring is what I’ve been hearing."
The actress also teased the possibility of seeing Season 7:
"I keep trying to tell them they should just pick up Season 7 so we can just knock Seasons 6 and 7 and call it a day."
What Is the Story of Virgin River Season 6?
Filming for Season 5 commenced from July to November 2022, which was a total of four months.
Assuming that a similar length of production will be incorporated for Season 6, then the upcoming batch of episodes could eventually premiere in the possible late 2024 release window.
Meanwhile, Virgin River Season 5 Part 2 was full of twists and turns that lay the groundwork for Season 6's narrative, such as the ramifications of Mel's reunion with her father, Lizzie and Denny's potential wedding, and Preacher's unfinished business that was teased in the finale.
Aside from the plethora of interesting story tidbits that the holiday episodes set up, one focal point of Season 6 is expected to be Doc and Hope's relationship.
At the end of Season 5, the pair renewed their vows ahead of Doc's clinical trial.
Speaking with TV Line, Virgin River showrunner Patrick Sean Smith confirmed that the said trial will be "successful" in the early part of Season 6, noting that the next batch of episodes will focus on a healthy journey for Doc and Hope:
“We will find out early on [in Season 6] that Doc’s clinical trial was successful. We’ll actually have a season where they’re both in good health, as opposed to coping with TB and a possible loss of eyesight. We’re giving them a new lease on life as we head into the new season.”
All episodes of Virgin River Season 5 are now available to watch on Netflix.
