The margaritas have officially been poured for the last time in Serenity. Netflix has ended Sweet Magnolias after five seasons, meaning JoAnna Garcia Swisher, Brooke Elliott and Heather Headley will not return for a sixth season as Maddie, Dana Sue and Helen.
The news arrived September 18th, just over three months after Season 5 debuted on June 11. A message from the show’s team told viewers that “all grand adventures must eventually end” and said the series was now complete with five seasons streaming on Netflix, according to PEOPLE.
Showrunner Sheryl J. Anderson is already moving forward with a new drama for the streamer, while Garcia Swisher and Kate Gordon will executive produce through their Rolling Clover production company.
The new project, Ladies of the House, may sound familiar to viewers who liked the female relationships at the center of Sweet Magnolias, but it is not a continuation or spinoff. The characters, setting and story come from Lauren Edmondson’s novel of the same name and begin with a family trying to save its winery after the unexpected death of its owner.
‘Sweet Magnolias’ Is Complete After Five Seasons
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Sweet Magnolias premiered in 2020 and followed three lifelong friends in the fictional South Carolina town of Serenity as marriages, divorces, career changes and family problems repeatedly tested their weekly margarita sessions. Garcia Swisher played Maddie, Elliott played Dana Sue and Headley played Helen.
The official farewell came from an Instagram account run by the show’s writers. “All grand adventures must eventually end,” the message began. “And here, dear friends, is where ours does.” The post thanked the cast, crew, producers, Netflix and author Sherryl Woods before telling viewers that Serenity would remain available whenever they wanted to return to it.
The show also built a substantial audience during its five-season run. Entertainment Weekly reported that a Netflix source said the series accumulated more than 100 million views and appeared in the Global Weekly Top 10 14 times across more than 60 countries.
Its final season, however, opened softer than the previous one. Season 5 drew 2.8 million views during its first four days of availability, compared with 4 million for Season 4’s opening period. It climbed to 3.5 million views during its first full week before leaving Netflix’s Top 10 after three weeks. Netflix had also taken a wait-and-see approach to the show’s future instead of opening a Season 6 writers room in advance.
Season 5 Was Not Originally Presented as the Ending
Season 5 arrived June 11 with 10 episodes and was promoted as another chapter for Maddie, Dana Sue and Helen rather than a final season. The episodes initially sent Maddie into a new professional life in New York, although she was fired early in the season and returned to Serenity. She eventually poured her marketing experience into Cal’s baseball plans and the Magnolias’ new joint venture, Common Language.
Helen and Erik finally made it down the aisle after years of romantic setbacks, while Dana Sue ended the season in a much less settled place. Her marriage to Ronnie deteriorated after tensions over his business and a fire that destroyed their home. In the finale, Dana Sue did not definitively end the marriage, but she decided to move into her own apartment because she needed time and space to herself.
That left the show with room for another season even though Helen and Erik received a major piece of closure. Netflix’s own June finale explainer still had Anderson discussing future possibilities for several characters.
According to Deadline’s reporting, Netflix ultimately faced a choice between renewing Sweet Magnolias for a sixth and final season or moving Anderson and Garcia Swisher onto Ladies of the House. The streamer chose the new project as the existing cast’s options expired.
‘Ladies of the House’ Keeps Anderson and Garcia Swisher at Netflix
Anderson’s next Netflix series is based on Lauren Edmondson’s 2021 novel Ladies of the House, a contemporary reimagining of Sense and Sensibility.
The story begins when the charismatic owner of a family winery dies unexpectedly. His widow and two adult daughters, Daisy, Cricket and Wallis, have to work through their own fractured relationships while dealing with problems involving the winery, their extended family and the men in their lives.
Netflix’s official announcement names Anderson as showrunner and executive producer. Garcia Swisher and Gordon will executive produce through Rolling Clover, while Black Label Media is also attached as an executive producer.
Garcia Swisher said she was immediately drawn to Daisy, Cricket and Wallis and their combination of strength, complicated relationships and emotional messiness. She also said she wanted to continue creating female-driven stories with Anderson.
The New Show Is Starting With a Different Family
The similarities between the two dramas are easy to spot on paper: three women at the center, complicated family relationships, romance and a setting where food and drink help bring people together. Ladies of the House, however, leaves Serenity and the Sherryl Woods characters behind entirely.
Netflix has not yet announced a cast for Ladies of the House. Although industry reporting says Garcia Swisher is being eyed to star, the streamer’s own announcement currently confirms her only as an executive producer.
No premiere date has been announced either. “Netflix has been my creative home for the past seven years,” Garcia Swisher said in announcing the project.