12 Best TV Shows Like Sullivan’s Crossing

The CW’s “Sullivan’s Crossing” follows Maggie Sullivan (Morgan Kohan), a Boston-based neurosurgeon who retreats to her small hometown of Timberlake after some legal trouble: She gets hit with a lawsuit by a patient who claims she was negligent and her business partner is arrested for embezzlement. What should be some downtime and a chance to reconnect with her estranged father (Scott Patterson) turns into something else as she helps the town with various issues and meets mysterious local resident Cal (Chad Michael Murray).

Pretty much everything happens in Timberlake. Natural disaster causing issues in the campground? Check. A large corporation trying to take land to build luxury accommodations for a golf course? Check. Community members coming together to save a family property at auction? Check. This is a heartwarming series filled with drama and romance, but it isn’t unique on those fronts. Here are some other TV shows to add to your watch list if you’re a fan of “Sullivan’s Crossing.”

Los Angeles resident Melinda “Mel” Monroe moves to a small mountain town after the death of her husband in “Virgin River.” She’s looking for a change of pace and is ready for a fresh start, and working as a midwife and nurse practitioner in the titular town seems like the perfect remedy. What actually greets her is a local doctor who doesn’t want her help, a poorly maintained cabin she’s expected to live in, and a whole new set of problems. Over the course of the series, there’s love, loss, natural disasters, plot twists, and plenty of themed festivals, making it a must-watch for “Sullivan’s Crossing” fans.

“Virgin River” is essentially “Sullivan’s Crossing” on the West Coast. Both follow redheaded medical workers who flee to small towns after life-changing events and fall in love with the town and the local heartthrob. They have an incredibly similar vibe, and while it might just be because they are in the same genre, it’s also probably linked to them both being based on books by Robyn Carr (“Virgin River” doesn’t follow the books very closely but that’s a good thing in this instance). Both shows feature protagonists trying to turn over a new leaf who are easy to root for. “Virgin River” boasts a larger cast than “Sullivan’s Crossing, but it’s still great for small town romance lovers of all ages.

“Hart of Dixie” follows Zoe Hart (Rachel Bilson), a New York doctor who, after failing to secure a fellowship for cardiothoracic surgery, heads back to Bluebell, Alabama to work in a clinic. It turns out her biological father is not who she thought it was. The plot of the show kicks into gear when she discovers that her real dad left her half a medical practice upon his death. However, she struggles to keep patients because of her bad bedside manner and finds it difficult to fit into her new home. To complicate matters further, she gets caught in the middle of a love triangle — and one of the men involved in said triangle is engaged.

Like “Sullivan’s Crossing,” “Hart of Dixie” follows a woman retreating from the big city after a career setback. Both Zoe and Maggie end up learning more about their fathers upon their return, and both end up having to decide between two men. While being overlooked for a fellowship because of an abrasive nature isn’t necessarily on par with a lawsuit and embezzlement scandal, both of these situations force the lead characters to decide what they really want from life, particularly when it comes to their careers. “Hart of Dixie” walked so shows like “Sullivan’s Crossing” could run today. It set up what audiences came to love about the now popular small town romance genre.

When a New York neurosurgeon is widowed, he packs up and moves to a small Colorado town that his wife loved with their two children. “Everwood” follows Dr. Andy Brown (Treat Williams) on this journey, letting audiences tag along as he adjusts to a new practice, a new place, and a changing relationship with his teenage son Ephram (Gregory Smith). Andy and his family don’t fit in among the Everwood residents right away, and that only worsens at the end of the first season, though things change as the four-season series continues.

Watching “Everwood” is like experiencing “Sullivan’s Crossing” from Cal’s perspective rather than Maggie’s. While he’s been in rural Nova Scotia for quite some time when the show commences, Cal is also a New Yorker. He and Andy have nearly identical character set ups. By the time we meet Cal he’s well-liked in the community, though it wasn’t always that way. As Andy finds out, being accepted in a new place can be tough, especially when it’s a tightly-knit small town. In the end, both men find a new home away from the Big Apple — and they also find love again with someone they meet in their new homes.

“One Tree Hill” is all about the residents of Tree Hill, a town in North Carolina. Lucas Scott (played by future “Sullivan’s Crossing” star Chad Michael Murray), the son of a single mother, attends school alongside his half-brother, Nathan Scott (James Lafferty). The two compete on the school’s basketball team and form a rivalry, and not just on the court — Lucas falls for Nathan’s girlfriend, Peyton Sawyer (Hilarie Burton). Across nearly 200 episodes, the series follows the teens as they fight and make up, work through their love lives and futures, and ultimately grow up and leave their hometown. A lot of couples rise and fall during the show’s nine seasons, with some more compelling to watch than others (here’s our ranking of every couple in “One Tree Hill”).

Though it follows teens more so than adults, “One Tree Hill” is the ideal watch if you want to see Chad Michael Murray in the role that put him on the map. The show definitely has that small town vibe, and it also has the complicated family dynamics that are present throughout “Sullivan’s Crossing.” Both Lucas and Maggie struggle to connect with their fathers because of what the patriarchs focus on. Lucas’ father only seems interested in him when he proves to be good at basketball and Maggie’s stepdad only cares about whether she’s staying in the medical community or not. They’re transactional relationships in two forms, and both shows explore how this impacts the main characters.

“Ransom Canyon” has been dubbed Netflix’s answer to “Yellowstone,” but a more apt description is “Sullivan’s Crossing” with cowboys. It’s about the residents of a small Texas town and a land battle between long-time ranching families and big corporations. Staten Kirkland (Josh Duhamel) is trying to keep his head above water after losing his wife and son, but someone keeps trying to sabotage his business. In addition to following Staten’s struggles, the series highlights how these conflicts impact local teens Lauren (Lizzy Greene), Lucas (Garrett Wareing), and Reid (Andrew Liner).

Fans of Cal will no doubt fall in love with Staten. Both men are trying to move past the tragic deaths of their wives and are a bit unsure about moving on with someone new because of that grief. After they realize it’s okay to love again, they embrace it fully, even if it doesn’t always work out. They’re both brooding and gruff love interests who have to juggle new love with protecting their land from shady companies. There’s also love in the air among the teens, with Lucas and Reid both vying for Lauren’s attention.

A continuation of the Hallmark film series of the same name, “Good Witch” is all about Cassie Nightingale (Catherine Bell), her daughter Grace (Bailee Madison), and their lives in the quaint town of Middleton. Taking place directly after the movies, the show focuses on the women as two new residents — the handsome doctor Sam Redford (James Denton) and his son Nick (Rhys Matthew Bond) — move in next door. We follow along as Grace grows up and Cassie has to manage issues such as a real estate developer trying to buy her shop on top of trying to keep the town from finding out that she and her daughter are witches. 

“Good Witch” is a cozy, small town show like many others on this list, but the hint of magic helps it stand out in the genre. It’s a change in pace while still containing all the ingredients that make small town projects so great: There’s someone new to town, it takes them a while to find their footing, and romance eventually blooms. And, between seven TV films, seven seasons, and five specials, there is plenty of “Good Witch” to watch while you wait for new seasons of “Sullivan’s Crossing” to come out.

A career-driven woman leaving the big city to return home and help her younger sister save her failing business? It’s a plot that will tick a lot of boxes for fans of “Sullivan’s Crossing,” and it’s exactly how “Chesapeake Shores” starts. Abby (Meghan Ory) has been focused on her career in New York, so much so that her marriage suffers as a result, but it doesn’t stop her from dropping everything to help her sister when the call comes. She hasn’t been home in years, though preventing the inn run by Jess (Laci J. Mailey) from falling into foreclosure is the push she needs to go back to Chesapeake Shores.

Maggie didn’t return to Timberlake to help save the campgrounds, but it’s what she ends up doing in the second season of “Sullivan’s Crossing.” Abby and Maggie are career driven, but they put that aside to help their families. Alongside that, they are forced to make decisions about their love lives when confronted with their feelings. Maggie meets Cal when she arrives just like Abby runs into her high school boyfriend Trace (Jesse Metcalfe), and both women have to decide if they should take a chance on love. The two lead female characters have shared experiences against similar backdrops, making “Chesapeake Shores” a must-watch for “Sullivan’s Crossing” fans.

“Sweet Magnolias” takes audiences to a charming South Carolina town called Serenity, where pals Maddie (JoAnna Garcia Swisher), Dana Sue (Brooke Elliott), and Helen (Heather Headley) tackle everything life throws their way: divorces, new partners, a destructive town mayor, business renovations, and so much more. The three women have been friends since high school, and as their lives change, so does their friendship. However, even as they run into issues, at the end of the day they’re always there for each other and do what they can to support their endeavors.

“Sullivan’s Crossing” and “Sweet Magnolias” tell comparable stories through opposing lenses. Maddie and Maggie are in different situations, but their issues are the same when you boil them down: They both realize that they aren’t happy in their long-term relationships after an important catalyst. It’s difficult to come to terms with and even harder to resolve, but they make it through with the help of friends, family, and men who are ultimately understanding about their feelings. Both women also go through a career change and lean into causes important to them. Their love interests even share the name Cal! Despite equally bumpy roads, Maddie and Maggie have happy endings with their Cals, making “Sweet Magnolias” a great watch for “Sullivan’s Crossing” fans.

One of the longest-running small town drama shows, the beloved Canadian series “Heartland” follows Amy Fleming (Amber Marshall) as she tries to adjust to life after she’s in a car accident with her mother. While she lives, her mom doesn’t, and it starts a domino effect in Amy’s life. Audiences get a front row seat as she gets to know the father she hasn’t spoken to in a while, deals with her grief, and falls in love, all while trying to ensure that the family business — a ranch in Alberta — is successful with the help of her sister, dad, and widowed grandfather.

Like “Sullivan’s Crossing,” “Heartland” is based on a book series. If you like the scenes that feature Maggie as a teen, even though they are few and far between, you’ll no doubt enjoy this CBC show. You get to follow Amy from her teenage years into adulthood. A lot happens in that time, including many similar circumstances to those encountered by Maggie, like almost losing the family property over finances and reconnecting with her estranged father. It boasts over 250 episodes and continues to be renewed year after year. Here’s how you can watch every season of “Heartland.”

Based on Lucy Maud Montgomery’s classic novel “Anne of Green Gables,” Netflix’s period show “Anne with an E” gives viewers an Anne Shirley (Amybeth McNulty) who is settling into her new life at Green Gables, despite everyone doing everything in their power to chase her off. The spunky redheaded orphan eventually wins everyone over, but it isn’t without tons of effort. Along the way, she figures out who she wants to be, makes a bunch of new friends, and finds her place in Avonlea, the fictional Canadian town on Prince Edward Island where the story takes place.

If diving into a cutesy town that’s home to several compelling characters is what you like about “Sullivan’s Crossing,” then you’ll love “Anne with an E.” While the Netflix program may feel like it’s aimed at a younger audience, particularly because the majority of the characters are high school students, it features many of the same themes as “Sullivan’s Crossing.” Anne and Maggie are both trying to fit into a world that doesn’t quite accept them. They learn new things about their families and experience heartbreak from people they’ve accepted as their parents. Both shows also touch upon the area’s relationship with local First Nations tribes, and it’s interesting to see how that dynamic has changed throughout history. Sadly, “Anne with an E” was canceled after two seasons, but it’s still worth a watch, as the creators managed to cover a lot of ground in that time.

A series about a mother and her teen daughter in a quaint corner of New England, “Gilmore Girls” is the embodiment of a cozy small town show. It follows Lorelai (Lauren Graham), manager and then owner of a local inn, and Rory (Alexis Bledel), a teen bookworm who gets into a fancy private school. We get to know all about them and their lives as they reconnect with Rory’s grandparents in the picturesque fictional town of Stars Hollow.

“Gilmore Girls” is the show to watch if you want Maggie and her mother to have a better dynamic. The mother-daughter duo in “Gilmore Girls” get along for the most part, and even when they don’t, they always find a way to make up. The series also features “Sullivan’s Crossing” star Scott Patterson in the role that made him famous: grumpy diner owner Luke Danes. Luke and Sully are incredibly alike as two men trying to keep a family legacy alive while rarely accepting people’s help to do so. However, Sully is a touch more well-adjusted compared to Luke, as he sometimes opens up to those around him. And, as another treat for “Sullivan’s Crossing” fans, Chad Michael Murray also appears in “Gilmore Girls” as Tristin, one of the students at Rory’s new school.

A small town series with time travel? That’s what “The Way Home” brings to the table. Three generations of women come together as Kat (Chyler Leigh) and her daughter Alice (Sadie Laflamme-Snow) return home at grandmother Del’s (Andie MacDowell) insistence. Kat and Del have been estranged for two decades, but now they’re forced to reconnect. And, thanks to a mysterious pond on the family property, they might be able to go back in time and solve their problems.

“The Way Home” features a strained parent-child relationship, much like “Sullivan’s Crossing” has in Maggie and Sully, except instead of bonding over a career setback or by saving the family property, Kat, Del, and Ali use time travel to right their wrongs. They can go back and see what happened between Kat and Del and determine the best way to fix it. It’s a fun premise and is different from the other small town drama shows out there. The setup forces the women to literally confront their past and address why they were estranged for so long, learning new things about each other in the process.