For three seasons now, Netflix’s Sweet Magnolias series showcases the ups and downs of best friends Maddie Townsend (JoAnna Garcia Swisher), Helen Decatur (Heather Headley), and Dana Sue Sullivan (Brooke Elliott) while living in the close knit small southern town of Serenity, SC. Based on the popular book series by New York Times best-selling author Sherryl Woods, Carson Rowland also stars in the show playing Tyler ‘Ty’ Townsend, the son of JoAnna Garcia Swisher’s character.
Sweet Magnolias premiered back in May 2020 and released its third season on July 20, 2023. More than ever, it’s important to acknowledge and highlight the significance of writers in television and film. The current WGA (Writers Guild of America) and SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) strike that has all of Hollywood’s productions on halt is allowing everyone to realize how important writers are, a fact Carson already knew. He told Popternative host Petey Beats how valuable the writers of Sweet Magnolias are especially working on a series three seasons in.
“Our writers are so great and they’re so consistent which a lot of times you don’t find in a show that goes three seasons, and so I think you can just expect what you love about the show and the show this season really is about just forgiveness and how there’s good in everyone. I like to refer to Sweet Magnolias as like it’s the equivalent of you know, sitting on a porch drinking an iced tea with some lemon in it on a hot summer day. It’s refreshing, it’s easy, and the way that these writers incorporate this drama and this friendship, it’s just great and it’s just amazing TV. I think that’s why this show has had the success it’s had; it’s because the writers are consistent and they’re giving what drew the viewers to the season one initially.”
Watch the full interview with Carson Rowland below.
The interview was recorded before the SAG-AFTRA strike.
All three seasons of Sweet Magnolias are available to stream on Netflix.
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Amber Dover is a multimedia journalist with over a decade writing about pop culture. Cat mom with a deep love of horror, you can follow Amber at @Glambergirlblog on Instagram and Twitter.