Nielsen's Rankings Prove Virgin River Isn't Going Anywhere

Summary

• Netflix's melodrama is performing better than ever despite significant backlash from fans.
• The dip in quality in recent seasons has not affected the show's ratings.
• The latest data confirms that millions of people continue to watch the show.

Although Virgin River's first season premiered on Netflix in 2019 to glowing reviews from fans and critics alike, who were quick to label it the best comfort melodrama around, the show's quality soon went downhill. Fans began criticizing the writers for unnecessarily dragging out storylines purely for ratings. While Season 5 has received somewhat better reviews than the dismal Season 4, fans still believe the show's days are numbered.

With the quality of both the acting and writing deteriorating, some viewers have come to despise the show and are urging Netflix to cancel it at the earliest. But will that actually happen?

Things Are Good

While the critical reception for Virgin River is disappointing, the same cannot be said for the show's ratings. The melodrama consistently outperforms other similar projects in terms of viewership. Yes, some fans have been frustrated by the show, but the amount of time they spend hate-watching actually benefits the series, as new data clearly demonstrates.

Recently, Nielsen released their top 10 streaming chart again. While Suits maintains the number one spot for the 14th week in a row, Virgin River fared much better than anticipated.

More than a month after its premiere, the Netflix melodrama remains in the top 10, ranking at #8 with 709 million minutes watched last week. That is an impressive figure for a show many would like to see canceled.

Big Hit

To provide some perspective, Virgin River has outperformed shows like Ahsoka, Only Murders in the Building, and Gen V, proving that it still generates a lot of buzz. Given the sustained success of Season 5, it's highly unlikely that Netflix will cancel the show anytime soon, as the streaming giant needs to keep its hits on air for as long as possible.

All in all, it would appear that Virgin River's impending downfall has proven a rather premature prediction after all.