But I knew my characters were in good hands, and I could hardly contain my excitement when visiting the set. Inside a giant warehouse was Jack’s Bar and several other structures, including Doc’s house and clinic. There were enormous painted backdrops of the great outdoors—the monument-size trees, mountains, rivers. As I walked around the set, I was in awe. It was a town, incredible down to the smallest detail. I wandered in and out of the structures, touching the stacks of papers on Doc’s desk, checking out the exam table in one of the exam rooms, looking at the small kitchen where so much action happened in the book.
I mounted the steps to Jack’s Bar with some trepidation—so much of the series takes place there—would it look anything like I’d imagined? I stopped just inside the door. It took my breath away. Every detail was precise. I sat on a stool at the bar and about a hundred scenarios ran through my mind. A little later in the day I watched the filming of a scene in which Mel was talking to Jack about her life as an urban nurse practitioner, tossing back a couple of shots, wobbling off the stool and needing a little assistance from Jack! Yes, the place was Jack’s, down to the animal trophies on the walls. It was exactly as I’d pictured it when I first wrote about it.
And there were so many people everywhere. A large gathering of people at picnic tables outside of Doc’s house turned out to be extras. They’d be called on to walk up and down the street, sit in the bar, maybe be waiting for a doctor’s appointment, whatever the need. Also within the crowd there were tradesmen: carpenters, painters, builders, cameramen, grips. A good many of them approached me, introduced themselves and asked me, usually a bit shyly, if the set met my expectations. I had to be honest—it far exceeded my wildest desires. When I said so, their faces would light up with pride. They, too, want the show to meet the expectations of the fans of the books.
Also gathered were production people: the director, sound techs and others. I found a chair with my name on the back and we gathered to watch them shoot a scene, then reshoot from several different angles. I must say, I’ve always had this image of actors as having a glamorous job, but what I saw was very unglamorous. They worked hard, over and over again, standing, sitting, walking, moving. And the days were long—they kept the set open, working twelve hours a day. There were trailers in the parking lot for the stars to relax between scenes, study their lines, rest, rehearse or catch up on emails or phone calls when they weren’t required on set.
And the food! This was my biggest surprise of the day. The unions are strict, and those hardworking folks need regular breaks. Every few hours tables full of catered food were put out. Between breaks, great bowls of fruit appeared.
I sat through a table reading of the ninth episode. Every actor read their lines from the script. They did this every day for several days. It was an opportunity for questions and so they could discuss their lines or delivery with the director.
The scenes that I saw or read were not what I wrote in the original book. The script can’t follow the book exactly. It would be confusing, too long and the meaning could be lost in translation. The screen is a completely different format. There’s no way to film a character’s thoughts or internal dialogue, so adjustments are made to make the spirit of the story fit the new format. There were things I didn’t recognize but so many new twists I wished I had thought of. It was true to the spirit of my work and it was excellent!
It was a brand-new adventure with some of my most beloved characters. And those people who see the televised series first will have the same experience when they read the books—fresh adventures with favorite characters.
I was on the set for two days and it was magical. I fell in love with everything I saw, but there were a couple of things that stood out. First of all, the extreme gratitude of the cast and crew, to the last. There were hundreds of people working on this series. We provided jobs—hundreds of them. This wasn’t something I had done alone, even if I had created the setting and characters. This was something that evolved out of the millions of readers’ love for the series.
And the second thing was nestled in the heart. One of the tradesmen asked if I’d seen the sign in the bar. He took me over to show me what he meant. A closer look revealed a slice of tree trunk with some words burned into it. “Virgin River—Built By Men Of Honor For The Women They Love.” It was perfect.
That is the spirit and essence of Virgin River—the town we all want to call home. I hope you enjoy the books and the Netflix series as much as I do. Please visit my website, robyncarr.com, for more behind-the-scenes information about the show.
If you enjoy the Virgin River series, you’ll love Sullivan’s Crossing!
Keep reading to discover this series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr.
Neurosurgeon Maggie Sullivan knows she needs to slow down before she burns out completely, and the best place she can do that is the campground owned by her eccentric estranged father in rural Colorado.
What We Find
The first story in the Sullivan’s Crossing series.
Available now from MIRA.
What We Find
by Robyn Carr
Just living is not enough...
One must have sunshine, freedom,
and a little flower.
—HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN
1
Maggie Sullivan sought refuge in the stairwell between the sixth and seventh floors at the far west end of the hospital, the steps least
