After five seasons, Netflix has canceled “Sweet Magnolias,” the beloved romantic drama starring Joanna Garcia Swisher, Brooke Elliott, and Heather Headley, Deadline first reported on September 18, 2026.
The fifth season premiered on June 11, with 2.8 million views during its first week. But according to Deadline, that was 30 percent fewer viewers than during its season four premiere week. After three weeks, the show dropped out of Netflix’s Top 10 most-watched shows. But it’s not all bad news for Swisher, who will begin work on another series for Netflix right away.
‘Sweet Magnolias’ Was Axed So Joanna Garcia Swisher’s New Show Could Be Greenlit
Though devoted fans were eagerly awaiting news of a sixth season, the writing was on the wall for “Sweet Magnolias,” according to Deadline’s editor-in-chief, Nellie Andreeva, who wrote that Netflix “did not commission a Season 6 writers room ahead of time the way it typically does for established shows.”
She also noted that Netflix execs had to decide whether to greenlight a sixth and final season of “Sweet Magnolias” or move forward with a new series that Swisher and “Sweet Magnolias” showrunner and executive producer Sheryl. J. Anderson had in development, called “Ladies Of The House.”
The streamer decided to cut “Sweet Magnolias” and greenlight the new drama. Anderson told Deadline in June that the team was aware that the show might not continue, but had ideas for how a final, sixth season would play out.
She said, “Beyond the ritual of ending with a toast, we always strive to give our audience a balance between the tension of the open questions: Who’s leaving, Who’s coming back, Who’s staying together, all of those, with emotional satisfaction. I think maybe in some cases, the emotional satisfaction and the joy is greater than the open questions, but the open questions are certainly there, and we certainly have big thoughts about, if we are lucky enough to get another season, the stories that we will tell.”
“Sweet Magnolias” debuted in 2020 and has generated 100 million views since, appearing 14 times in Netflix’s Global Weekly Top 10 across more than 60 countries, Deadline reported.
Fans Respond to ‘Sweet Magnolias’ Goodbye With Sadness & Anger
The team behind “Sweet Magnolias” wrote a heartfelt message to fans on September 19 in a social media post that said, “All grand adventures must eventually end. And here, dear friends, is where ours goes. ‘Sweet Magnolias’ is now complete with five seasons streaming on Netflix.”
Thanking their “outstanding cast and crew,” the producing team wrote, “Some days were long, some days were hard, many days were rainy. But work is lighter and more joyful when shared with people like you.”
After also thanking their production partners and “Sweet Magnolias” author Sherryl Woods, they turned their attention to the fans, writing, “Serenity is for you. Every moment of laughter, of heartbreak, of anger, of joy, was for you. While this journey may be complete, the Sweet Magnolias will always be there for you when you need them most. Serenity will always be happy to see you. Keep pouring it out!”
Unsurprisingly, fans expressed shock, sadness, and even anger in the comment section, including many who said they were “done” with Netflix. One wrote, “This freaking SUCKS!!!!!! Wow this show could have lasted forever!! Not a good way to end.”
Another lamented, “We are all heartbroken but so grateful for SM💞 we’re so sad not to see a season 6 coming. @netflix I’m so done with you!”
Many fans also begged for a spinoff movie, including one who wrote, “Nooooo Need to have a movie to wrap up all the characters storylines”
What Will ‘Ladies Of The House’ Be About?
Swisher is expected to star in and executive-produce the new show alongside Anderson, per Deadline. “Ladies Of The House” is loosely based on Lauren Edmondson’s novel of the same name, about the wife and two daughters of a “charismatic owner of a winery.”
When the winery owner dies, the three women “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.”
It’s not clear yet who else will star or when production will begin on the new show.
This totally bums me out. I was really looking forward to season 6. They should have done it to tie up loose ends and give them and us, the fans, closure. So disappointed.
You can only milk a cow for so long and then it dries up.
Good times come to an end and I save $25/mo now. Bye bye Netflix after 20 years