Nancy Drew is coming to an end.
The CW announced earlier this week that Nancy Drew season 4 will be the show’s final installment. This makes the mystery drama the third original scripted series from the network to end its run during the 2022-23 broadcast season. The other two CW series that will be taking their final bow this TV season are The Flash and Riverdale.
In a statement announcing the cancellation of the series, Nancy Drew showrunners Noga Landau and Melinda Hsu Taylor thanked the fans and everyone who is involved in the show for allowing and helping them tell their own take on the beloved amateur sleuth. The pair are also grateful that they are given the chance to close the series properly.
“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,” Landau and Hsu Taylor said. “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. Nancy Drew season 4 will be a worthy and resonant payoff for their continued love and support.”
Kennedy McMann, who plays the titular role, also released a statement, in which she expressed how honored she is to have portrayed one of the iconic characters in the mystery genre.
“It has been the greatest pleasure to begin my career as one small part of Nancy Drew’s endless legacy,” the 25-year-old actress said. “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.”
Why was Nancy Drew canceled?
While it’s not clear why The CW canceled Nancy Drew, the decision to end the series comes as the young-skewing network faces an uncertain fate after 75 percent of its ownership stake was acquired by the local-TV giant Nexstar Media Group, with plans to target older viewers and produce low-cost, unscripted programming. Longtime The CW president Mark Pedowitz left the network shortly after the acquisition was finalized.
What will happen in Nancy Drew season 4?
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly published right after the Nancy Drew season 3 finale last January, Hsu Taylor revealed that season 4 “will definitely pick up with Ace (Alex Saxon) wanting to know why Nancy (McMann) ran out of his apartment” before they almost shared a kiss.
“His question to her, ‘Are you in trouble?’ is going to be the thing on his mind … when we start season 4. ‘Why did Nancy run out of my apartment just when I thought she was going to kiss me? I bet she’s in trouble, I need to find out what’s going on,’” Hsu Taylor said of what viewers can expect from Ace at the beginning of Nancy Drew season 4.
Landau added that Nancy Drew season 4 “is going to be a season of intense yearning” for both Nancy and Ace. “For me, this show is always about the simmering love and yearning — for multiple characters, but especially for Nancy, and now for Nancy and Ace together,” Landau said.
In the season 3 finale, Temperance (Olivia Taylor Dudley) planted a curse on Nancy that would take Ace’s life if the pair ever got together romantically. Although there might be a way to solve the curse, Landau revealed that Nancy won’t immediately look for a way to undo it.
“She doesn’t know if she can tell him she loves him. She doesn’t know if she can even tell him about the curse without triggering it. So she has to kind of figure out the rules of it [first],” Landau said of one of Nancy’s dilemmas in the final season.
Season 3 also ended with the Drew Crew going their separate ways as they tried to figure out their respective futures as adults. But Hsu Taylor assured fans that the intention is to have the members of the core group reunite in Nancy Drew season 4 amid their new beginnings.
“They’ll always come back together, for sure,” Taylor said. “We now kind of have people in different areas of law enforcement. George (Leah Lewis) is going to be pursuing law, and Ace works at a morgue, Bess (Maddison Jaizani) has got the mystical thing covered which, technically, is a community leader and has a lot of connections to the town.”
Taylor continued, “There’s a lot of opportunity for teamwork. I’m excited for the friend group and how they come back together in a slightly evolved, not like the other thing was bad, but just as people get more life experience, your friendships evolve as well.”
Nancy Drew season 4 release date
Nancy Drew season 4 doesn’t have a release date yet, but it was announced last May that it will have a mid-season debut, along with The Flash season 9, Superman & Lois season 3, and the brand-new series Gotham Knights.
Where to watch Nancy Drew season 4
Nancy Drew season 4 will air on The CW and will eventually stream on HBO Max.
The first three seasons of the show are now streaming on HBO Max, and are also available to buy or rent on Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, and Vudu.