Nancy Drew Spinoff Tom Swift Still in Development at The CW

The CW made some major updates to its roster of programming on Monday, with long-awaited news about the statuses of many of its pilots and potential series. Among these is the potential Nancy Drew spinoff Tom Swift, which debuted a backdoor pilot earlier this month as part of the flagship show’s second season. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Tom Swift could still have a chance at The CW, as the potential series is reportedly still in contention with the network. This means that the pilot’s fate — of either being picked up or rejected by the network — will be publicly decided at a later date.

Tom Swift would follow the serialized adventures of the billionaire inventor (played by Tian Richards) 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 backdoor pilot also introduced Barclay (voiced by LeVar Burton), an A.I. companion that was created by Tom and serves as his friend and confidant.

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.

The Tom Swift 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.

Tom Swift is just one of several The CW pilots to get some sort of update on Monday, with the DC Comics-inspired Naomi and the All American spinoff All American: Homecoming getting series order, joining previously-greenlit reboots of The 4400 and Legends of the Hidden Temple. Meanwhile, the network passed on Black Lightning spinoff Painkiller and nun dramedy Our Ladies of Brooklyn, and announced plans to “redevelop” its pilot for Powerpuff, its live-action take on The Powerpuff Girls.

What do you think of the latest update surrounding The CW’s Tom Swift pilot? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!