10 Cozy, Romantic, & Drama-Filled Shows To Watch If You Love Virgin River

If the scenery from the long-running series Heartland, which premiered in 2007 and is currently in its 16th season, looks vaguely familiar, you’re not imagining things. It is another series filmed in Canada, though this series is actually filmed in the midwestern province of Alberta while Virgin River is filmed in the coastal province of British Columbia. This series follows life on the Heartland Ranch as Amy Fleming and her family deal with the struggles of being ranchers. Sort of like Yellowstone except with barn dances and mild fights instead of murder.

Stream Heartland on Peacock.

Another series based on a popular book of the same name, Ava Duvarnay’s Queen Sugar is currently in its sixth season and has one more coming before the series finale. Queen Sugar follows the lives of the three Bordelon siblings, one of whom moves home from Los Angeles to Louisiana when they inherit an 800-acre sugarcane farm from their late father. Queen Sugar is another drama, with a totally different backdrop from Virgin River that is lush and romantic and gorgeous. And if you’re already a fan, you are not alone. Oprah Winfrey herself tweeted about how much she loved Queen Sugar, so who are you to disagree with Oprah?

Stream Queen Sugar on Hulu.

If there is one small town gal fans might have been rooting for as hard as they rooted for Mel from Virgin River, I think it is definitely Lorelai Gilmore. The single mom lead of the always classic, always iconic Gilmore Girls set the bar for small town quirkiness. Again, the town of Star’s Hollow is its own character, full of fun little cafes and festivals that make no sense and townspeople who never seem to go anywhere but Luke’s Diner or the Town Meeting or maybe try dancing at Miss Patty’s. Lorelai and Rory are funny and sharp but also sentimental, making this show a yearly re-watch for so many fans.

Stream all seven seasons of Gilmore Girls as well as the four-part series Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life on Netflix.

We clearly love an ensemble cast series, and The Village delivers in spades as far as emotional hits go. This series is not set in a small town, rather it takes place in a New York City apartment building that is special in that the residents are all in it for the whole “Village” experience of it all. A nurse who is a single mom with a pregnant teen daughter, a social worker coping with cancer, a refugee struggling with immigration issues. They’re all intertwined and all trying their best to help each other. Definitely break out the tissues though, because this series is a tearjerker of This Is Us proportions.

Stream the one and only season of The Village on NBC.com.

If you’ve never seen the classic ‘90s television series Dawson’s Creek, I can’t decide if I’m sad for you or excited for you to experience it now. The series ran from 1998 to 2003 and was centered on 15-year-old filmmaker Dawson Leery and his friends Pacey, Jen, and Joey as they navigate growing up in Capeside, Massachusetts. All four teens, who went on to become big stars as adults (James Van der Beek, Joshua Jackson, Michelle Williams, and Katie Holmes respectively) become embroiled in dramatic pairings through the years, and it’s all very intense and grown up and, from a nostalgic point of view, so sweet to revisit. Plus the soundtrack is iconic ‘90s.

Stream Dawson’s Creek on HBO Max.

Call the Midwife might not be the most obvious choice as a show similar to Virgin River at first glance. The setting of an economically depressed East London neighborhood of Poplar in England in the 1950s and 60s is not exactly full of rivers and trees, after all. But the thing about Call the Midwife is, it always delivers a soft emotional gut punch that is just enough to warm you up but not enough to leave you depressed. Plus, Mel works as a nurse practitioner and the midwives work with the nuns of Nonnatus House to deliver the babies of Poplar. But the thing is, everyone works together in Poplar. They take care of each other. Just like they do in Virgin River.

Watch Call the Midwife on PBS.

If someone was trying to figure out the most perfect equation for the kind of comforting show that makes you want to put on your pajamas and curl up on the couch, they’ve done it. Sweet Magnolias is exactly that kind of series. Three lifelong best friends who call themselves the “Sweet Magnolias” all live close to each other in gorgeous Serenity, South Carolina. Maddie is going through a painful divorce, Dana Sue is a chef, and Helen is an attorney. Helen buys an old mansion for the three of them to turn into The Corner Spa together, and they drink margaritas and gossip all the time. It’s truly a dream come true.

Stream two seasons of Sweet Magnolias on Netflix.

Whoever came up with the concept of a big city, fish-out-of water storyline needs to win all of the awards. Because this is what we love to watch and it’s something of a common denominator in all of the series that are just as engaging as Virgin River. Back in 2011, Rachel Bilson perfected the stereotype as fast-talking Manhattan surgeon Dr. Zoe Hart in Hart of Dixie. After Dr. Hart’s practice is moved to a small town in Alabama, she finds herself struggling with serious culture shock. And, of course, falls in love with the town and the people. Special points for the inclusion of Tim Matheson, who plays Doc in Virgin River.

Stream Hart of Dixie on Amazon Prime.

Perhaps one of the most charming, long-forgotten series of the ‘90s that is like a quirkier version of Virgin River is Northern Exposure. This time around the fish-out-of-water doctor is Dr. Joel Fleschman, who sets up practice in the little town of Cicely, Alaska where he definitely does not fit in. He meets a whole cast of characters including Alaskan bush pilot Maggie O’Connell, who of course becomes his love interest despite their conflicting views on pretty much everything. Watch out for SATC’s John Corbett (Aiden) who plays a free-spirited disc jockey delivering commentary on life in Cicely.

You can’t stream Northern Exposure, but it’s totally worth it to buy on DVD.

The television series Sleepy Hollow adds a true odd man out twist to Washington Irving’s classic tale. The Headless Horseman is back and being a real jerk as usual, but fortunately Ichabod Crane has been resurrected after 250 years to stop him wreaking havoc on modern day Sleepy Hollow. With the help of a police officer who witnessed the Headless Horseman in action and is probably/definitely going to become Ichabod’s love interest, the two dive into a magical world they don’t really understand. But, you know, with a pretty backdrop and stuff. So it’s all worth it.

Stream four seasons of Sleepy Hollow on Disney+.