'Sullivan's Crossing' creator talks about Scott Patterson's exit, and future projects

The cast of Season 3 of 'Sullivan's Crossing' - Tom Jackson, left to right, Scott Patterson, Chad Michael Murray, Morgan Kohan and Andrea Menard are shown in this handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout-CTV

Fans of “Sullivan’s Crossing” may find the show’s cozy small-town romance a form of comfort viewing, but recently, the scripted series had some drama spill over into real-world headlines.

Former “Gilmore Girls” star Scott Patterson has exited the show after three seasons, and it was announced his character, Sully, would not return this season.

The actor said on Instagram “the creative differences were becoming untenable,” causing a stir among fans wondering what happened.

Showrunner and executive producer Roma Roth said in an interview with The Canadian Press earlier this month she was surprised by Patterson’s comments.

She said his story arc had him leaving the country, and the focus was on the primary romance between the main characters.

“The storyline picked up the very next day. And in Season 3, Sully goes off with his girlfriend to Ireland. So, I mean, we were focusing on Maggie and Cal. And that’s kind of where we left off, introducing Liam,” she said, referring to a new character who entered the show as a twist.

“So, we had to pick up on that storyline and we were in discussions with Scott to come back.”

“Sullivan’s Crossing” launched in 2023 with Chad Michael Murray and Morgan Kohan starring as Cal and Maggie. In Season 4, which began airing last month, the central plot involves a love triangle between Murray, Kohan and Marcus Rosner, who plays Maggie’s estranged husband Liam — a surprise audiences found out about at the end of Season 3.

Patterson said in his online post he enjoyed the role and fought for his characters voice, but ultimately decided the show was not something he wanted to continue with.

“It’s unfortunate that it is now being implied that they moved on from me/Sully when the fact is the complete opposite,” he said.

Asked if she would have him back on the series, Roth said, “Yeah, I mean, why not? You know Sully was a very important character in the show.”

Scott Patterson’s management did not respond to requests for comment about returning to the program.

“Sullivan’s Crossing” has been Canadian success story for Roth, who is also known for the soapy Netflix series “Virgin River.” The show was the most watched Canadian drama on CTV when it debuted in 2023, according to Numeris. It’s co-produced by Fremantle and The CW Network, which airs the series in the United States. And in 2025 it premiered at number two on Netflix’s Top 10 list — just behind “Squid Game.”

“Creating a show that is genuinely Canadian but then can resonate with a global audience -- it’s very exciting to be able to have that level of success.”

Roth was born in London Ont., and said she is proud that “Sullivan’s Crossing” is set and filmed in Nova Scotia.

“It takes place in Canada, has Canadian actors primarily. I mean, pretty much everybody that’s working on the show is Canadian. To me, that’s incredibly gratifying because it’s what I set out to do many, many years ago.”

Roth started her career by studying productions in Los Angeles, but she said she always intended to return and work in Canada.

“I wanted to prove that you could create a show that was as successful as a U.S. show, but that originated in Canada,” she said.

In 2019 that became a reality for Roth, when she executive produced “Virgin River,” which Netflix says is one of the streamer’s longest-running series and is currently filming its 8th season.

“Virgin River” and “Sullivan’s Crossing” were both properties Roth optioned from author Robyn Carr’s best-selling book series.

“She was in the Top 200 books over the last 200 years for HarperCollins. So it seemed like all the ingredients were there. And then of course, putting in the cast that I picked and adding in all the other elements. Hopefully you’re getting a really nice souffle that people enjoy consuming.”

The producer is now in development on another of Carr’s series, “Thunder Point.” She said she’s “in discussions now for the financing.”

“Thunder Point” is set in a small town on the Oregon coast, where audiences meet Hank Cooper a character from the “Virgin River” book series, not yet introduced on the Netflix show. He originally comes to town for a short visit, but when romance strikes he has to rethink everything.

Roth wouldn’t reveal who’s at the top of her casting list for Hank — she likes to keep those details close to her vest.

“I have kind of a knack for picking people that I like to elevate ... You wanna bring in actors who embody the characters, obviously, but also who potentially can bring some fandom to the mix, so that you’re always adding these elements that continue to make this show have as much of a successful footprint as possible.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 23, 2026.

Craig Macrae, The Canadian Press