‘Sullivan’s Crossing’ undergoes major leadership change ahead of Season 5 as CW renewal remains in limbo
‘Sullivan’s Crossing’ is heading into its fifth season with a new creative leader behind the scenes. According to Deadline, series creator Roma Roth is stepping away from her day-to-day duties as showrunner, with veteran Canadian writer-producer Floyd Kane taking over as head writer. Best known for his work on ‘Diggstown’, Kane will oversee the writers' room and guide the show's creative direction on a daily basis. The change comes just weeks after the renewal of the fifth season was revealed during the network’s upfront announcements. Even though Roth is handing over daily creative responsibilities, she isn't leaving the series altogether. She will continue to serve as an executive producer while turning much of her attention to another upcoming television project.
Her new series, ‘Thunder Point’, was also announced during CTV's upfront event. Like ‘Sullivan's Crossing’, it is inspired by novels written by bestselling author Robyn Carr. The U.S. renewal of ‘Sullivan’s Crossing’, however, has not officially crossed the finish line just yet. According to Deadline's sources, The CW is still working toward finalizing its pickup for Season 5. The network has been the show's first-window American broadcaster ever since the series premiered, so an announcement is expected once negotiations are complete. Production is scheduled to begin later this summer in Nova Scotia, where the series has filmed since its debut. Morgan Kohan and Chad Michael Murray are expected to return as the drama's leading stars. One familiar face, though, still appears unlikely to rejoin the cast. There are currently no plans for Scott Patterson to return for Season 5.
Patterson played one of the show's main characters alongside Kohan and Murray during its first three seasons before leaving the series. Roth had reached out to Patterson about the possibility of bringing him back for Season 5. However, after both parties later released statements about the situation, any hopes of a reunion appeared to dwindle. Earlier this year, Patterson spoke openly about the reasons behind his exit. “The creative differences were becoming untenable and I just sadly realized that the show was not something that I could agree to continue,” Patterson told Deadline in March. Despite the behind-the-scenes changes, audiences haven't turned away from the series. The show remains The CW's most-watched program in the United States.
At the same time, Netflix has also helped introduce the romantic drama to an even wider audience through its U.S. streaming deal. Season 4 wrapped up its run on The CW on June 22 before arriving on Netflix just over a week later, on June 30. Shortly after its streaming debut, the latest season became Netflix's daily Top 3 television titles in the United States. Moreover, during its first week on the service, Season 4 reached No. 6 on Netflix's global English-language TV chart after garnering three million views, even though it was available only in the U.S. Those numbers suggest the series still has plenty of room to grow.
