‘Nancy Drew’ Ending at The CW With Fourth And Final Season

Despite a pleasantly surprising renewal for The CW’s cult favorite mystery series Nancy Drew, the fourth season, which is currently in production, will be the series’ last. The news was confirmed to Decider by The CW Network and CBS Studios.

“We are so honored and proud to have brought Nancy Drew’s iconic determination, individuality and resilience to life in a years-long collaboration with incredible creative talents in front of the camera, behind the scenes and among our studio and network partners,” showrunners Noga Landau and Melinda Hsu Taylor said in a joint statement provided to Decider. “Our hearts are full of gratitude, knowing that we are able to bring this chapter to a close with intentionality, inclusivity and kindness — and of course with plenty of sleuthing twists, supernatural scares and star-crossed romance along the way. We are especially indebted to our wonderful fan community, whose connection with our themes and stories has meant the world to us. Season 4 will be a worthy and resonant payoff for their continued love and support.”

Starring Kennedy McMann as the titular detective, The CW’s Nancy Drew brought a decidedly more adult and supernatural bent to the series, making it an instant CW-style classic. Running for three seasons starting in 2019, Nancy Drew was never a broadcast ratings hit, but seemed to make up the difference on streaming. In fact, that was one of the reasons called out for the surprise renewal earlier this year, along with other shows like The Flash and Riverdale, which are also ending with their upcoming seasons.

“It has been the greatest pleasure to begin my career as one small part of Nancy Drew’s endless legacy,” Kennedy McMann added. “What a privilege to walk in her shoes for as long as I have, to be inspired by her and to grow with her. I wish our incredible fans could feel the heart and passion of our crew that has been ever-present on and off screen, day in and day out since the very beginning. You are every bit a part of this incredible show as we are. Thank you, thank you, thank you for every ounce of passion and kindness you have shared with me and with each other.”

Though no specific reason for the cancellation was given, The CW is in a time of serious change. The network was sold to a company called Nexstar Media Group by previous majority owners Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, who had owned the network since 2006. Around the flux created by the sale, as well as some turmoil behind-the-scenes with the other owners, for the first time in its history The CW saw multiple cancellations of series, including a good chunk of the long-running superhero franchise nicknamed the Arrow-verse, as the end of the long-running The Vampire Diaries franchise. Add in the recent exit of Mark Pedowitz, the long-time head of the network, and it seems like the changes aren’t ending any time soon.

With Nancy Drew and the other aforementioned series ending their run, the only remaining traditional drama CW shows (ignoring the reality series and foreign acquisitions) that could continue past the 2022-2023 television season are All American and spinoff All American Homecoming, Walker and spinoff Walker Independence, Kung Fu, the yet-to-debut Gotham Knights, Superman & Lois, DC’s Stargirl and Supernatural spinoff The Winchesters.

Nancy Drew also stars Scott Wolf, Leah Lewis, Maddison Jaizani, Tunji Kasim, Alex Saxon and Riley Smith. The series is a production of CBS Studios in association with Fake Empire, with executive producers Noga Landau, Melinda Hsu Taylor, Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage, Lis Rowinski, Alex Taub, Larry Tend and S. Lily Hui.

Nancy Drew‘s fourth and final season will premiere in midseason (i.e., 2023). The exact premiere date and time will be announced at a later, er, date and time.