A 'Virgin River' splash: Netflix greenlights two more seasons, cozies up to 'comfort' genre

Netflix and soothe. 

The world's largest streaming service is giving a warm embrace to a genre it's dubbed "comfort" content. Think programs like "Virgin River," centered on a widowed nurse practitioner who starts over in a picturesque (fictitious) northern California town; the mother-daughter dramedy "Ginny & Georgia"; and "Firefly Lane," starring Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke as lifelong besties dealing with life's challenges.

They're shows that don't require laser focus: You don't have to press pause if the laundry buzzes or you're hit with a hankering for a snack or glass of wine. It's feel-good, wholesome, low-stakes programming that might remind audiences of another network that evokes the same feeling of a cozy throw.