The CW’s set a May 31, 2022 premiere for the Nancy Drew spin-off, Tom Swift, starring Tian Richards (Dumplin’). Richards first appeared in the role in season two episode 15 of Nancy Drew, with that episode setting up the spinoff.
In addition to Tian Richards, the season one cast includes April Parker Jones as Lorraine, Ashleigh Murray as Zenzi, Marquise Vilsón as Isaac, and Albert Mwangi as Rowan. LeVar Burton provides the voice of Tom’s AI, Barclay.
In a May 2021 interview with EW in support of his debut as Tom Swift in Nancy Drew, Tian Richards described his hopes for what a Tom Swift series will look like.
“We will see Tom go on a journey to find his dad. At its core, it’s a father-son love story, a father-son hate story, it’s a coming to terms with that entire relationship, and we get to see that take place in the middle of so many intersections. We get to see culture be explored in the Black elite and the 1 percent, which is a society that hasn’t really been explored in depth on television. We get to see so much cool tech and the sci-fi world. And we’ll get to see a beautiful queer man’s journey come to life and so many other people from the community as well. You will get to see reflections from all points of view, all walks of life, and I mean that from our hetero brothers and sisters to our trans brothers and sisters, our fellow queer brothers and sisters,” explained Richards.
Season one of Tom Swift will air on Tuesdays at 9pm ET/PT. Melinda Hsu Taylor (The Gifted), Noga Landau (Nancy Drew), and Cameron Johnson (Empire) co-created the series and serve as executive producers. Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage, and Lis Rowinski also executive produce.
The Plot, Courtesy of The CW:
As an exceptionally brilliant inventor with unlimited resources and unimaginable wealth, the devilishly charming Tom Swift (Richards) is a man who many men would kill to be, or be with – a man with the world in the palm of his hand. But that world gets shaken to its core after the shocking disappearance of his father, thrusting Tom into a breathtaking adventure full of mysterious conspiracies and unexplained phenomena. On his whirlwind quest to unravel the truth, Tom finds himself fighting to stay one step ahead of an Illuminati-scale cabal hellbent on stopping him.
Tackling this treacherous pursuit armed with his vast intellect, his roguish wit, and an endless supply of designer sneakers, he will also rely on his closest companions: his best friend Zenzi (Murray), whose unabashed and unvarnished candor keeps Tom grounded while she forges a path for herself as a business visionary; his bodyguard Isaac (Vilsón), whose fierce commitment to his chosen family is complicated by his own simmering feelings for Tom; and his AI, Barclay (Burton), whose insights and tough love have been a constant throughout Tom’s life.
At home, Tom’s relationship with his mother Lorraine (Parker Jones) becomes conflicted as she urges him to take his father’s place in elite Black society. But unbeknownst to Tom, his mother’s request is driven by deep secrets of her own. What’s more, the mysterious and dangerous Rowan (Mwangi) intersects Tom’s path with hidden motivations and undeniable mutual chemistry. While Tom navigates these emotionally charged dynamics, his missions will require his genius and his flair for innovation guided by romance, friendship and the mysteries of the universe yet unsolved.
