The versatile Roma Roth who developed Sullivan’s Crossing from Robyn Carr’s five-part book series and ran it since its 2023 debut, is stepping down. Without a doubt, her exit has disheartened many fans. What would be more interesting to see is what this means for season 5: Will it air or not?
Why The Sudden Exit?
The biggest question: Why is she Zayn Malik-ing her way out of the show now? (Brownie points if you get that reference). Roth is moving on to develop new projects under a different studio deal, meaning she will keep the creative juices flowing, just for some fresh work. The departure is described as amicable.
However, she has not completely left the show yet. She’s expected to remain involved in a transitional capacity to help the new showrunner settle in. If there’s anything her generosity tells us, it’s that, for her, this is just a natural career move after four seasons.
Is Season 5 still happening?
Hope you didn’t fall for the question. Because Season 5 of Sullivan’s Crossing was already renewed by Canada’s CTV back in May 2026, ahead of the Season 4 finale, though The CW’s U.S. renewal is still being finalized and has not yet been confirmed. So, let me say the sad news out loud, Sullivan’s Crossing’s Season 5, possibly the final season, will not have lead writer Roma Roth.
The show stands to be one of The CW’s stronger performers, especially after the network shifted its focus away from the Arrowverse-style content toward more accessible drama series. The CW renewal is still pending, and production on Season 5 is expected to move forward as planned for Canada’s CTV.
Who Might Replace Her?
Some good news! A replacement showrunner has already been announced: Floyd Kane, creator of Diggstown, is taking over as showrunner for Season 5. Given that Roth developed the show and knows the source material intimately, finding someone who can maintain the similar tone and character work must’ve been a great challenge for the makers.
However, we don’t have to sit impatient for long, as her replacement has already been named ahead of production on Season 5. The safe bet is that The CW has dug for someone who can continue the existing formula rather than reinventing it, and most importantly understands Roth’s vision.
Roth’s Legacy on the Show
If you know anything about the show, you would agree that Roth adapted Robyn Carr’s book series with a warmth that resonated with the audience. Roth’s handling of the complicated father daughter relationship, the love triangle dynamics, and the small town setting has been widely praised over the years. Her departure marks the end of an era for the fans and the series.
Her Track Record
Prior to the show that’s the talk-of-this-blog, she developed Virgin River for Netflix, another Robyn Carr adaptation that became a long running hit. Evidently, she’s aware of how to translate Carr’s small town romance novels into successful television series.
The Cast’s Comment
No public statements from the cast: Morgan Kohan who plays Maggie Sullivan, Chad Michael Murray who plays Cal Jones, and Scott Patterson who played Sully and left in Season 3 (You’ve seen the latter two together in another show as well) have been released yet. This only hints at the “amicable” and professional departure that I mentioned before.
When Will Season 5 Air?
Another question I don’t have a definite date for, but a definite time of the year. The show typically airs in the fall, so a late 2026 or early 2027 window is likely. Production timelines highly depend on how quickly the CW renewal is finalized and how much pre production work Roth handles before fully stepping away.
The Bigger Picture
Roma Roth’s exit holds meaning for both, the CW and Sullivan’s Crossing. For the show, it has been a steady performer for The CW, being its most-watched series and having strong streaming numbers per episode. Adding to its unexpected value, it has also been sold internationally. As long as the Roth-less transition is smooth, the show will be well off.
Roma Roth in or out, the show must go on for its season 5, but how will it be? Will it still be audience’s favorite? I suppose we can set ourselves to be neutral on the expectations scale temporarily, until we get a name for her replacement. Then, we can restart analyzing an answer for this question to know if our expectations should go up a notch or down, I personally hope it goes up.
