The CW’s “Nancy Drew” pilot has added a familiar face to its cast.
Pamela Sue Martin, who portrayed the amateur teen detective in the first TV adaptation “The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries” in 1977, has been cast in the reboot as Harriet Grosset, a small-town psychic who offers her talents to help Nancy investigate a murder — and ends up delivering an otherworldly clue that neither of them bargained for.
Newcomer Kennedy McMann is taking up the mantle as the latest version of the classic literary character. McMann’s Drew is described as a brilliant teen sleuth whose college plans and sense of self have been derailed by a recent family tragedy – but when she ends up a suspect in a murder, it rekindles her love for detective work, even though the clues lead her to believe that a long-dead local girl may be the killer.
Set in the summer after her high school graduation, 18-year-old Nancy Drew thought she’d be leaving her hometown for college, but when a family tragedy holds her back another year, Drew finds herself embroiled in a ghostly murder investigation — and along the way, uncovers secrets that run deeper than she ever imagined.
Other cast members include Leah Lewis as Nancy’s high school adversary-turned-ally George; Tunji Kasim as Nancy’s secret boyfriend Nick; and Freddie Prinze Jr. as Carson Drew, Nancy’s estranged father.
Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage are producing the pilot for The CW. Melinda Hsu Taylor will serve as showrunner with Larry Teng on board as director. The project is set up at CBS Television Studios in association with Schwartz and Savage’s Fake Empire. Noga Landau penned the script and is an executive producer, alongside Schwartz, Savage and Lis Rowinski.
This is the third time that CBS TV Studios has attempted to adapt Nancy Drew in the past three years. CBS ordered a pilot starring Sarah Shahi during the 2015-16 development cycle, and a different adaptation was part of NBC’s development slate last season. Neither project was picked up to series.
Deadline was first to report.