As the biggest streaming service around, the most popular Netflix originals always seep into the mainstream and become pop culture talking points, but can you really say that about Sweet Magnolias?
Look, we’re not denying that the romantically-infused dramedy isn’t incredibly popular all over the world – something that’s been proven countless times over by way of cold, hard, data – but it’s never on the tip of anybody’s tongue when the conversation turns to discussing the platform’s best and brightest episodic originals.
Of course, not being a cultural phenomenon is hardly a barometer of how many people love it, lending an air of inevitability to the confirmation that Sweet Magnolias will be back for a fourth season. The last run debuted at number one on Netflix’s internal Top 10, but only racked up 39.5 million hours and held onto the summit for a week before slipping down the pecking order, which highlights the gulf when you consider that Lupin recently returned for a third season of its own and gathered 63.9 million hours across its first few days of availability.
Season 2 did notch 161.3 million hours in its first 30 days, though, so longevity has clearly been a key factor behind its ongoing success, and having to wait 17 months between the second and third sittings definitely ensured that absence made the heart grow fonder.
Not every Netflix series has to be a headline-grabbing sensation in order to secure longevity, and there aren’t many better examples out there than the quietly all-conquering Sweet Magnolias.