Sweet Magnolias Season 5: Cast, Filming, News, Locations - Netflix Tudum

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    Sweet Magnolias Takes Manhattan in Season 5

    JoAnna Garcia Swisher, Heather Headley, and Brooke Elliott are back in the small-town series, now streaming.

    By Jean Bentley and Tara Bitran
    June 11, 2026

The Sweet Magnolias have made it through marriage, infidelity, divorce, career changes, and unexpected death — so it should be no surprise that the three lifelong best friends from Serenity, South Carolina, won’t let a little interstate job relocation to New York City get in the way of margarita night in Season 5, which is now streaming.

This season, Maddie (JoAnna Garcia Swisher), Dana Sue (Brooke Elliott), and Helen (Heather Headley) continue to juggle relationships, family, and careers in their charming hometown — and beyond. 

Watch our favorite trio take a bite out of the Big Apple in the trailer and first few minutes of the new season, and get a first look at more sweet moments from Season 5 in new photos. 

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    Brooke Elliott as Dana Sue Sullivan, JoAnna Garcia Swisher as Maddie Townsend and Heather Headley as Helen Decatur in Season 5 of 'Sweet Magnolias'

“We are thrilled to let the Magnolias take Manhattan,” showrunner and executive producer Sheryl J. Anderson tells Tudum. “Not only is this adventure huge fun, it’s also an opportunity to explore the facets of their relationships in a new context. While it’s crucial to have true friends in day-to-day life, it’s priceless to have them supporting you when you leap out of your comfort zone.”

5 Questions with the Cast of Sweet Magnolias

Watch the video above to see Garcia Swisher, Elliott, and Headley tease what filming Season 5 was like. Read on to learn more about several new faces joining our favorite best friends in Serenity and beyond this season, find out which Magnolias are directing episodes, and discover what else you can expect in Season 5. Pour it out!

Who’s joining the cast of Sweet Magnolias Season 5?

Woman with long brown hair in a light dress smiles at another woman in a well-lit indoor social setting, with people talking and a blue sign blurred in the background.

Jamie-Lynn Sigler as Nell Winters

Jamie-Lynn Sigler plays Nell Winters, a prominent writer whom Maddie befriends in New York, while Janice Wesley joins as Miss Eustice, a town matron of Serenity.

Courtney Grace plays Courtney Sinclair, Ronnie’s (Brandon Quinn) new, hard-charging business partner, and John Gabriel Rodriquez plays Clark Bellson, a rival business owner in Serenity who complicates life for the Magnolias.

A young woman smiles and talks to a man in a warmly lit living room, with another woman standing in the background near a window and bookshelf. The setting appears cozy and intimate, suggesting a personal or emotional conversation.

Iman Benson as Jessica Whitley

Aidan Merwarth plays Noah Wharton, the Whartons’ grandson, and Austin Woods plays Blake Monaghan, both of whom complicate life for the Mini Magnolias. Iman Benson plays Jessica Whitley, Erik’s (Dion Johnstone) niece, who brings unexpected news to Erik and Helen.

What else is new in Sweet Magnolias Season 5?

Season 5 will consist of 10 episodes. Elliott makes her directing debut with the fourth episode of the season, while Garcia Swisher helms episodes 5 and 6.

Three women in gray sweaters stand close together in a kitchen, two facing each other as one embraces them, creating an atmosphere of support and comfort.

Dan Paulson (Chesapeake Shores), whose Daniel L. Paulson Productions is producing, returns as an executive producer. Matt Drake (Chesapeake Shores) serves as an executive producer, while Norman Buckley is co-executive producer. The long-running show is based on the popular series of novels published by MIRA Books, an imprint of Harlequin, and written by New York Times bestselling author Sherryl Woods, who is also an executive producer on the series.

Besides New York, are there any new filming locations in Sweet Magnolias Season 5?

Yes! Before Helen is set to wed her longtime love, Erik, Maddie and Dana Sue whisk her away to magical Savannah, Georgia, for her bachelorette party. Helen’s other bridesmaid, Mayor Peggy (Brittany L. Smith), of course meets them there. Anderson chose Savannah because it’s “picturesque, romantic, and also just has that special ‘sunlight constantly filtered through old trees’ kind of gauziness that really sells the South,” she tells Tudum. Not to mention, “it just seemed like a fun place to go!” 

Four women in colorful dresses walk together outdoors along a sunlit, tree-lined path, smiling and talking, with relaxed park surroundings and dappled sunlight in the background.

Savannah was also a feasible location logistically for the Atlanta-based production, as well as for the South Carolina–based characters to drive to via road trip. And the city proves a special location for another Magnolia, Maddie. Her husband, Cal (Justin Bruening), drives down to surprise her and spend more time in the dreamy city for their long-overdue honeymoon.

When does Sweet Magnolias Season 5 premiere? 

Pour it out with Sweet Magnolias Season 5 now, only on Netflix.

Sweet Magnolias Season 5 Key art
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