The CW Orders ‘Nancy Drew’ Spin-off ‘Tom Swift’

The CW has given a straight-to-series order to “Nancy Drew” spin-off drama “Tom Swift” from CBS Studios in association with Fake Empire, which centers on a Black, gay billionaire inventor. The team behind “Nancy Drew”, including showrunner Melinda Hsu Taylor and series creators Noga Landau, Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, are all involved in the spinoff. The logline: “Tom Swift” will follow the title character (Tian Richards, “Burden”) who is thrust into a world of sci-fi conspiracy and unexplained phenomena after the shocking disappearance of his father. Tom takes to the road on a quest to unravel the truth, leaving behind the comforts of his usual moneyed lifestyle while fighting to stay one step ahead of an Illuminati-scale group hell-bent on stopping him.

LeVar Burton, who voiced Barclay, Tom Swift’s (Richards) steadfast AI companion and tough-love mentor in the “Nancy Drew” backdoor pilot episode, is expected to continue on the series. Taylor, Landau and Johnson also serve as executive producers along with Schwartz, Savage and Lis Rowinski. Tom Swift is a production of CBS Studios in association with Fake Empire.

“Tom Swift” marks Fake Empire’s fifth current or upcoming series in production, joining The CW’s “Nancy Drew” and “Dynasty”, “Gossip Girl” on HBO Max, and the recently announced “City on Fire” for Apple TV+.