Where Is Netflix's Sweet Magnolias Filmed?

While so many other Netflix shows disappoint fans with early cancellations, "Sweet Magnolias" has been delivering hours of entertainment for years on end. The series premiered in May 2020, right in the heart of the pandemic, and immediately connected with legions of fans. Since then, "Sweet Magnolias" has shot and released several more seasons, proving itself to be one of Netflix's best original TV shows in the process.

"Sweet Magnolias," based on the book series by Sherryl Woods, follows the lives of Maddie Townsend (JoAnna Garcia Swisher), Dana Sue Sullivan (Brooke Elliott), and Helen Decatur (Heather Headley). The three women are lifelong friends who grew up together in South Carolina and are now navigating the difficulties of adult life while helping each other. Their daily struggles and the evolution of their families have kept the series going strong for half a decade now.

"Sweet Magnolias" is set in the fictional South Carolina town of Serenity, and over the course of the show, the town virtually becomes a character of its own. The show wouldn't work without the quaint feel that permeates its setting, and that's why the series is largely filmed on location. Of course, since Serenity isn't a real place, the series needs to rely on a different small town to create the perfect atmosphere. Surprisingly, the real-world town where "Sweet Magnolias" is filmed isn't even in South Carolina.

Georgia is a great place for television and film production. The state's climate lends itself to shows that need to be able to film outside regardless of the time of year, which is a big part of why Georgia has, whether you realize it or not, become ubiquitous on TV. Massive hit series like "The Walking Dead" film there, and so does Netflix's "Sweet Magnolias."

The town of Covington, Georgia, plays the role of Serenity, South Carolina, in "Sweet Magnolias." The old buildings and cute homes that give the fictional town its homey feeling largely exist in the real world. Sullivan's Restaurant, for example, is an actual eatery in Covington called the Mystic Grill. The town's signature clock tower also really exists, but it's actually the Newton County Courthouse, and both Maddie's and Dana Sue's houses are real Georgia homes.

Covington isn't a one-stop shop for "Sweet Magnolias," though. There are times when the show has opted to borrow locations from neighboring areas to create certain scenes. Scenes at the Lutheran church in Serenity are filmed at a real Presbyterian church over in Decatur, Georgia, and the house that belongs to Helen in the show can be found in Atlanta. You're usually looking at Covington when you're watching "Sweet Magnolias," but you're always looking at the state of Georgia.

We've already talked about how Georgia has become a welcoming place for TV and film productions for years, but the town of Covington in particular stands out. It's been the backdrop of quite a few different series over the years, with shows like "The Vampire Diaries" and "Legacies" using it for on-location shoots. The town has also welcomed quite a few film productions, lending its buildings and scenery to movies like "Selma," "Remember the Titans," and "Sweet Home Alabama."

Covington has built up a pretty extensive resume. Like so many other popular filming locations in Georgia, the town is perfectly suited for a wide variety of genres, so everything from grounded dramas to wild supernatural thrillers can and have used the town as their setting. That's why Covington's become known as the South's Hollywood, and we can only imagine that the popularity of shows like "Sweet Magnolias" will drive even more TV and movie productions to the area in the future.