The 'Sweet Magnolias' Showrunner Sheryl Anderson Spilled the Beans on Cast Chemistry and Season 2 Surprises

Tierney McAfee
·4 min read

From Country Living

  • When Sweet Magnolias hit Netflix in May, the coronavirus crisis was in full swing, and many people looking for comfort in tumultuous times were thrilled to find some of the Southern variety.

  • Now, as the team behind Sweet Magnolias (and the rest of the world, duh!) awaits the filming and arrival of Season 2, showrunner Sheryl Anderson is taking fans behind the scenes of the hit Netflix series and sharing the show's recipe for success.

When Netflix premiered Sweet Magnolias in May, the sweet, unassuming series about three lifelong friends in the small Southern town of Serenity quickly shot to number one on the streaming service's list of top 10 shows in the United States.

Within hours of its debut, the show racked up a slew of devoted fans, all of whom wanted nothing more than to “pour it out” with the three Magnolias, debate over the merits of Team Bill vs. Team Cal, and most importantly, find out “Who was in the car???”—a reference to the Season 1 cliffhanger that left fans begging Netflix, God, anybody for a second season.

No one was more surprised about the show’s overnight success than the cast and crew themselves—especially showrunner and executive producer Sheryl Anderson, who helped adapt the romantic dramedy from Sherryl Woods’s hit book series of the same name.

Sheryl tells Country Living's Editor-in-Chief Rachel Barrett that one reason why the show has resonated so strongly is timing. When Sweet Magnolias hit Netflix in May, the coronavirus crisis was already in full swing, and many people looking for comfort in tumultuous times were thrilled to find some of the Southern variety.

“Sweet Magnolias is built on a foundation of friendship, faith, and community. We look at the possibilities for redemption and re-invention that are available to us all,” Sheryl said. “Back when we were writing, we hoped people would connect with those themes; in these turbulent days, I think people are also looking for comfort, which we provide in heaping helpings. They're hungry for stories that reinforce the importance of coming together, respecting and supporting each other, and learning from our mistakes so we can grow and be better. In the writers room and in production, we said, ‘We want everyone to see themselves in Serenity.’ I think that spirit of inclusivity has resonated with viewers, too.”

All that behind-the-scenes work paid off: Fans are certainly invested, and one of the biggest questions on their minds right now is exactly what went down during the show’s shocking Season 1 finale.

Although Sheryl couldn’t spill the sweet tea on this subject, she did promise us: “If we're fortunate enough to get a second season, all your questions will be answered. And new ones will be asked—almost immediately!"

Netflix renewed the series for a second season, and we're sure Sheryl and the rest of the cast are thrilled to return to Serenity with the three Magnolias: Maddie Townsend (JoAnna Garcia Swisher), Dana Sue Sullivan (Brooke Elliott), and Helen Decatur (Heather Headley).

Sheryl says sharing a set with these three women and the rest of the Sweet Magnolias cast and crew has been one of the most “harmonious” experiences of her career.

“The three Magnolias clicked immediately: The first scene they shot together made you believe they'd known each other forever,” Sheryl said. “But it was the first Margarita Night that took my breath away. I had told Norman [Buckley], our director, that I wanted the viewers to feel like the fourth Magnolia; when we shot the scene, I wanted to be the fourth Magnolia, to go sit down with them, pick up a glass, and just listen to them talk and laugh. It was magical.”

Of course, the magic isn’t really in the margaritas, but in the Sweet Magnolias’s ritual of “pouring it out” with one another — “it” being their joys, their sorrows, and everything in between.

“One of the most important things we say in the show is, ‘You are not alone.’ To have friends who will cry with you when you're sad, laugh with you when you're happy, and you can always talk things through with, is a blessing,” Sheryl says. “Friends with whom you can be completely honest, in the knowledge that they'll stand by you no matter what, make all the difference in life.”

You Might Also Like