Grace and Frankie – Picture: Netflix
Grace and Frankie season 7 has begun filming after an extended delay to production thanks to the global health crisis. Here’s an updated July 2021 guide to everything we know so far about Grace and Frankie season 7 which will be the series last.
The longest-running Netflix show will now bow out after 7 seasons and 94 episodes. It’s no surprise it’s been one of Netflix’s longest-running shows with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin fronting and being created by NBC’s Friends showrunner (no longer on Netflix in the US) Marta Kauffman.
Season 6 of Grace and Frankie was made available on Netflix as of January 15th, 2020 globally and originally, we figured the final season would hit in January 2021 but as you’ve probably figured out, the series was delayed.
Season 7, while wrapping up the story, will likely see a return to season 1 in the sense that all four main characters could end up living under the same roof but for the moment, the story for season 7 is being kept under wraps.
Let’s now run through what we do know:
Why is season 7 of Grace and Frankie the final season?
In a string of Tweets on September 4th, 2019 we got word that Grace and Frankie had already been renewed ahead of its January 2020 season 6 release date. The official Twitter account also confirmed the news that season 7 is a go with the caveat that season 7 will also be the last.
In the announcement here’s what Lily and Jane both had to say on the show closing out:
“We’re so grateful that our show has been able to deal with issues that have really connected to our grand generation. And their kids, and amazingly, their kids as well! We’ll miss these two old gals, Grace and Frankie, as much as many of their fans will, but we’ll still be around.”
Marta Kauffman and Howard J. Morris who run the show said:
“It’s thrilling and somehow fitting, that our show about the challenges, as well as the beauty and dignity of aging, will be the oldest show on Netflix.”
Officially, we don’t know why Netflix has chosen season 7 to be the final season, but it’s likely due to the showrunners naturally wanting to conclude the show.
It doesn’t, however, meet the older more traditional goal for shows reaching 100 episodes which has been advantageous in the past but seemingly made less relevant in the age of streaming.
Marta Kauffman already has several new projects in the work post Grace and Frankie according to an interview with Rolling Stone. That includes a pilot going to TNT and a screenplay based on the book We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves.
Where is Grace and Frankie season 7 in production?
Current production status: Filming as of June 2021
Grace and Frankie began production soon after season 6 released on Netflix. In fact, filming for the seventh season originally began on January 27th, 2020.
In March 2020, however, the show’s production was shut down alongside other Netflix productions such as Russian Doll season 2 (among countless others) as the global pandemic took its toll on productions. Of course, this made the estimated release of January 2021 unattainable.
In April 2020, to continue preparation for the inevitable return to production, the cast and crew of Grace and Frankie did a special live stream table read of an upcoming episode in season 7. The table read was supporting Meals on Wheels.
With no news throughout summer 2020, some feared that the show could go the way of GLOW and not come back at all. Thankfully, that turned out not to be the case when Jane Fonda posted on her blog about her plans for the holiday season which included a snippet of information regarding the show’s future.
As we reported earlier in the year production was planned to get back on track in June 2021. Jane Fonda said on the delay: “A long time to wait but, given the age and vulnerability of the 4 leads, it’s best. I’ll be headed into 84 by the time we’re done. Yikes!”
Filming continues to take place in Los Angeles, California and is expected to end in October 2021.
On June 20th, Jane Fonda confirmed that filming would get back underway from June 21st. Fonda said on the occasion “I’ve enjoyed having to learn my lines for my scenes tomorrow and Tuesday.”
A week or so later, another post came from Fonda saying “I can still act!”. In the post, Fonda said “Frankly, I’ve been worrying about the possibility that in the 15 months since we were last filming “Grace & Frankie,” I may have lost the ability to act.” However, she then continued:
“But last Monday we went back to the set and, turns out, I can still do it and I’m happy doing it. Some of our crew is new but most of the main people are from before COVID and it was really sweet to see them. Our Unit manager and producers have a knack for hiring nice and diverse people, so the set has always been chill. Actually, sometimes way too hot or too cold but always chill…if you get my meaning.”
Grace and Frankie season 7 set – Picture: Jane Fonda/Instagram
Season 7 will be an expanded final season of Grace and Frankie
That’s right, all previous seasons of Grace and Frankie have had 13 episodes each. That will not be the case for season 7 as it’s been confirmed that season 7 will 16 episodes, which as we mentioned above, brings the total episode count of the show to 94.
Will Dolly Parton be in season 7 of Grace and Frankie?
The rumors over the years of Dolly featuring in Grace and Frankie in some form have always never materialized.
However, in February 2021, Dolly Parton was being interviewed on Lorraine in the United Kingdom where she revealed that it could become a reality. After all, Dolly Parton has/is working on a number of Netflix projects.
In the interview, Parton said: “We worked so well together on 9 to 5, it’s a crazy wonderful show.” adding
Lily Tomlin has also strongly hinted at Parton’s appearance at some point saying: “We’ve got a great role for her this time. I think she will do it. I’m just hoping she will”.
When will season 7 of Grace and Frankie release on Netflix?
Season 4, 5 and 6 have all released on Netflix in the first month of the year.
That’s why we were originally predicting that season 7 of Grace and Frankie will be on Netflix in January 2021.
With production picking back up in summer 2021 (and some filming already concluded) it’s possible we could see the show return to its regular January spot meaning January 2022.
We’ll keep you updated as and when we learn more.
Everything else you need to know about season 7 of Grace and Frankie
- Grace and Frankie is the longest-running show in Netflix’s history and will remain that way for some time given The Ranch is also due to end after part 8.
- Jane Fonda has been in the press a lot over the past year mainly due to her efforts in the climate change activism debate. She’s been organizing many protests in Washington DC.
- In an interview with the LA Time, Kauffmann teased the next season saying: “I can’t say too much, but we’re going to be dealing with Robert, Sol, Grace, and Frankie in a way in that we haven’t seen before,”
- Thanks to IMDb, it’s been confirmed that Michael Charles Roman who plays that role of Adam will be back in season 7.
- Nick, a long-time fan favorite has been confirmed to be returning for the seventh season. He’ll be appearing in episode 2.
That’s all we have, for now, we’ll keep you posted on all things Grace and Frankie season 7 as we learn more.
Netflix Synopsis: "They're not friends, but when their husbands leave them for each other, proper Grace and eccentric Frankie begin to bond in this Emmy-nominated series."
