It seems our time in Serenity has come to an end, and we must pour one out for the Sweet Magnolias. Netflix has decided to cancel Sweet Magnolias after five seasons, bringing the show to a close without a proper final season send-off.
The news comes over three months after season 5’s release on June 11, and the circumstances around the cancellation are certainly unique and unexpected. This is because the cancellation seems to have been largely the result of Netflix’s desire to move ahead with a new series from author Sheryl J. Anderson and starring Sweet Magnolias star JoAnna Garcia Swisher.
That’s right, Netflix actually decided to cancel Sweet Magnolias and not do a final season to wrap up the show in order to greenlight a new series.
According to Deadline, who was first to break the news, Netflix felt this was an either/or situation. Either they proceed with a sixth and final season of Sweet Magnolias or they greenlight this new series and begin production on the show. It seems that the new project—more on that in a minute—has begun to heat up internally and was ready to go, which left Netflix to decide whether to proceed with the new drama or give fans a proper final season of Sweet Magnolias. Sadly, the company felt there was more value in launching the new show than in giving fans of Sweet Magnolias the closure they deserve after 50 episodes and five seasons with these characters.
As happy as we are to know that Netflix is going to continue to work with Anderson and Swisher, we’re filled with disappointment in Netflix for making this an either/or type sitiation.
Thankfully, Sweet Magnolias season 5 did not end with any massive cliffhangers in the same manner previous seasons of the show have, but there were still so many unresolved storylines, which we’ll never get the chance to see resolved. This sentiment rings especially true for Dana Sue and Ronnie fans, as the pair are the sole couple from the main ensemble that will end the show without a happy ending of any kind given the season ended with Dana Sue informing Ronnie she would be getting her own place and needed time away from him after the events of season 5.
Sure, we had a bad feeling that Netflix might be bringing the show to an end after it failed to open a writers room for season 6 ahead of the season 5 premiere, and with each passing week the odds of a renewal began slipping away. However, we truly never expected that Netflix would cancel the show not simply because of a factor such as viewership, but to launch a new series that has nothing to do with Sweet Magnolias.
As for this new series, well, it does sound like an amazing new addition to the Netflix lineup; we just wish it didn’t have to cost us Sweet Magnolias.
The series in question is titled Ladies of the House and will adapt Lauren Edmondson’s novel of the same name. Per the official synopsis from Netflix:
“So what’s being poured at this family winery? When its charismatic owner dies unexpectedly, his wife and two adult daughters must battle through their issues with each other in order to confront challenges with the business, their extended family, and the men in their lives. Good friends and good wine will aid in the journey to hang on to the winery, but what matters most is that they find a way to hang on to each other.”
Under normal circumstances, this would certainly be exciting news, and the show sounds like the type of show that would pair perfectly with Sweet Magnolias. I mean, we’ve got amazing female characters, a small town, family drama, and alcohol. But it’s going to take some time for me to warm up to the show, knowing that it’s the reason I won’t get to pour it out with the Sweet Magnolias one last time—a sentiment I’m sure many fans will share.
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