Sweet Magnolias is an American romantic drama television series, developed by Sheryl J. Anderson and based on the Sweet Magnolias novels by Sherryl Woods. It stars JoAnna Garcia Swisher, Brooke Elliott and Heather Headley. The series premiered on Netflix on May 19, 2020.[1] In July 2020, the series was renewed for a second season.[2] The 10-episode second season premiered on February 4, 2022.[3] In May 2022, the series was renewed for a third season which premiered on July 20, 2023.[4][5] In October 2023, the series was renewed for a fourth season.[6]
| Sweet Magnolias | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Romantic drama |
| Based on | Sweet Magnolias books bySherryl Woods |
| Developed by | Sheryl J. Anderson |
| Starring |
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| Music by | James Jandrisch |
| Opening theme | "Destination" by Nickel Creek |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 30 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Cinematography | Brian Johnson |
| Editors |
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| Running time | 43–54 minutes |
| Production company | Daniel L. Paulson Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | Netflix |
| Release | May 19, 2020 (2020-05-19) – present |
Sweet Magnolias follows "three South Carolina women, best friends since childhood, as they shepherd each other through the complexities of romance, career, and family."[7]
| Season | Episodes | Originally released | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | May 19, 2020 (2020-05-19) | ||
| 2 | 10 | February 4, 2022 (2022-02-04) | ||
| 3 | 10 | July 20, 2023 (2023-07-20) | ||
| No. overall | No.in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Pour It Out" | Norman Buckley | Teleplay by : Sheryl J. Anderson | May 19, 2020 (2020-05-19) | ||
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Maddie and Bill are getting a divorce, and are having an argument about who is going to keep the house. Luckily for Maddie, Helen helps her keep the house. Meanwhile, their friend Dana Sue is seen firing her assistant, Brad, at her restaurant, because of stolen wine. She has a fight with her daughter, Annie, because Annie's behavior in town is not what Dana Sue expected. At the same time, Tyler is going through an emotional phase because of his parents' divorce and also talks about giving up on his dream of becoming a baseball player. Dana Sue and Helen get an idea of opening their own spa, with Maddie managing it, but it is too overwhelming for Maddie.
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| 2 | 2 | "A United Front" | Norman Buckley | Shelley Meals | May 19, 2020 (2020-05-19) | ||
| 3 | 3 | "Give Drink to the Thirsty" | Kelli Williams | Anthony Epling | May 19, 2020 (2020-05-19) | ||
| 4 | 4 | "Lay It All Down" | Kelli Williams | Francesca Butler | May 19, 2020 (2020-05-19) | ||
| 5 | 5 | "Dance First, Think Later" | Norman Buckley | Caron Tschampion | May 19, 2020 (2020-05-19) | ||
| 6 | 6 | "All Best Intentions" | Norman Buckley | Shelley Meals | May 19, 2020 (2020-05-19) | ||
| 7 | 7 | "Hold My Hand" | Laura Nisbet Peters | Anthony Epling | May 19, 2020 (2020-05-19) | ||
| 8 | 8 | "What Fools These Mortals Be" | Laura Nisbet Peters | Francesca Butler | May 19, 2020 (2020-05-19) | ||
| 9 | 9 | "Where You Find Me" | Norman Buckley | Caron Tschampion | May 19, 2020 (2020-05-19) | ||
| 10 | 10 | "Storms and Rainbows" | Norman Buckley | Sheryl J. Anderson | May 19, 2020 (2020-05-19) | ||
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| No. overall | No.in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 1 | "Casseroles and Casualties" | Norman Buckley | Sheryl J. Anderson | February 4, 2022 (2022-02-04) |
| 12 | 2 | "So Much to Say" | Norman Buckley | Anthony Epling | February 4, 2022 (2022-02-04) |
| 13 | 3 | "The More Things Change" | Mykelti Williamson | Valerie C. Woods | February 4, 2022 (2022-02-04) |
| 14 | 4 | "Walk of Faith" | Mykelti Williamson | Caron Tschampion | February 4, 2022 (2022-02-04) |
| 15 | 5 | "Great Expectations" | Norman Buckley | Shani Am. Moore | February 4, 2022 (2022-02-04) |
| 16 | 6 | "Find It in Your Heart" | Norman Buckley | Anthony Epling | February 4, 2022 (2022-02-04) |
| 17 | 7 | "Fragile Things" | Yangzom Brauen | Valerie C. Woods | February 4, 2022 (2022-02-04) |
| 18 | 8 | "The Rules of the Game" | Yangzom Brauen | Caron Tschampion | February 4, 2022 (2022-02-04) |
| 19 | 9 | "Dear Heart" | Mary Lou Belli | Shani Am. Moore | February 4, 2022 (2022-02-04) |
| 20 | 10 | "If Thou Wilt, Remember" | Mary Lou Belli | Sheryl J. Anderson | February 4, 2022 (2022-02-04) |
| No. overall | No.in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 1 | "Meaning to Tell You" | Norman Buckley | Sheryl J. Anderson | July 20, 2023 (2023-07-20) |
| 22 | 2 | "Meet Me Where I Am" | Norman Buckley | Caron Tschampion | July 20, 2023 (2023-07-20) |
| 23 | 3 | "The Searchers" | Lauren Petzke | Anthony Epling | July 20, 2023 (2023-07-20) |
| 24 | 4 | "Be Bold" | Lauren Petzke | Barret Helms | July 20, 2023 (2023-07-20) |
| 25 | 5 | "On This Foundation" | Norman Buckley | Shani Am. Moore | July 20, 2023 (2023-07-20) |
| 26 | 6 | "And a Star to Steer Her By" | Norman Buckley | Teleplay by : Caron Tschampion Story by : Anthony Epling | July 20, 2023 (2023-07-20) |
| 27 | 7 | "Somebody I'm Longing to See" | Joy T. Lane | Anthony Epling | July 20, 2023 (2023-07-20) |
| 28 | 8 | "Beat Me at My Own Game" | Joy T. Lane | Shani Am. Moore | July 20, 2023 (2023-07-20) |
| 29 | 9 | "A Game of Telephone" | Mary Lou Belli | Barret Helms | July 20, 2023 (2023-07-20) |
| 30 | 10 | "Save My Place" | Mary Lou Belli | Sheryl J. Anderson & Sara Jumel | July 20, 2023 (2023-07-20) |
On September 27, 2018, it was announced that Netflix had given the production a series order for a first season consisting of ten episodes. The series was based on the Sweet Magnolias book series by Sherryl Woods and executive producers were expected to include Woods, Sheryl J. Anderson, and Dan Paulson. Anderson was also set to serve as the series' showrunner. Production companies involved with the series were slated to consist of Daniel L. Paulson Productions.[7] The series premiered on May 19, 2020.[1] Norman Buckley directed six of the episodes and served as co-executive producer.[10] On July 23, 2020, Netflix renewed the series for a second season which premiered on February 4, 2022.[2][3] On May 4, 2022, Netflix renewed the series for a third season which was released on July 20, 2023.[4][5] On October 19, 2023, Netflix renewed the series for a fourth season.[6]
On May 20, 2019, Monica Potter, Brooke Elliott, and Heather Headley were announced as the leads.[11] On July 1, 2019, it was reported that Chris Klein, Jamie Lynn Spears, and Justin Bruening had joined the cast as series regulars.[12] On August 1, 2019, JoAnna Garcia Swisher was cast as Maddie Townsend, replacing Potter who was originally cast as the lead.[13] On May 4, 2021, Dion Johnstone and Brandon Quinn were promoted to series regulars for second season.[8] In June 9, 2023, it was reported that Ella Grace Helton joined the cast in a recasting, replacing Bianca Berry Tarantino for the third season.[9]
Principal photography for the series began on July 8, 2019 in Covington, Georgia.[7][14] Filming for the fourth season started on February 20, 2024 and wrapped on May 30, 2024.[15][16]
For the first season, review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 78% based on 9 reviews, with an average rating of 6.2/10.[17] The second season has an 80% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 5 reviews, with an average rating of 8/10.[18] The third season holds a 57% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 7 reviews, with an average rating of 6.3/10.[19]
In its first 30-days on Netflix, season 2 was watched globally on Netflix for 161.3 million hours.[20]
