Fire Country has become a Netflix hit after the first two seasons of the CBS series found an additional home on the world’s best streaming service in the US on August 1. The series debuted on CBS back in 2022 and the two series have since captured the attention of a wider audience on Netflix in a bid to give the show more exposure ahead of its season three premiere on October 18 on CBS.
Fire Country is a firefighter drama co-created by the main star Max Thieriot, whose first two seasons are also available to watch on Paramount Plus. Thieriot plays Bode Donovan, an ex-convict who signs up for the Cal Fire prison release firefighting program in hopes to redeem himself and shorten his prison sentence. He gets sent to his hometown, where he must make amends with his family and friends, all while working alongside other inmates to put out huge fires in the Northern California region.
Combining soapy small town drama with thrilling action, Fire Country could be the answer to all our Virgin River season six prayers while we wait for the new series of one of the best Netflix shows to arrive in late 2024. But if you’re wanting more small town drama after Fire Country, here are three more to watch on Netflix – and one has 91% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Northern Rescue
- RT Score: 91%
- Age rating: TV-14
- Length: ~44 minute episodes
- Creators: Mark Bacci, David Cormican, and Dwayne Hill
Northern Rescue tells the story of search and rescue commander John West (William Baldwin) who uproots his three children from Boston to his rural hometown of Turtle Island Bay after his wife’s death. As the family struggle to cope with the loss, John faces tough situations both personally and professionally, while his kids grapple with the everyday struggles of growing up.
Much like Fire Country, each of the individual characters have their own internal struggles they battle with everyday and come from all walks of life, which we start to see in Northern Rescue when the grieving family meet many colorful characters living in the community. There’s also some heart-pounding action sequences similar to Fire Country, as John is tasked with saving people from a forest fire and a plane crash.
Unfortunately, there has been no word on whether Northern Rescue will be renewed for a second season since its production hiatus during the pandemic, but if you want explosive drama with a scenic backdrop, then Northern Rescue is still worth the watch.
Available to stream globally on Netflix.
Virgin River
- RT Score: 81%
- Age rating: TV-14
- Length: ~45 minute episodes
- Creator: Robyn Carr
Virgin River is probably the most similar show to Fire Country in this list, not only because each show uses British Columbia to portray a picturesque Northern Californian town, but due to the soapy drama and well-rounded characters that you can easily fall in love with.
The hit Netflix drama follows nurse practitioner Mel Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge), who moves from Los Angeles for a fresh start in the rural town of Virgin River. There, she meets bar owner and former Marine Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson) and other interesting residents in the close-knit town. It has everything you could want from a typical small town drama with shocking health woes, fractured relationships, dark secrets, and jaw-dropping cliff-hangers. So while it echoes the setting and tone of Fire Country, it also matches the gripping drama and character development.
If you can’t wait for Virgin River season six check out these five powerful dramas to watch in the meantime.
Available to stream globally on Netflix.
Wildfire
- RT Score: N/A
- Age rating: TV-14
- Length: ~44 minute episodes
- Creators: Michael Piller and Christopher Teague
Fire Country’s Bode Donovan and Wildfire’s Kris Furillo (Genevieve Padalecki) are much alike as they are both ex-convicts who are given the opportunity to start a new life. After serving time at a teen detention center, troubled Kris is given a chance at responsibility when her talent for horses is spotted by a volunteer and local trainer Pablo.
He arranges a job for her at the Ritter’s family horse ranch, where she must contend with the challenges of fitting in, adjusting to a new environment and forming relationships as she tries her best to not disappoint the family who gave her a chance. All the while, the Ritters are experiencing hardships of their own as the ranch faces financial ruin.
Bode and Kris’ road to redemption serves as the main plot for both the series, but while there isn’t as much action in Wildfire (Wildfire is actually the name of a horse), it still serves up a perfect blend of exciting drama, compelling characters and trials and tribulations. Oh, and if you love horses this noughties series would also be one to watch.
Available to stream on Netflix in the US, Plex in the UK, and Stan in Australia.
