Here's Exactly How Sullivan's Crossing is Different From Virgin River

The Canadian series Sullivan's Crossing premiered on The CW on October 4, and viewers can't help but notice the show's similarities to Netflix's romantic hit Virgin River.

Both shows are based on novels by Robyn Carr, and both tell the story of a medical professional who escapes big-city life for an idyllic rural setting. If it's a Northern California town for Virgin River's Mel Monroe (filmed in Canada), it's her father's campground in Nova Scotia for Sullivan's Crossing's Maggie Sullivan.

Needless to say, both shows explore the tight-knit local community and revolve around romantic storylines. Heck, they even share a production team. Robyn Carr is an executive producer on both shows, and Sullivan's Crossing showrunner Roma Roth is a producer on Virgin River.

The shows are different

So can we say that Sullivan's Crossing is the Virgin River clone? Well, not exactly.

Both Carr and Roth emphasized in the interview with Variety that, despite all the similarities, the two shows have a different feel to them, right from the very beginning.

'Sullivan's Crossing starts out a bit more intense and slowly than Virgin River does,' Carr said. 'Virgin River moves really, really fast. And Sullivan's Crossing reminded me a little bit of the early season of This Is Us.'

The resemblance to This Is Us doesn't end with the pacing, according to the writer. Sullivan's Crossing is more of a family drama than a romance. Roma Roth confirmed this by emphasizing that Mel and Maggie find themselves in different situations.

While Virgin River's protagonist moves to an entirely new town and community and must reinvent herself, Maggie returns to her roots and the people she knew as a child and confronts her past.

'There's more of a found-family dynamic, and her life has imploded — and she's now heading back to a home that she hasn't been to in years to reconnect with friends and family and an estranged father that she hasn't seen in years,' Roth said.

Should you watch Sullivan's Crossing?

The showrunner added that while Sullivan's Crossing has a unique plot dynamic, Virgin River fans will still enjoy it.

'It still has everything that people would love of the other show, which is emotion, drama, characters that you want to make part of your family. And you want to tune into on a weekly basis,' she said.

So if you are still on the fence about The CW's new show, the answer is simple: start it. Sullivan's Crossing has all the potential to become our new irresistible, drool-worthy project.

Sullivan's Crossing Season 1 Episode 2 airs Wednesday, October 11 on The CW.

Source: Variety.