After sailing to popularity on Canadian television, the hit romantic drama Sullivan's Crossing is headed across the border to the CW.
The 10-episode season premiered this past spring in Canada and immediately captivated its rapidly growing audience. The debut performed so well that not only did the CW bring it onto their fall lineup, but the network also has already greenlit a second season.
Brad Schwartz, president of entertainment at The CW Network, said he was excited to see Americans soak up the show this fall.
"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," Schwartz said in a statement. "We are so confident that audiences are going to fall in love with it that we have committed early to a second season."
"As partners for season two, we cannot wait to work alongside this talented cast and excellent creative team to deliver another emotionally captivating season," Schwartz said. "Audiences can give their hearts to this show knowing that it is coming back for much, much more."
Coming soon to American fans, the drama follows an accomplished neurosurgeon, Maggie (Morgan Kohan), whose life is always perfectly planned. Unfortunately, all her best-laid plans go up in smoke when she and her business partner fall into legal trouble after a patient in her care dies.
Looking to distance herself from the conflict, Maggie trades in her Boston life to return to her hometown in rural Nova Scotia. The town, aptly named Sullivan's Crossing, holds a campground run by her estranged father, Sully (Gilmore Girls alum Scott Patterson).
Maggie must face her troubled past while she attempts to reconcile with a long-forgotten side of herself. But she also connects with some people from her childhood as well as new love interests, such as Cal (Chad Michael Murray).
The story is based on the New York Times bestselling novel series of the same name by Robyn Carr. She's also the author behind the hit Virgin River books, which have found wild success as an adapted Netflix series. Its fourth season landed as Netflix's most-watched television series in the world.
The same team behind Virgin River — executive producers Roma Roth and Christopher E. Perry — also took on this latest drama. They're eager to see American fans embrace all the gossip, conflict, love and complications that come with Canadian small towns.
Cast and Crew
Michael Tompkins/Fremantle
Showrunner and executive producer Roma Roth says she had her hand in nearly every aspect of the romantic drama. That included handpicking the cast and moving the show's setting from the Rocky Mountains up to the Great White North.
"It's been a lot of hard work and a lot of planning, but this show has lived up to every expectation I had," she told the Western News, her alma mater's newspaper. "I really took the reins on Sullivan's to achieve what I wanted. I think it's going to connect with people very deeply and in a more meaningful way than any project I've ever done."
Roth, who is Canadian herself, wanted to ensure more local talent was used in the cast and crew, and she booked a number of Canadian actors onto the show.
That includes the show's leading woman, Morgan Kohan, who grew up in British Columbia. Sullivan's Crossing is definitely her breakout role, allowing Kohan to really grow her acting prowess and charisma, although fans may recognize her from a few roles she had prior to this family drama.
Kohan has become well-versed in drama and romance shows after starring in the spinoff drama When Hope Calls as an orphan named Lillian Walsh who reunites with her sibling in adulthood. She also appeared in one episode of the CW's Batwoman series.
And while her co-stars may not be Canadian, they are no strangers to The CW. Chad Michael Murray is most known from his role playing basketball star Lucas Scott on the hit drama One Tree Hill. The blond heartthrob, though older now, sets his sights on Maggie in Sullivan's Crossing as the brooding and mysterious love interest Cal Jones.
And the duo is joined by Scott Patterson as Maggie's estranged father, Sully Sullivan. If you can picture him with a backward baseball cap, you may recognize Patterson as the iconic coffee shop owner Luke Danes on the enduringly popular classic Gilmore Girls.
Rounding out the cast are a number of Canadian talents:
- Dakota Taylor as Rage Vadas - Played Mac on the Netflix sports drama series Zero Chill.
- Allan Hawco as Andrew Mathews - Known as Jake Doyle on the CBC drama series Republic of Doyle and Douglas Brown on the action fantasy show Frontier alongside Jason Momoa.
- Amalia Williamson as Lola Gunderson - Starred as Maddie West in the CBC drama series Northern Rescue.
- Andrea Menard as Edna Cranebear - Most known for playing Eva Malone on the TVOntario doctor drama Hard Rock Medical and Debbie Fraser on the APTN Indigenous drama Blackstone.
- Tom Jackson as Frank Cranebear - Landed a part as Lloyd Kreeger on the CTV crime thriller series Cardinal and is a celebrated Canadian folk singer.
Production
The first season started filming in June 2022 up in Nova Scotia, Canada, and wrapped in the fall. Production for the second season is following a similar schedule, beginning this July and expected to last through October.
A signature of Roth's creations, Sullivan's Crossing will definitely have all the stunning mountain views and captivating scenery, just as Virgin River did. But this time, the cast and crew headed to the opposite side of the Great White North.
Capturing all the beauty of eastern Canada, Sullivan's Crossing filmed throughout Nova Scotia, including some of its most beautiful and scenic spots.
Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia, became a sort of base camp for most of the cast and crew. The largest municipality in Atlantic Canada, Halifax sits right on the ocean and is the perfect backdrop for the show.
Murray moved his entire family to Halifax for the first season and often posted on his Instagram about filming with Halifax's gorgeous views behind him.
Just outside Halifax, the crew also worked in Beaver Bank. With all its small-town charm, Beaver Bank is known for its strikingly beautiful sunsets and green forests.
Other scenes were filmed at Shubie Park just outside of Dartmouth, which is thick with mossy forests, hiking trails and campgrounds. During the first season, Patterson posted numerous selfies on his Instagram from the park, trying to tap into his inner camp ranger.
Even farther north of Dartmouth, the cast also headed to Oakfield Provincial Park. Home to sweeping green fields, the state park sits on the banks of the massive Shubenacadie Grand Lake.
Roth told Variety that she wanted to capture the beauty of the Great White North on the silver screen.
"It's always been a personal goal of mine to create and write a Canadian content show that would reach a global audience," she said. "I believe that given Robyn's successes, we have a strong chance of accomplishing this with Sullivan's Crossing."
When Can We Watch?
Sullivan's Crossing is set to premiere on Oct. 4 on The CW. Catch new episodes of the family drama every Wednesday at 8 p.m.
