The Prestige TV Podcast - How Is 'Virgin River' No. 1 on Netflix?

Episode Date: December 4, 2020

Juliet Litman is joined by Amelia Wedemeyer to try and understand why the Hallmark-esque show 'Virgin River' is at the top of Netflix's most-popular shows in the U.S. Hosts: Juliet Litman and Amelia Wedemeyer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I sold my house and then I quit my job and I moved to this town that I've never heard of just so I could live in there Oh, no. It's the mayor of Virgin River. I'd like to officially welcome you to our little slice of heaven I obviously can't stay here. I'll have it cleaned Did you just put a bird's nest from the oven? Well, I'm the city girls could shoot whiskey. What makes you think I'm a city girl? We don't tend to get a lot of visitors as beautiful as you I'm sorry. Does that line really work? I'm the new nurse. I don't need you.

I signed a contract. Not with me, you didn't. You are a stubborn goat. Maybe I should just go. Go! I'm worried about you. Just come home. Stop trying to punish yourself for what happened.

Nobody blames you. I keep telling myself that I'm crazy for not packing up and going home. How about a show of Virgin River hospitality? I can keep your eye on the ball there. Okay. What is going on? I'm with a patient. Boy, they said you were a looker

They weren't lying So you just Just moved here Small towns The internet is slow But the gossip is fast Right You don't want to face the past

So you ran away from home I came here So that I could help people I know how hard it can be To make a fresh start I hope you'll stick around This episode is brought to you By Sweet Green

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Sweetgreen.com. Welcome to TV concierge. I'm Juliet Litman. I'm joined by Tea Times' very own. Amelia Weddemeyer. Hello, Amelia. Hi, Juliet. Wow. It's exciting to be here. It sure is. We are talking about a quasi-passion of mine and a new discovery of yours. I would call it a passion. We are discussing about Netflix's number one show, one week running, Virgin River. Yes, this show is number one on Netflix. I wonder if people have heard of this show. Like, I don't know a lot of people who are, like, waiting for this drop the way that people wait for stranger things. Yeah. Huge Virgin Riverheads.

Well, I kind of am a Virgin Riverhead. Oh my God. I remember watching all of season one last year back in December. Okay. Across one weekend. It was deep holiday parties time. And I remember attending many holiday parties in my talking point was like, I'm watching Virgin River. And everyone was like, what is that? What the fuck is that? And that's what we're here to discuss what the fuck this show is and why it's number one. you know, in a few days it might not be the Selena show just dropped, but for now it is. So we're going to lean into that. Amelia, give us your 30 second description of Virgin River based on having watched one episode.

Okay. So there's this woman. Her name is Mel. And she moves from Los Angeles to a small little town called Virgin River. And it's somewhere in California. And she has taken the job as like a nurse, I think. Yes, she's a nurse. Okay, yes.

For this old curmudginy doctor guy, and they're like, and you get a house too, and the house is pretty much unlivable. And in the town, she meets, like, all the friendly little townsfolk. And, like, there's a bartender guy whose name I forgot. Jack, preacher. Oh, yes. And he, they have, like, kind of, well, from what I can sense, they have something budding, like a budding little romance. And I think it's probably going to be a huge part of the show for the season. Jack and Mel is the full chrome which the show operates.

That's correct. Okay. Yes. So you've just described a lot of plot, like quite a bit of plot. And you only watch one episode. So you can only imagine how much unfolds in 20 episodes, which there currently are. Why do you think the show so is popular? Just like off the top of your head.

Like what about it could be. so universally appealing to people. And by people I think I really mean women. This is a show for gals. It is a show for gals. Not for all gals, but... No. And plenty of men might like it. But like this is targeted at women.

And... Yeah. If you were like trying to channel your fellow women in the world, like why do you think this show is six? Like what about it? Because this lady, she's from the big city. and now she has past trauma involving what I think is a dead husband because she has a flashback to him. And she was crying and she still has her wedding ring.

And she was also wearing his old dirty shirt that he was like, we're going to give this to our kid. So I think he's dead because why else would she move by herself and start crying at the thought of him. And I think women, myself included, glom on to these kind of stories. We're like, yeah, your life sucks. Okay, I want to see this whole new story, new life for you unfold with the cute bartender guy. And I want to see all those trials and errors and, you know, and maybe you'll do other fun stuff in there. I don't know. It's fun to project yourself onto this person.

Sure, sure, sure. Yeah. So it's like, I think what you're saying is it's a classic soap. It's delivered. It's delivered in a different package because it's on Netflix. But like, this show could be on Lifetime. it could be on the Hallmark channel. Like, it's not like a hip show.

Like, this is like, this is not a cool thing to watch, though maybe number one. But like, it has such mass appeal. It reminds me of like if Martians made a TV show. Yes. They're like, here are the beats you need to hit. There needs to be a woman in distress. Also trying to like reclaim her own power. There needs to be a handsome man in this small town that you're just like,

Wow, came with there's such handsome men here in the high sierras of California. There is, as you said, a curmudgeon doctor who's, like, respected by the town that needs to be won over. And then there's a cast of characters of, like, quirky and melancholy. Yeah. Yes. And did you ever watch Everwood on the WB? No, but I have heard of Everwood. It looks a lot like it.

I think that this show is really for the generation of women that, love the WB, aka. Yes. Because it's like an adult WB show, basically. Like, I don't feel weird watching it. I feel weird when I watch teenager shows now because I'm just like, this is a little creepy. I'm not a teenager and I don't have a teenager. But I just feel like this is, this is channeling my teenager energy where it's just like so much drama in every episode. Well, and it's so funny you mention both the, this could be on a hallmark show because literally when I was watching this, I was like, where, when is like Lori Loughlin going to appear? Like, you know. know before her court date. And it also like plays into the whole thing that I think Netflix is getting at.

They're like, okay, our corny holiday movies have done super well. Just like what they pretty much copied all of Hallmark and Lifetime's holiday slate. And so now they're like, well, you know, there's a whole audience who loves those shows on Hallmark. Why not create a show that's exactly like whatever, you know, Lori Loughlin or Candle. Cameron Burey is doing right now. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. And also, funny that you mentioned the whole WB thing because also when I was watching this, I was like, I just was waiting for some reason for like the theme music to be like, I don't want to wait for our lives to be over. You know, and I've never seen Dawson's Creek, but I feel like this is Dawson's Creek. Oh my God, record scratch. You've never seen any of it? No, but I love that crying meme. Oh my God. That's so funny, Amelia. I can't believe it. That's a real, that's the generation gap between you and me. I'm like, I just finished

rewatching season three of Dawson's Creek. When I told you I was tapping into my teenage television energy, I wasn't lying. I love it. This show also has like a lot of really weird maudlin music in it that reminds me to the WB as well. It's just like, it's also, um, it's unusual to have a cloudy looking show. Like it's always cloudy and Virgin River. Have you noticed that? Yeah. No sunshine. Never. Never. But also no snow. It's just sort of like always always in like a tropical climate in the mountains. It's like if Seattle were in the mountains or something, it's very confusing about where it could be.

I think that also because then you can export it. Like it could be and, you know, if you are watching this show in South America or something, maybe there's like other generic mountain city that you could imagine it to be. Totally. Totally. Yeah, the cloudiness. the pine trees. It could be anywhere almost. Seriously. What was your review of the acting? Honestly, I mean, here's the thing. I, my problem, there wasn't a problem, but like, you know, you can only work with so much if the script is kind of bad. And the script wasn't the best. There was some, some lines that I was just like, oh my, that would have been just embarrassing to say out loud. So I feel for these, these poor.

actors, you know? The show has so much plot, like, and every episode so much unfolds, and there's a lot of characters that try to give them, like, full stories. The funny thing about it is there's very little intersecting of stories. Like, on Grace Anatomy, there's a lot of, like, foreshadowing and, like, overlap of how these people are going to be together. This has none. This is just sort of, like, people walking across the town square and, like, waving

into each other and then on to, like, their silo drama. It's super weird. I can't understate, like, the sort of, like, alternate. reality feeling of the show. But the funny thing about it is this came out last December. And I now think there's been like several Netflix shows since that trade in this same world. Like Sweet Magnolias, which we also did, a TV Concy Care, John.

Did you watch that? Did I make you watch it? No, but I've seen like one episode. I think I like Virgin River more. I don't know. I like them both. They're really different. They both, first of all, they both have Grey's Anatomy ex, former love interest.

Matthew from Gray's is. is the lead on sweet or like the lead hunk on sweet magnolias and nathan from gray's is the lead on virgin river so they like traffic in that world sweet magnolias is just like somehow way less believable to me like of course that neither of these shows are particularly believable on television shows like this no one like really ever has to be anywhere like they have like no obligations and yet every scene ends with like i have to go and then they walk out the door truly truly even when the guy pulled the gun on his own brother, which was still in the first episode. I was like, what is going on? And there's still 20 minutes left. That's a great point because there's a lot of

gun activity in this female soap opera. I don't really get it. It's like they also introduce a plot about like drug trafficking and like people who live in like just like the mountains like off the grid and whatever. It's just like everything possible happens in the show. It's it's super weird. But then it's like so digestible that you watch for an episode and you're like on to the next. And yes, it's it's again a testament to Netflix because if you had a wait like wheat to week to be like, what's going to have a melon jack? I don't know that you'd, I don't know that you'd hang in there. Exactly.

Given the opportunity to watch like three at a time and then come back and then another season's coming. Yeah. It's just like you can't resist it. It's just wild. But also one thing this in Sweet Magnolias has a common in some of their other programs as well. They're based on books. So there's a lot of source material. Did you feel like you could feel that that source material energy on the show?

Totally. Well, yeah, again, to your point where so much happens, I feel like this must have been a series where it's like, okay, the first book was the first episode and the next book was the next episode. Or like you could have fit several books into the first season probably. Oh, yeah. Absolutely. But they did it.

So I'm in season two. You're not there yet. It's okay. No, you might never get there. No big deal. We don't know. Yeah. TBD. It's a good show to watch with your mom.

Like, if you're both just like, we need to decompress, it's a great mother-daughter show. That's funny. See, me and my mom love reality TV. Oh. She's like really into the, she loved breaking Amish. Oh, that is a good show. People.

Yeah. She just loves like Alaska Gold Rush. So we'll watch those shows together. But yes, I know what you mean. Yeah. In season two, I get the impression that these. stop following the blueprint of the book. Because somehow it gets even crazier and like,

and like kind of worse. Oh no. But also in some ways more enjoyable. I don't know. They just make so many weird decisions. Like there's this one character who's supposed to be pregnant with twins. But she only, they only shoot her from like the bust up and they don't make any other attempt to

make her look pregnant. They just like don't show the rest of her body. It's so, it's just so weird. And these shows aren't cheap, but they have the feeling of being like, low production value, don't they? Yes. Yes, they do. Again, like, because the actors they use are people you've seen, but they're not top-billed actors. Like, the main character, actress Mel, she was in American Horror Story. I looked her up. Oh, she was? Yes. I didn't even

know that. Wow. Yeah, she was in the first season and I think one episode of Coven or something, but she was also, have you seen She's the Man? Of course. Great movie. Yes. She plays the hot girlfriend, Monique. Oh, I didn't do that. Yeah. So she's had some good roles, but like nothing like, you're starring or whatever. Like, you're the awesome main lady. So I feel like, you know, we recognize her, but we might be like, I don't know where

I recognize this woman from. Yeah. It's a funny point because I've been trying to like place her and I haven't really been able to. And I feel like a lot of people on this show are like not even that guys. They wouldn't win the award and then rewatchables. But, you know, there's something so familiar about that face. Like, wherever you've seen it before. Yes, same with the woman who is the doctor's assistant lady.

I was like, I swear to God, I know this woman, but I don't. Yeah, I know. Also, Tim Matheson is in this show. He's the curmudgeon doctor. And I just feel like if you watch Heart of Dixie, which I'm sure you haven't, he plays the exact same role, like literally also the town doctor. And he's just like a really famous actor who's been around a long time. He was an animal house and like the Brady Bunch movie. Like he's like just legit.

He directs a few episodes. season too. But like, I'm just like, does he have to do the show? I don't get it. There's just, this is just the Netflix phenomenon of like just so populist. There's no other way to put it. It's just like, this is a show for so many people. Totally. But it's just funny because like, it must be getting a ton of views. And I'd love to know how the numbers stack up against like Stranger Things or even Umbrella Academy because like those are so popular. But those are like kind of, well, stranger things is definitely cool. I don't know if we can call umbrella. Academy Cool. Do you know anyone who watches it? I don't know anyone who watches it. But it's the biggest

show worldwide for Netflix. That's wild. Understanding what makes a show number one, both worldwide and in the U.S., is like endlessly fascinating to me. Like one of the reasons I wanted to talk about all the bits of like what makes this show so weird is you're like, and yet somehow it's a hit. Like there's definitely going to be a season three. Oh, totally. Well, here's the funny thing I think as well is that, you know, I'm, I feel like there are more think pieces and more just, in-depth articles about Stranger Things and like Umbrella Academy. Whereas when I googled Virgin River, one of the only websites who had this whole, because I was like, Mel and Jack or whatever the guy's name is.

And one of the top hits was like, the Pioneer Woman blog. So that just shows you who's writing about this show. And it's not like, you know, Esquire or GQ. It's outside of like the critical mainstream. Right. Yes, exactly. I had to go to the Pioneer Woman's blog. to read about their love.

It's funny you put it that way because, like, as we're discussing it, like, you know, it's really not a water cooler show. Like, you just, you talk to your friends or I talk to my friends that how bad it is, but, like, it's not really like, oh my God, we need to talk about like this specific moment. Totally. It's just, like, really a time passer. It's kind of like an ideal streaming show because you're just like, I'm home. It's here.

I'm going to do it. And, like, that's that. But, like, a lot of people do that. It's just, it's a phenomenon. Yeah. if you're wondering why the fuck this show is number one, it's just,

it covers the gamut. It hits so many beats. Yes, it does. It has so much plot that you just can't look away. And again, it's like just completely silly. It's kind of perfect for the moment.

It wasn't necessarily perfect for the moment last year when I watched all season one and one weekend, but so be it. It's all good. Yeah. Here we are.

If you were wondering about Virgin River, now you know, probably recommended to someone in your life. There's got to be a soap opera lover in your life. even if you I don't identify as one.

Like, I never identify as a soap opera lover, but I'm coming to terms with it, like based on the TV shows that I love. Like, they're basically like, they're basically telling novellas. Yeah. Well, I feel like this is a good aunt show. Like, you can recommend it to your aunt

and she'd probably like it. Yeah. It's back where we started. It's a great talking point for holiday parties with your family and with others. Exactly. Check out version of her on Netflix. If you're just looking to spend some time with TV this weekend,

I'm Juliet-Litman. This is Amelia Wedd Meyer. Thanks a much for listening to TV concierge. We'll be back on Monday.