After finding success as executive producer of Virgin River on Netflix,
Roma Roth delivers another binge-worthy hit with Sullivan’s Crossing.
Fall’s newest guilty pleasure, Sullivan’s Crossing, is generating buzz for
its stellar cast and bold plot twists. The CW show stars Chad Michael Murray (Gilmore Girls), Morgan Kohan (When Hope Calls), Scott Patterson (Gilmore Girls), Reid Price, and others. Created by Roma Roth, the executive producer of Netlfix super hit Virgin River, the series is yet another adaptation from New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr.
wondering about another season. All this bodes well for Roth, who produced Sullivan’s Crossing and Virgin River through her Reel World Management (RWM), a production and distribution company she runs with husband Chris Perry, who is also an executive producer on the show. Roma Roth shared more about Sullivan’s Crossing and her creative path.
Creating Another Binge-Worthy Show After Virgin River
To be sure, Virgin River is one of the most successful, addictive soapy hits to hit streaming in some time. Roth herself may have been surprised by how well the show took off, even though the creator’s show business history paved the way to Virgin River, having executive produced more than 70 television movies — from Supercollider to Deadly Secrets by the Lake.
In addition to creating another inviting drama, she had other goals in mind with Sullivan’s Crossing. “I wanted to show that Virgin River wasn’t a fluke,” she said. “People honestly thought that, then I wanted to do it [a hit] again. Because a lot of people had told me after Virgin River that was just kind of like a one-off accident.
But I believe in this genre of programming,” she adds, “and I believe in what an audience needs and wants. I wanted to show the industry that it isn’t a fluke. I had a relationship with Robyn Carr already from doing Virgin River with her, and with this particular adaptation I wanted to set in Canada. I’m a proud Canadian producer who lives in L.A. I wanted to show that you could do another hit show but this time as a Canadian-content show. It’s a very exciting, exciting journey for me.”
Sullivan’s Crossing revolves around Maggie Sullivan (Morgan Kohan), who leaves her professional and personal life behind in the city and reconnects with her small-town past. Like the shows Gilmore Girls and Virgin River, it features an ensemble cast and plenty of moving story arcs. One recent episode involved the aftermath of a shooting which left the character of Frank (Tom Jackson) in bad bloody shape after several fraternity guys accidentally shot him, leaving him for dead. Runaway Chelsea (Perdida Brown) factored into the drama, and later Maggie and Cal (Chad Michael Murray) got to Frank just in time.
The Road to Sullivan’s CrossingIn conversation, Roma Roth is a compelling subject. Long before she entered show business, she garnered a master’s degree in anthropology. “I worked with chimpanzees for four years,” she began.
