CBS plans on not casting white women to play Nancy Drew on the new TV reboot.
Nancy Drew first appeared in books in 1930 and was created by Edward Stratemeyer. The books were ghostwritten by several authors and published under the fake name Carolyn Keene. The character evolved in the past 80 years and CBS plans on changing the story even more with their new TV series.
According to CBS, the new Nancy Drew tv series will be more diverse. According to The Hollywood Reporter interview, CBS executives plan on making the lead character more diverse.
From The Hollywood Reporter:
“She is diverse, that is the way she is written,” the executive toldTHR immediately following his time in front of the press at the Television Critics Association’s winter press tour Tuesday. While Geller said it was too early in the process to explain just what he meant by diverse — whether Nancy is African-American, Asian-American or Latino, he said it would hinge on finding the right actress for the part. “[She will] not [be] Caucasian,” he stressed. “I’d be open to any ethnicity.”
This news should come as a surprise as more and more networks plan on creating more shows for non-white audiences. But, it is surprising that CBS, a network that has been less likely to hire non-whites for their TV shows, plans on recasting a character that has been traditionally white another race.
CBS announced in October they were in pre-production for a new Nancy Drew series. The series which is still in it’s early stages, is described as a modern day look at the character from the comic book series. Now in her 30s, Nancy is a detective for the NYPD where she solves crimes using her observational skills while trying to fit in a modern world.
