Sweet Magnolias

Not to be confused with Steel Magnolias.

Sweet Magnolias
Genre	Romantic drama
Based on	Sweet Magnolias series by Sherryl Woods
Developed by	Sheryl J. Anderson
Starring	JoAnna Garcia Swisher Brooke Elliott Heather Headley Logan Allen Anneliese Judge Carson Rowland Justin Bruening Chris Klein Jamie Lynn Spears Dion Johnstone Brandon Quinn Chris Medlin
Music by	James Jandrisch
Opening theme	"Destination" by Nickel Creek
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	4
No. of episodes	40
Production
Executive producers	Sherryl Woods Sheryl J. Anderson Dan Paulson
Producers	Matt Drake Albert T. Dickerson III Cameron Boling
Cinematography	Brian Johnson
Editors	Daria Ellerman Jason Pielak Alison Grace Mark Shearer Lara Mazur Sam Dewar Troy Weinreich
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 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] Its fourth season premiered on February 6, 2025. ^[2]

Premise

Sweet Magnolias follows "three South Carolina women, best friends since childhood, as they shepherd each other through the complexities of romance, career, and family." ^[3]

Cast and characters

Main

• JoAnna Garcia Swisher as Maddie Townsend, a recently separated woman with three children in Serenity, South Carolina who is trying to get back in the workforce while going through a divorce from her husband, Bill. She's a part of a friend group that calls themselves Sweet Magnolias.
• Brooke Elliott as Dana Sue Sullivan, a chef, and owner of a restaurant called Sullivan's. She is Helen's and Maddie's best friend and part of the Sweet Magnolias.
• Heather Headley as Helen Decatur, an accomplished attorney. She is Dana Sue's and Maddie's best friend, and one of the Sweet Magnolias. She bought a mansion which she converted into The Corner Spa with Maddie and Dana Sue.
• Logan Allen as Kyle Townsend, Maddie and Bill's younger son who is a freshman at Serenity High School with a talent for acting. He had a crush on Annie but later shows interest in Nellie Lewis.
• Anneliese Judge as Annie Sullivan, Dana Sue's daughter. She is friends with the Townsend brothers and an avid photographer. She and Tyler are childhood best friends and whom she kissed after having too much to drink at a party while being oblivious to Kyle's feelings. Annie is pursued by Jackson, whom she later ends up dating. The two break up later on in the series.
• Carson Rowland as Tyler "Ty" Townsend, Maddie and Bill's eldest son who is a junior at Serenity High School and a star pitcher on his high school baseball team
• Justin Bruening as Cal Maddox, Ty's baseball coach and Maddie's new love interest. He is a former professional baseball player.
• Chris Klein as Bill Townsend (seasons 1–3), Maddie's ex-husband and a family doctor at Serenity Family Physicians
• Jamie Lynn Spears as Noreen Fitzgibbons, Bill's pregnant fiancée, a nurse in his office who became his mistress ^[a]
• Dion Johnstone as Erik Whitley (seasons 2–present; ^[5] recurring season 1), the sous chef at Sullivan's and a mentor to Isaac
• Brandon Quinn as Ronnie Sullivan (seasons 2–present; ^[5] guest season 1), Dana Sue's estranged husband and Annie's father
• Chris Medlin as Isaac Downey (season 3–present; recurring seasons 1–2), a member of the kitchen staff at Sullivan's. He recently moved to Serenity to find his birth father and mother. It was later revealed that his biological parents are Peggy and Bill.

Recurring

• Bianca Berry Tarantino (seasons 1–2) and Ella Grace Helton (season 3-4) ^[6] as Katie Townsend, Maddie and Bill's only daughter and youngest child
• Frank Oakley III as Harlan Bixby, the assistant coach of Serenity High School baseball team
• Allison Gabriel as Mary Vaughn Lewis, the wife of Trent Lewis, Mayor of Serenity and main adversary of the Sweet Magnolias
• Simone Lockhart as Nellie Lewis, Mary Vaughn's daughter. She has a crush on Kyle.
• Brittany L. Smith as Peggy Martin, the owner of the newspaper The Centinel of Serenity and later mayor of Serenity
• Grace Junot as Alaina Cartwright, investigative reporter for the town newspaper, The Serenity Sentinel
• Tracey Bonner as Pastor June Wilkes, pastor ^[7] of the church of Serenity
• Charles Lawlor as Collins Littlefield
• Harlan Drum as CeCe Matney, Ty's love interest
• Sam Ashby as Jackson Butler Lewis, Ty's baseball rival teammate and Mary Vaughn's son. He previously dated Annie.
• Hunter Burke as Trotter Vidhyarkorn, Cal's best friend who works at The Corner Spa as a yoga instructor
• Al-Jaleel Knox as Gabe Weatherspoon, Ty's best friend and baseball teammate
• Michael Shenefelt as Ryan Wingate, Helen's on-and-off boyfriend
• Michael May as Simon Spry, Annie's friend
• Caroline Lagerfelt as Paula Vreeland, Maddie's mom
• Chase Anderson as Jeremy Reynolds, produce supplier for Sullivan's restaurant
• Janet Hubert as Bev Decatur, Helen's mom
• Jason Turner as Zeke Decatur, Helen's brother
• Wynn Everett as Kathy Sullivan, Ronnie's sister and new girlfriend of Bill Townsend
• Paul Rolfes as Trent Lewis, former mayor of Serenity
• Artemis as Lily Song (season 2–present), Annie's friend and Kyle's girlfriend
• Nikki Estridge as Genevieve Alexander (season 3–present)
• Tommi Rose as Olivia Harris (season 3–present), Ty's bandmate
• Judith Ivey as Bonnie Townsend (season 4), Bill's mother
• Jodi Benson as Iris Maddox (season 4), Cal’s mother

Episodes

Series overview

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)
4	10		February 6, 2025 (2025-02-06)

Season 1 (2020)

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)
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.
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)
Helen and Ryan decide to break up as he refuses to have children with Helen. Helen calls the girls and tells them her plans to meet with a specialist immediately about having children. Bill tries to become a better father for his children, spending time with Katie and buying tickets to Hamilton so he can become closer to Kyle. CeCe asks Ty to prom and he accepts. Kyle and Annie's plan to spend Prom Night alone is broken when Annie is asked to prom. Kyle then decides to hang with Nellie. Dana Sue is visited by Sullivan's silent partner and her former fling, Mica, who needs her to buy him out for personal reasons. Dana Sue is forced to call Ronnie to town so they can officially divorce. Ronnie wishes to return home. A scouter and longtime friend of Cal's tries recruiting Ty, upsetting Maddie and leading her to fight with Cal. Jackson crashes Kyle and (his sister) Nellie's party and brings the gang, including Ty, Annie, and Simon. Like last time, he takes all of the phones. Putting the pieces together, Isaac asks Dana Sue if she's his mother. Bill asks Maddie to take him back. Jackson provokes a fight with CeCe and Ty, leading Kyle to try to defend him. Ty throws him off, upsetting Kyle for always being ignored. He runs out of the house and the gang follows him. Erik and Helen grow closer. The ladies and Bill all receive a phone call and are rushed to the Highway where Ty's car is flipped over. Kyle's unconscious body is taken out of the car onto a stretcher, but the paramedics still do not know who the passenger is - Ty, Annie, or someone else - or if they're alive.

Season 2 (2022)

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)

Season 3 (2023)

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)

Season 4 (2025)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
31	1	"The Other Side of the Veil"	Lauren Petzke	Barret Helms	February 6, 2025 (2025-02-06)
32	2	"Practical Dreams"	Lauren Petzke	Anthony Epling	February 6, 2025 (2025-02-06)
33	3	"Abundant Grace"	Christine Swanson	Kale Futterman	February 6, 2025 (2025-02-06)
34	4	"How Great Thou Art"	Christine Swanson	Bianca Sams	February 6, 2025 (2025-02-06)
35	5	"True North"	Norman Buckley	Barret Helms	February 6, 2025 (2025-02-06)
36	6	"Ring That Bell"	Norman Buckley	Anthony Epling	February 6, 2025 (2025-02-06)
37	7	"Hide and Seek"	JoAnna Garcia Swisher	Alex Rubin	February 6, 2025 (2025-02-06)
38	8	"Walls and Doors"	Matt Drake	Kale Futterman	February 6, 2025 (2025-02-06)
39	9	"Dance Your Sugarplum Off"	Norman Buckley	Sara Jumel	February 6, 2025 (2025-02-06)
40	10	"Do Not Be Afraid"	Norman Buckley	Sheryl J. Anderson	February 6, 2025 (2025-02-06)

Production

Development

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. ^[3] The series premiered on May 19, 2020. ^[1] Norman Buckley directed six of the episodes and served as co-executive producer. ^[8] On July 23, 2020, Netflix renewed the series for a second season which premiered on February 4, 2022. ^{[9] [10]} On May 4, 2022, Netflix renewed the series for a third season which was released on July 20, 2023. ^{[11] [12]} On October 19, 2023, Netflix renewed the series for a fourth season which was released on February 6, 2025. ^{[13] [2]}

Casting

On May 20, 2019, Monica Potter, Brooke Elliott, and Heather Headley were announced as the leads. ^[14] On July 1, 2019, it was reported that Chris Klein, Jamie Lynn Spears, and Justin Bruening had joined the cast as series regulars. ^[4] On August 1, 2019, JoAnna Garcia Swisher was cast as Maddie Townsend, replacing Potter who was originally cast as the lead. ^[15] On May 4, 2021, Dion Johnstone and Brandon Quinn were promoted to series regulars for second season. ^[5] On June 9, 2023, it was reported that Ella Grace Helton joined the cast in a recasting, replacing Bianca Berry Tarantino for the third season. ^[6]

Filming

Principal photography for the series began on July 8, 2019 in Covington, Georgia. ^{[3] [16]} Filming for the fourth season started on February 20, 2024 and wrapped on May 30, 2024. ^{[17] [18]}

Reception

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. ^[19] The second season has an 80% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 5 reviews, with an average rating of 8/10. ^[20] The third season holds a 57% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 7 reviews, with an average rating of 6.3/10. ^[21] The fourth season has a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 5 reviews, with an average rating of 7.2/10. ^[22]

In its first 30-days on Netflix, season 2 was watched globally on Netflix for 161.3 million hours. ^[23]

Notes

1. Jamie Lynn Spears is credited as "Special Guest Star" in season 1, but is a Series Regular. ^[4]

References

1. Mallenbaum, Carly (April 22, 2020). "Netflix in May 2020: Everything new ('Hollywood,' 'Dead to Me' Season 2) and expiring". USA Today . Archived from the original on April 22, 2020. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
2. Petski, Denise (December 19, 2024). "'Sweet Magnolias' Gets Season 4 Premiere Date At Netflix". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved December 28, 2024.
3. Petski, Denise (September 27, 2018). "Netflix Orders Romance Drama Series 'Virgin River' & 'Sweet Magnolias' Based On Novels". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 27, 2018. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
4. Petski, Denise (July 1, 2019). "'Sweet Magnolias': Chris Klein, Jamie Lynn Spears & Justin Bruening Join Netflix Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 2, 2019. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
5. Petski, Denise (May 4, 2021). "'Sweet Magnolias': Jamie Lynn Spears, Dion Johnstone & Brandon Quinn Upped To Series Regulars For Season 2". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 4, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
6. Andreeva, Nellie (June 9, 2023). "'Sweet Magnolias': Ella Grace Helton To Play Maddie's Daughter Katie In Season 3 Of Netflix Series In Recasting". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
7. Potter, John (2020-06-01). "A faithful witness". Living Lutheran. Retrieved 2024-08-25.
8. Maas, Jennifer (August 1, 2019). "JoAnna Garcia Swisher to Replace Monica Potter as Star of Netflix's 'Sweet Magnolias' in Recasting". TheWrap . Archived from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
9. Swift, Andy (July 23, 2020). "Sweet Magnolias Renewed for Season 2". TVLine. Archived from the original on July 23, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
10. Swift, Andy (December 14, 2021). "Sweet Magnolias Season 2 Sets Netflix Premiere Date — 2022 FIRST LOOK". TVLine. Archived from the original on December 16, 2021. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
11. Schneider, Michael (May 4, 2022). "Netflix Renews 'Sweet Magnolias' for Season 3 (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
12. Swift, Andy (May 25, 2023). "Sweet Magnolias Season 3 Sets July Release Date on Netflix — First Look". TVLine. Archived from the original on May 25, 2023. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
13. Andreeva, Nellie (October 19, 2023). "'Sweet Magnolias' Renewed For Season 4 By Netflix". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved October 19, 2023.
14. Andreeva, Nellie (May 30, 2019). "'Sweet Magnolias': Monica Potter, Brooke Elliott & Heather Headley To Headline Netflix Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 30, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
15. Andreeva, Nellie; Petski, Denise (August 1, 2019). "'Sweet Magnolias': JoAnna Garcia Swisher To Star In Netflix Series In Recasting". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 2, 2019. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
16. Clark, Jeff (July 8, 2019). "Sweet Magnolias Blooming in Covington". Stomp And Stammer. Archived from the original on August 14, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
17. Buckley, Norman [@norbuck] (February 20, 2024). "First day of shooting on #SweetMagnolias season 4. Showrunner Sheryl Anderson, writers Anthony Epling and Sara Jumel, executive producer Dan Paulson and co-excutive producer Matt Drake, and me with director of our first block Lauren Petzke". Archived from the original on June 1, 2024. Retrieved June 1, 2024– via Instagram.
18. Soares, Isabella (May 31, 2024). "Netflix's 'Sweet Magnolias' Just Got an Exciting Season 4 Update". Collider. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
19. "Sweet Magnolias: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved July 23, 2020.
20. "Sweet Magnolias: Season 2". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved May 25, 2023.
21. "Sweet Magnolias: Season 3". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved April 28, 2024.
22. "Sweet Magnolias: Season 4". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved February 12, 2025.
23. Moore, Kasey (March 2, 2022). "'Sweet Magnolias' Season 3: Netflix Renewal Status and What to Expect". What's on Netflix. Archived from the original on March 9, 2022. Retrieved March 9, 2022.

External links

• Sweet Magnolias on Netflix
• Sweet Magnolias at IMDb