Netflix favourite returns – and is watched over 67,000,000 hours in one week

Caroline Westbrook and Hiyah Zaidi

Published December 27, 2024 2:37pm Updated December 27, 2024 2:37pm

Virgin River. (L to R) Zibby Allen as Brie Sheridan, Jenny Cooper as Joey Barnes, Alexandra Breckenridge as Mel Monroe, Annette O'Toole as Hope McCrea, Martin Henderson as Jack Sheridan, Colin Lawrence as Preacher, Marco Grazzini as Mike Valenzuela in episode 6010 of Virgin River. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix ?? 2024 — Virgin River season 6 has got off to a flying start on Netflix (Picture: Netflix)

We’ve now entered that strange period of time between Christmas and New Year where there is nothing to really…do. But, this makes it the perfect time to catch up on all the shows you’ve missed over the year.

And while it’s a quiet week for new releases one returning favourite has, unsurprisingly, made quite the splash – notching up an incredible 67m viewing hours in its first week on release.

It’s also made enough of a splash to unseat last week’s chart-topper Black Doves – but what’s the show?

Well, those of you who’ve been watching it since it debuted in 2019 will probably already have guessed – it’s season six of romantic drama Virgin River.

Virgin River. (L to R) Martin Henderson as Jack Sheridan, Alexandra Breckenridge as Mel Monroe in episode 605 of Virgin River. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix ?? 2024 — The show’s central romance ramps up in season 6 (Picture: Netflix)

For those who haven’t yet seen it, the drama, based on the novels by Robyn Carr follows the typical ‘big city girl heads for new life in a small sleepy town’ – in this case midwife and nurse Melinda ‘Mel’ Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge) who takes a job working in the titular Californian suburb (although the series itself is filmed in Canada).

However, her lifestyle change is filled with shocking twists and unexpected turns as it gradually becomes apparent that this town is nothing like it seems.

Virgin River. (L to R) Alexandra Breckenridge as Mel Monroe, Kandyse McClure as Kaia, Zibby Allen as Brie Sheridan in episode 609 of Virgin River. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix ?? 2024 — The series is set in a small town where nothing is as it seems (Picture: Netflix)
(Credits: Courtesy of Netflix)

Season 6 is shaping up to be as gripping as the others, as it was watched whopping 8,100,000 times last week – racking up over 67,000,000 viewing hours in the process as fans flocked to binge-watch all 10 episodes.

The series focuses heavily on Mel’s wedding to Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson)- with the pair learning more about each other and their loved ones as they prepare to tie the knot.

Virgin River. (L to R) Alexandra Breckenridge as Mel Monroe, Martin Henderson as Jack Sheridan in episode 602 of Virgin River. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix ? 2024 — Fans have been left sobbing over the emotional love story (Picture: Netflix)

And it’s been an emotional watch for fans, with @tivaswittie saying on X: ‘The way they’ve captured the meaning of true unconditional love between Jack and Mel in Virgin River is so beautiful I’m sobbing.’ @ameliasvancamp added: ‘Virgin river never disappoints for real its sooooo good every season.’

Grabs - 14165327 Netflix fans 'glued to the screens' as blockbuster thriller Black Doves finally drops with a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score — Black Doves has flown down the charts to number two this week (PIcture: Netflix)

Elsewhere in the chart, last week’s number one Black Doves fell to two, No Good Deed: Season 1 was at number three, limited series The Madness hung in there at four and Jamie Foxx’s comedy special What Had Happened Was completed the top five.

The top 10 was rounded out by The Ultimatum season 3, Aaron Rodgers: Enigma Season 1, Ronny Chieng: Love It Or Hate It, A Man On The Inside and Arcade Season 2.

On Boxing Day, Squid Game season 2 was released three years after the show broke every streaming record for Netflix, remaining its most viewed series of all-time.

It would take a miracle to stop it from shooting straight to the top of the Netflix charts next week with fans already calling the new episodes ‘better than season one’.

Virgin River is available to stream on Netflix now.