Nancy Drew producer breaks down “sh*tty” cancellation by The CW
The CWThe CW’s live-action adaptations of the Nancy Drew books had a good fanbase in 2019, but the series’ executive producer has revealed they weren’t told about the cancellation early on.
Since The Vampire Diaries and Supernatural, The CW has been well-known for adapting popular book series that appeal to younger audiences. But The CW has had a bad curse of many series being canceled despite their larger fanbase. Nancy Drew first aired in 2019, giving the young detective an edgy teen vibe and a supernatural backstory as she investigates a well-hidden murder.
Kennedy McMann starred as the 18-year-old Nancy Drew who put off going to Columbia University after the death of her mother. Stuck in town and working at The Claw, she gets entangled in the mysteries of Tiffany Hudson’s murder.
The series gained moderate success from fans who grew up with the stories. It was renewed for a fourth season in 2022. Nancy Drew Season 4 concluded its run on August 23, 2023, but the show’s executive producer had some ill words for The CW.
Nancy Drew team was kept in the dark about the show’s cancellation
Executive producer Larry Teng took to X/Twitter to air his frustrations and the truth behind The CW not informing the Nancy Drew creative team about the series having been cancelled.
According to his long thread on X, Teng was told the finale had gained a favorable response from audiences – and then revealed that the team almost watched the finale without knowing Nancy Drew would not return for another season. He breaks down the full story of how the team found out, no thanks to The CW.
Teng revealed that McMann was getting ready to film The Good Lawyer. Her agent had asked about the future schedule for Nancy Drew. CBS Studios reached out to The CW to inquire when the series would be picked up again in order to make arrangements for McMann. At this time, Teng and the team were doing prep for what is now the finale episode.
“And so CBS Studios made a call to The CW. Right around the time we were in prep on Episode 410. And asked the president of the new CW when we would find out about a pickup so we could make scheduling decisions. And it was then, he said to us ‘Oh, we’re not picking you up…’,” Teng explained.
According to Teng, they were told the series was “too expensive.” The producer expressed his shock as they would have never known if not for CBS Studios having made the call.
“What a f*cking sh*tty way of telling us we were getting cancelled. Thank god the studio called. Because you all deserved the most proper ending possible. That’s why I praise the writers for pulling it together at the end. It was so glib,” said Teng.
He continued to bash The CW and expressed his regrets to the fanbase, writing, “No closure. No consideration for the fandom who support and watch this show. I’ve been pissed at the upper brass of this new CW since November. They suck. They have every right to turn a profit.”
You can read more about other The CW canceled series like Powerpuff Girls here, and more TV & Movies news from out hubs like Netflix and Hulu.