The CW has bulked up its 2019-20 development slate, giving four projects official pilot orders Wednesday night.
Described as a musical dramedy, Riverdale spinoff Katy Keene follows Veronica’s 20-something fashionista cousin Katy and her aspiring artist friends in New York City as they try to make it on Broadway, on the runway, and in the recording studio. This marks the second spinoff of Riverdale, joining Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, which was previously in development at The CW before the streamer gave it a two-season order. Katy Keene hails from Riverdale creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Michael Grassi.
The CW also ordered Jane the Virgin spinoff Jane the Novela, an anthology where every season is based on a fictional novel written by Jane Villanueva. The first season of Jane the Novela is set at a Napa Valley Vineyard. While Jane star Gina Rodriguez won’t star on the spinoff, which she will executive produce, she’ll be narrating every season.
Among the non-spinoff projects is an untitled Nancy Drew project executive produced by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage (Dynasty, Hart of Dixie) and written by The Magicians scribe Noga Landau. Based on the novel series from Edward Stratemeyer, Nancy Drew finds an 18-year-old Nancy in the summer after her high school graduation. Though she thinks this might be her ticket out of town, she’s soon pulled into a ghostly murder investigation that uncovers secrets that change everything.
This marks the third attempt at launching a Nancy Drew series adaptation, with CBS’s series starring Sarah Shahi and NBC’s series from last development season failing to score series orders.
Fittingly rising from the development dead is The CW’s take on 1987 cult horror film The Lost Boys, which was previously in contention during the 2016-17 season. The network ultimately passed on that version, shepherded by Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas, but kept the property in contention. This take on The Lost Boys, which finds two brothers moving to sunny seaside Santa Carla to be with their mother after the sudden death of their father only to find themselves drawn into a secret vampire underworld, comes from Heather Mitchell (Scandal).
Katy Keene, Jane the Novela, Nancy Drew, and The Lost Boys join Batwoman on The CW’s pilot roster for 2019-20. As the network now has Sundays open, additional pilot orders should be announced in the coming weeks. Last season The CW wound up with 10 pilots, ordering five to series.
