Sullivan’s Crossing to premiere on CW in the fall after tremendous season on Canadian TV

Based on the series of books by author, Robyn Carr, Sullivan’s Crossing debuted on Canadian Television—specifically CTV—earlier this year, and really it did so well, it got the attention of the CW.

The show was developed in a partnership combining Reel World Management and Bell Media, the Canadian media conglomerate.  It ran in Canada from March 19 to May 14 with a total of 10 exceptional episodes.

It was announced recently that the show had been picked up by The CW, the network that isn’t at all a stranger to the legendary Scott Patterson, who plays Sully, the titular character in the show.

What is Sullivan’s Crossing about?

The show takes place in Nova Scotia, at the fictional campgrounds run by none other than Sully himself…. Sullivan’s Crossing seems to be an institution in the small town that is very reminiscent of the fictional and famed Stars Hollow.

Of course, Patterson fans will remember that that’s the name of the beloved town in the other hit which also had a home on The CW, Gilmore Girls, a show in which Patterson played a major role, the role of Luke Danes.

But that’s pretty much the only comparison that can be made, or rather the only similarity between the two shows because Sully is not Luke in any way.

He’s a complex character that Scott Paterson is playing expertly… a man with his own set of problems and his own peculiar and endearing way of dealing with them. The character is a strong one, despite some weaknesses…and yeah, he’s a bit of a grump, but one whose pathos comes through and the viewer finds him or herself compassionate to his plight.

And believe me, he has a plight…

No spoilers lie ahead in this piece, but to give you a general idea, the plot revolves around the character of Maggie Sullivan, played by Morgan Kohan; her character’s a disgraced neurosurgeon who returns ‘home’ to Nova Scotia, Canada after she is charged with negligence in the care of a patient of hers who passed away.

But as Thomas Wolfe once said: “You can’t go home again,” so returning home wasn’t without its troubles for Maggie, as we saw develop in the very first season.

Add to the mix the mysterious and handsome Cal Jones, played by Chad Michael Murray, who by the way was also on Gilmore Girls, for you GG fans out there.

Also added to the stew is a jealous boyfriend and deep-rooted issues between Sully himself, and Maggie’s mother and step-father. With Maggie in the middle and other issues being brought up as the season got underway, it makes for perfect TV, really.

If it sounds like the primetime dramas of the 90s and early 2000s, it isn’t…it’s better…much better. The writing, the music, the tonality of this show, it’s all there and the entirety of the cast is likable, lovable, and endearing to the max, dear readers.

The ten episodes of the first season that just ended on CTV were an absolute pleasure to watch and really their being picked up by the CW, to this writer, is a no-brainer. This show is a solid perfect 10.

Brad Schwartz, who is the President of Entertainment at The CW Network, had this to say about bringing Sullivan’s Crossing to the CW:

"“Sullivan’s Crossing is an emotionally rich, authentic family drama that will immediately resonate with audiences thanks to an incredible cast and relatable themes of self-reflection, second chances and the power of community…Alongside a breakout performance from Morgan Kohan, it is incredibly special to bring Chad and Scott back home to The CW.”via fremantle.com"

Robyn Carr, who wrote the series of books, as mentioned above, is a very prolific author of many series and standalone novels. The Sullivan’s Crossing Series has a total of 5 exceptional books.

She had this to say about the Sully character and the legendary actor who got the role, the incomparable Scott Patterson, as well as some of the other main actors and Roma Roth, who serves as writer and executive producer on the show:

"“It’s a pleasure to be working once again with executive producer and show runner Roma Roth to bring yet another one of my novel series to life on the small screen. Scott Patterson is the ideal actor to play Sully Sullivan and both Morgan Kohan and Chad Michael Murray are the perfect fit as Maggie Sullivan and Cal Jones.”"

The premier is scheduled for the fall of this year and really US fans are in for something special with this one…a real treat, folks. It hits those notes of heart and drama without being corny the way a lot of shows can sometimes sadly go the way of.

Sullivan’s Crossing should break a few records come the fall on the CW. It did famously on CTV, and really it’s a special time for those that still believe we can have hit shows on national and international TV and not streaming.

With shows like this and the actors, producers, and writers behind it, the future of television is indeed in good hands.

Mark your calendars, dear readers. The fall will be all about Sullivan’s Crossing (the spring in Canada sure was), and what we used to call ‘water cooler talk’ back in the nineties is surely to make a return in full force.

You won’t want to miss the conversation come this fall, so check your local listings for this one.

“You can’t go back home to your family, back home to your childhood…away from all the strife and conflict of the world, back home to the father you have lost and have been looking for, back home to someone who can help you, save you, ease the burden for you, back home to the old forms and systems of things which once seemed everlasting but which are changing all the time…”

-Thomas Wolfe