Tom Swift is a television series that premiered on May 31, 2022 on The CW. It is a spin-off of The CW's Nancy Drew television series, and the Nancy Drew season 2 episode The Celestial Visitor was a backdoor pilot for the series.
The Tom Swift television series is based on the Tom Swift book series published by Stratemeyer Syndicate, the same publishing company that released the Nancy Drew books.
The series was cancelled on June 30, 2022, halfway through airing its first season.[1]
Synopsis[]
Full official synopsis from The CW:[2]
As an exceptionally brilliant inventor with unlimited resources and unimaginable wealth, the devilishly charming Tom Swift (Tian 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 (Ashleigh Murray), whose unabashed and unvarnished candor keeps Tom grounded while she forges a path for herself as a business visionary; his bodyguard Isaac (Marquise Vilsón), whose fierce commitment to his chosen family is complicated by his own simmering feelings for Tom; and his AI, Barclay (voiced by LeVar Burton), whose insights and tough love have been a constant throughout Tom's life.
At home, Tom's relationship with his mother Lorraine (April 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 (Albert 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.
The character of Tom Swift was originally introduced to audiences in season two of NANCY DREW. The series is inspired by the Tom Swift book series that hails from Stratemeyer Syndicate, which also publishes the Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys and Bobbsey Twins books.
TOM SWIFT stars Tian Richards, Ashleigh Murray, Marquise Vilsón, April Parker Jones and Albert Mwangi, with LeVar Burton as the voice of Barclay, Tom's AI.
TOM SWIFT is a production of CBS Studios in association with Fake Empire. TOM SWIFT was co-created by Melinda Hsu Taylor (“Nancy Drew,” “The Gifted”), Noga Landau (“Nancy Drew,” “The Magicians”) and Cameron Johnson (“Empire”). Taylor, Landau and Johnson also serve as executive producers along with Josh Schwartz (“Nancy Drew,” “Gossip Girl,” “Dynasty”), Stephanie Savage (“Nancy Drew,” “Gossip Girl,” “Dynasty”), and Lis Rowinski (“Nancy Drew,” “Gossip Girl,” “Dynasty”)
Cast and characters[]
Starring:
- Tian Richards as Tom Swift
- Ashleigh Murray as Zenzi Fullerton
- Marquise Vilsón as Isaac Vega
- Albert Mwangi as Rowan
- April Parker Jones as Lorraine Swift
Guest starring:
- LeVar Burton as the voice of Barclay
- Ward Horton as Nathan Eskol
- Donovin Miller as Lino Swift
- Catherine Haena Kim as "TBA"
- Christopher B. Duncan as Barton Swift
Season and episodes[]
- Main article: Tom Swift (2022 TV series)/Season 1
Tom Swift ran for one season with a total of 10 episodes.
| Season | Episode count | Premiere episode | Finale episode | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Title | Date | Title | Date | ||
| 1 | 10 | ...And the Liftoff to Saturn | May 31, 2022 | ...And the Cost of Forgiveness | August 2, 2022 [3] |
Development[]
On October 28, 2020 Nancy Drew co-creators Noga Landau, Melinda Hsu Taylor, and newcomer Cameron Johnson announced the idea of creating the "Drew-niverse". The first proposed spin-off starred fellow Stratemeyer character Tom Swift and followed his journey trying to locate his missing father in a world of science and fantasy.[4]
On January 26, 2021, Tian Richards was cast at the titular character Tom Swift.[5].
On February 8, 2021, it was announced that Ruben Garcia would direct the backdoor episode of Nancy Drew, which would serve as an informal introduction of Tom Swift to the broader Nancy Drew audience.
On May 11, 2021, it was announced that Grammy, NAACP, and Emmy-award winning actor LeVar Burton would lend his voice as the AI Barclay in both Tom Swift and the backdoor pilot in Nancy Drew.[6]
On May 24, 2021, The CW announced that the Tom Swift series was in contention with a decision not having been made yet. The news came alongside an announcement regarding the network's six other potential projects, where two series were given orders, one a pilot rewrite, and three were passed.[7]
Finally, on August 30, 2021, Tom Swift was ordered straight-to-series.[8] On March 25, 2021, the series was given an early Summer premiere date of May 31, 2022.[9]
On February 7, 2022, Ashleigh Murray was cast as series regular Zenzi Fullerton.[10]
On February 17, 2022, Marquise Vilsón was cast as Isaac Vega, April Parker Jones as Lorraine Swift, and Albert Mwangi as Rowan.[11]
On March 8, 2022, Ward Horton was announced as a major recurring character, Congressman Nathan Eskol.[12]
External links[]
Tom Swift on The Internet Movie Database
Tom Swift (TV series) on Wikipedia
Official sites:
- CW streaming app: cwtv.com/shows/tom-swift
- CW press site: Tom Swift
Official social media:
@CWTomSwift on Twitter
@TomSwiftWriters on Twitter (writer's room)- @cwtomswift on Instagram
- Facebook: @cwtomswift
References[]
- ↑ Deadline: ‘Tom Swift’ Canceled By CW After One Season by Lynette Rice, Nellie Andreeva. June 30, 2022.
- ↑ From The CW's official press site for Tom Swift, retrieved May 21, 2022.
- ↑ http://www.thefutoncritic.com/showatch/tom-swift/listings/
- ↑ Deadline: ‘Tom Swift’ Series In the Works At the CW As ‘Nancy Drew’ Spinoff.
- ↑ Deadline: Tian Richards Cast As Lead Tom Swift In ‘Nancy Drew’ Spinoff On the CW
- ↑ Deadline: ‘Tom Swift’: LeVar Burton Lends Voice To ‘Nancy Drew’ Planted Spinoff
- ↑ https://deadline.com/2021/05/powerpuff-tom-swift-status-cw-pilot-our-ladies-of-brooklyn-painkiller-picked-up-dead-1234762992/
- ↑ https://deadline.com/2021/08/tom-swift-straight-to-series-order-the-cw-nancy-drew-spinoff-1234824297/
- ↑ Deadline: ‘Tom Swift’: ‘Nancy Drew’ Spinoff Gets Premiere Date On The CW
- ↑ Deadline: Ashleigh Murray To Star In ‘Tom Swift’, Joining Tian Richards In the CW’s ‘Nancy Drew’ Spinoff
- ↑ Deadline: ‘Tom Swift’: Marquise Vilsón, April Parker Jones & Albert Mwangi Round Out Series Regular Cast On CW Series
- ↑ Deadline: The CW’s ‘Tom Swift’ Casts Ward Horton