Sullivan’s Crossing, the perfect replacement for Virgin River, is trending on Netflix. The latter popular romance drama, based on the Robyn Carr novels and from showrunner Patrick Sean Smith, follows Alexandra Breckenridge as Melinda “Mel” Monroe. Although an exact release date has not been confirmed, Virgin River season 7 recently wrapped filming and is on track to debut soon.
Although less likely to generate headlines when compared to Netflix’s mega hits like Wednesday and Squid Game, the cozy and relatively low-pressure drama has left its mark on the streamer. The adaptation is already one of Netflix’s longest-running originals, with viewers loving the relationship between Mel and Jack (Martin Henderson). But a new addition to the platform is a very fitting replacement.
Sullivan’s Crossing Is Now Trending On Netflix
The Two Series Are From The Same Author
Sullivan’s Crossing, which airs on the CW in the U.S., is another romantic drama based on Robyn Carr’s writing. Led by Morgan Kohan, Chad Michael Murray, Tom Jackson, Andrea Menard, and Scott Patterson, the story centers on Maggie Sullivan (Kohan), a neurosurgeon who returns home to rural Nova Scotia after some legal trouble and reconnects with her estranged father.
How Sullivan’s Crossing Compares To The Books (& Virgin River)
The first two seasons of Sullivan’s Crossing were added to Netflix in early July, with FlixPatrol revealing it has leaped to the #2 spot in the U.S. as of July 9. It’s just behind Squid Game, which tracks with how well Virgin River has performed. It reliably climbs the charts, racking up billions of minutes viewed, according to Nielsen, and Sullivan’s Crossing scratches a similar itch.
Why Sullivan Crossing Is The Perfect Replacement Show For Virgin River
There Are Common Threads
The fact that both shows are based on novels by Carr is perhaps the biggest selling point for Sullivan’s Crossing. But there are points of connection between the stories. Both zero in on a medical professional heading to a small town for one reason or another, finding love and plenty of complications along the way.
Sullivan’s Crossing is co-produced by Canadian broadcaster CTV, its original network.
Those complications reach a boiling point in Sullivan’s Crossing’s season 3 ending. Before getting to that, however, there’s the draw of seeing familiar faces doing variations of their breakout performances. Kohan is no stranger to romance dramas, with When Hope Calls. Murray and Patterson, as well, are known as leading men from One Tree Hill and Gilmore Girls, respectively.
They are coming back to TV dramas from a different purview, though still bringing the same charm and affability. Showrunner and executive producer Roma Roth leans into it, just enough, just as the Virgin River cast is also helped by Breckenridge’s stint on This Is Us and Henderson’s run on Grey’s Anatomy opposite Ellen Pompeo’s Meredith Grey.
Whether it’s delving into similar ideas or relying on established romantic leads like its sister adaptation, it’s no surprise that another Carr series is quickly finding an audience on a huge streaming platform. It bodes well, on the whole, for the chances of Sullivan’s Crossing season 4.
