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| Scene from Nancy Drew (2019) |
Welcome to a new column called Channel Surfing, in which I sporadically look at current TV shows and talk about them. These are not ones that I care to write weekly recaps for and are instead reflections either on the episode, the series, or particular moments. This will hopefully help to share personal opinions as well as discover entertainment on the outer pantheon that I feel is well worth checking out, or in some cases, shows that are weird enough to talk about, but should never be seen.
When Riverdale premiered a few years ago, it was shocking to see how well it worked. The Archie Comics had long been considered a joke of 1950s schmaltz and there was difficulty believing that they could make it into this dark reboot full of murder, infidelity, and whatever demon cult thing last season was about. It seemed like an unprecedented example of a reboot not only working but managing to reinvent the very idea of what a teen soap could be like. In its wake, The CW has attempted to rebrand many shows in Riverdale's image, even leading to the Netflix spin-off Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Considering how well it worked for Archie Comics, it would stand to reason that they could turn beloved girl detective series "Nancy Drew" into a similarly successful formula, right? It depends.
On its surface, there's nothing wrong with Nancy Drew as a modern adaptation. The original books were about mystery, and mystery shows sell. Every Fall season, major networks premiere a half dozen new crime shows that all compete with the most successful shows on TV. Nothing sells like a good murder mystery or courtroom drama where actors get to express themselves in longwinded monologues. That is why it seems weird that Nancy Drew wasn't made any sooner. She is as ubiquitous with the genre as Agatha Christie, and she's been nothing if not adapted every few months. If nothing else, it doesn't make sense why The CW, a network catering to the teen market, didn't make this sooner. If nothing else, it wouldn't feel as buried underneath Riverdale's influence, which feels apparent in a lot of ways.
For starters, it comes with making Nancy Drew into a dark show that hits a lot of similar marks that have become iconic for Riverdale: a central diner, a witty voice-over narrator, melodramatic lighting, and a PG-13 type of promiscuity. The mystery at the heart of the show is thankfully original enough that it isn't just a clone. In fact, Nancy Drew's choice to feature a mix of historical and literary references alongside its supernatural touches make it a show that has the potential to go further and into more interesting directions. However, when it doesn't feel like a Riverdale clone, it features a mystery that doesn't ever really get interesting. It's another murder mystery set in a community full of colorful characters who all have alibis. As great as it is to see Nancy Drew age the character into a more mature setting, it's not exactly off to an inspired start.
There's room to grow, as Kennedy McMann plays Nancy with a spry and optimistic sensibility. Her eyebrows are constantly raised, prying into others' business simply because "a girl loves a good mystery." It's the type of protagonist that a detective show would want. It even does a great job of establishing clues within a scene, calling back to minor plot developments that seem inconsequential at first. The way that the second half of the episode delves into the mystery starts to show what this show could do. It could manage to slowly deconstruct the first half in a way that appeals to fans of mystery. Adding in a young college student perspective may help to add a deeper sense of who Nancy is, provided it moves away from mystery long enough to give her an internal life.
There's not much that's wrong with Nancy Drew, but it does feel like it is following a trend instead of setting it. The pilot does little to distinguish itself even if just on The CW, where melodrama and shocking twists happen several times a night. The only thing giving it an edge is Nancy herself, both as a franchise and as a character. She has the potential of making a new type of murder mystery, updating the character for a new generation in the ways that Riverdale did. However, it's going to need to do a lot more if it wants to stand out and become its own mechanization. As far as pilots go, it's by no means a bad one and ends with a fairly intriguing cliffhanger that allows room for an interesting season. That itself is a good mystery and one that hopefully Nancy Drew will figure out sooner than later.
On its surface, there's nothing wrong with Nancy Drew as a modern adaptation. The original books were about mystery, and mystery shows sell. Every Fall season, major networks premiere a half dozen new crime shows that all compete with the most successful shows on TV. Nothing sells like a good murder mystery or courtroom drama where actors get to express themselves in longwinded monologues. That is why it seems weird that Nancy Drew wasn't made any sooner. She is as ubiquitous with the genre as Agatha Christie, and she's been nothing if not adapted every few months. If nothing else, it doesn't make sense why The CW, a network catering to the teen market, didn't make this sooner. If nothing else, it wouldn't feel as buried underneath Riverdale's influence, which feels apparent in a lot of ways.
For starters, it comes with making Nancy Drew into a dark show that hits a lot of similar marks that have become iconic for Riverdale: a central diner, a witty voice-over narrator, melodramatic lighting, and a PG-13 type of promiscuity. The mystery at the heart of the show is thankfully original enough that it isn't just a clone. In fact, Nancy Drew's choice to feature a mix of historical and literary references alongside its supernatural touches make it a show that has the potential to go further and into more interesting directions. However, when it doesn't feel like a Riverdale clone, it features a mystery that doesn't ever really get interesting. It's another murder mystery set in a community full of colorful characters who all have alibis. As great as it is to see Nancy Drew age the character into a more mature setting, it's not exactly off to an inspired start.
There's room to grow, as Kennedy McMann plays Nancy with a spry and optimistic sensibility. Her eyebrows are constantly raised, prying into others' business simply because "a girl loves a good mystery." It's the type of protagonist that a detective show would want. It even does a great job of establishing clues within a scene, calling back to minor plot developments that seem inconsequential at first. The way that the second half of the episode delves into the mystery starts to show what this show could do. It could manage to slowly deconstruct the first half in a way that appeals to fans of mystery. Adding in a young college student perspective may help to add a deeper sense of who Nancy is, provided it moves away from mystery long enough to give her an internal life.
There's not much that's wrong with Nancy Drew, but it does feel like it is following a trend instead of setting it. The pilot does little to distinguish itself even if just on The CW, where melodrama and shocking twists happen several times a night. The only thing giving it an edge is Nancy herself, both as a franchise and as a character. She has the potential of making a new type of murder mystery, updating the character for a new generation in the ways that Riverdale did. However, it's going to need to do a lot more if it wants to stand out and become its own mechanization. As far as pilots go, it's by no means a bad one and ends with a fairly intriguing cliffhanger that allows room for an interesting season. That itself is a good mystery and one that hopefully Nancy Drew will figure out sooner than later.
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