The CW is moving forward with a spinoff of their Nancy Drew series called Tom Swift, based on the character that was introduced in season two of Nancy Drew.
According to “Variety“, The CW gave the spinoff a full series order which will expand on the Nancy Drew universe. Tom Swift is described as a young billionaire that was first introduced during the season two episode titled “The Celestial Visitor”, which served as a backdoor pilot for the spinoff. The new series will introduce a new mysterious story in Tom’s life which will be separate from the cases that Nancy Drew and her crew investigate. Tian Richards will continue playing the lead role while LeVar Burton has been cast as the voice of Tom’s A.I., Barclay. The show doesn’t have a premiere date as of yet but it’s expected to air during the 2021-2022 broadcast season. You can read the official synopsis of the series below!
“Tom Swift follows the serialized adventures of the titular Black, gay, billionaire inventor, 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, all while fighting to stay one step ahead of an Illuminati-scale group hell-bent on stopping him. Tom’s missions will require his genius and flair for innovation guided by love, romance, friendship and the mysteries of the universe yet-unsolved.”
The fact that Tom Swift is a lesser-known character compared to the Hardy Boys or other members of Drew’s investigative crew, really means that The CW is confident in the series’ potential given the reaction to the backdoor pilot. Tom Swift also features a Black, gay lead which is pretty rare considering this genre typically is centered around white characters. I’m sure this also factored into The CW’s decision to move forward with the spinoff in a pretty similar fashion that they did with Batwoman and, most particularly, Batwoman season two which now features an African American female lead after the departure of Ruby Rose.
The “Nancy Drew” novel series was conceived as a female companion to the “Hardy Boys” mystery novels that were popular in the 1930s. The “Tom Swift” novels began in 1910 from the same publisher, Edward Stratemeyer. Both series continue to be published today.
Will YOU be watching Tom Swift?