‘Sullivan’s Crossing’ Season 5 Faces a Major Behind-the-Scenes Shakeup

Sullivan’s Crossing is heading into Season 5 with a major change behind the scenes. Series creator Roma Roth is stepping away from her role as head writer and showrunner, with Canadian writer and producer Floyd Kane taking over the daily creative leadership of the hit romantic drama.

The change was first reported ahead of the show’s upcoming fifth season, which was officially renewed by CTV as part of its upfront announcements. While Roth will no longer oversee the series on a daily basis, she will remain attached as an executive producer. The move comes as Roth shifts more of her attention toward her new CTV drama Thunder Point, another project based on the work of bestselling author Robyn Carr.

Floyd Kane, who will now serve as Head Writer, is known for creating the CBC legal drama Diggstown. The series made history as the first Canadian legal drama to feature a Black female lead and ran for four seasons. Kane has also worked as an executive producer on projects including the TV movie Recipe for Romance and the thriller series The Ridge.

Production on Sullivan’s Crossing Season 5 is expected to begin later this summer in Nova Scotia. Morgan Kohan and Chad Michael Murray are set to return as the show’s leading stars. However, according to reports, there are currently no plans for Scott Patterson to return as Sully, a major character who played an important role during the show’s first three seasons.

Patterson left the series after Season 3, and reports previously suggested that he had been approached about possibly returning for Season 5. However, both Patterson and Roth later addressed the situation publicly, revealing that there had been disagreements behind the scenes. Patterson explained his decision by saying, “The creative differences were becoming untenable and I just sadly realized that the show was not something that I could agree to continue.”

Despite the reported tension behind the scenes, Sullivan’s Crossing has continued to perform well with viewers. The series remains one of The CW’s most-watched shows in the United States and has also found success on Netflix, where it has gained a strong international audience.

Season 4 recently finished airing on The CW on June 22 and arrived on Netflix on June 30. The new episodes quickly became popular, reaching the top three TV shows on Netflix’s daily U.S. rankings. According to streaming data, Season 4 also entered Netflix’s global English TV chart at No. 6 during its first week, earning around 3 million views despite only being available in the United States.

While Roth is stepping away from the showrunner position, her influence is expected to remain part of the series moving forward. She has been involved in two successful adaptations of Robyn Carr’s novels, including Sullivan’s Crossing and Netflix’s popular series Virgin River, which has already been renewed for an eighth season.

Season 5 will continue the story after the dramatic events of the previous season. In Season 4, Maggie Sullivan, played by Morgan Kohan, worked toward rebuilding her life and strengthening her relationship with Cal, played by Chad Michael Murray. However, the return of her former husband Liam created new problems, leaving Cal unsure if Maggie could truly move on from her past.

The season ended with a major cliffhanger involving Maggie and Cal, setting up a new storyline for Season 5. With a new creative leader taking charge and the main cast returning, the next chapter of Sullivan’s Crossing is expected to bring more romance, drama, and emotional challenges for its characters.

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