Tom Swift Report Confirms When Nancy Drew Spinoff Takes Place
Later this year, The CW will get an entirely new onscreen hero in the form of Tom Swift, with the beloved literary character getting his own solo series on the network. The series, which will be led by Tian Richards, spun out of a backdoor pilot in the most recent season of Nancy Drew, and fans have been curious to see exactly how else it factors into the original show's canon. While we'll still have to wait until the end of May to see the premiere of Tom Swift, a new report from TVLine reveals that it takes place ahead of the events of Nancy Drew. It is unclear what that will specifically mean, but with Nancy recently renewed for a fourth season, we'll probably get more insight once both shows air.
Tom Swift follows the serialized adventures of its titular character (Richards), an exceptionally brilliant inventor with unlimited resources and unimaginable wealth 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 that's hellbent on stopping him.
The series will also star Ashleigh Murray (Riverdale, Katy Keene) as Tom's best friend Zenzi, Marquise Vilsón (The Kitchen, Blindspot) as Tom's bodyguard Isaac, and April Parker Jones (Supergirl, Bel-Air) as Tom's mom Lorraine. LeVar Burton (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Reading Rainbow) voices Barclay, Tom's AI.
The Tom Swift book series first began to be published in 1910, and encompasses more than 100 volumes. The books have been translated into many languages and have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. There have been multiple attempts to adapt Tom Swift into live-action, with the only successful adaptation being a 1983 television special, The Tom Swift and Linda Craig Mystery Hour.
The Tom Swift series will be written and executive produced by Nancy Drew showrunner Melina Hsu Taylor and co-creator Noga Landau, who co-created the series with Empire's Cameron Johnson. The project also hails from Nancy Drew producers Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage.
Will you be tuning in to The CW's Tom Swift premiere? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
As mentioned above, Tom Swift will premiere on Tuesday, May 31st at 9/8c on The CW.