(Photo by: Mysteries Decoded/The CW)
The CW is gearing up for summer, and the network has announced its primetime line-up. The network revealed that 12 new and returning shows will have premieres this summer.
As the network moves toward airing less-expensive programming, several of the “new” series have been acquired from outside sources and have aired in other countries or on other American channels or streaming services.
The new shows are Barons (Australian drama, debuts May 29th), Down to Earth with Zac Efron (Netflix documentary series), Greatest Geek Year Ever: 1982 (documentary series), Moonshine (Canadian drama), Recipe for Disaster (cooking competition), The Rising (UK supernatural drama), Run the Burbs (Canadian comedy), and Son of a Critch (Canadian comedy).
The returning shows are Family Law (season two), Bump (season two), Great Chocolate Showdown (season four), Mysteries Decoded (season three), and Nancy Drew (fourth and final season, debuts May 31st). The series finales of Riverdale and Nancy Drew will both air on August 23rd.
The CW revealed more about their summer shows in a press release.
The CW Network today unveiled its robust slate of original scripted and unscripted programming debuting on the network in Summer 2023.
The hilarious family comedy RUN THE BURBS from award-winning “Kim’s Convenience” breakout star Andrew Phung and featuring a talented and diverse ensemble cast, will makeruiverriverda its U.S. debut on The CW later this summer. Critically-acclaimed dramedy MOONSHINE, about dysfunctional siblings battling for control of their family business also joins the network’s scripted slate. The fan-favorite legal drama FAMILY LAW starring Jewel Staite and Victor Garber returns for a second season, and comedy series BUMP will deliver even more laughs in its second season.
New summer unscripted programs include the four-part docuseries GREATEST GEEK YEAR EVER: 1982 chronicling a classic moviegoing year in pop culture, and the over the top extreme cooking competition RECIPE FOR DISASTER. Additionally, The CW will feature the broadcast television debut of DOWN TO EARTH WITH ZAC EFRON following the Emmy(R) winning actor’s travels around the world, and premiere new seasons of returning alternative series GREAT CHOCOLATE SHOWDOWN and MYSTERIES DECODED. Airdates and times for all these series will be announced at a later date.
These upcoming summer series are in addition to the previously announced new comedy SON OF A CRITCH and new dramas THE RISING, premiering Monday, May 29 (8:00-9:00pm ET/PT), and BARONS, also debuting Monday, May 29 (9:00-10:00pm ET/PT). And the fourth and final season of drama series NANCY DREW premieres on Wednesday, May 31 (8:00-9:00pm ET/PT) paired with the final season of RIVERDALE, with both series finales airing back-to-back on Wednesday, August 23.
More information on the new and returning summer scripted and unscripted series is below.
SCRIPTED SERIES
BUMP (Season 2)
BUMP is an Australian comedy-drama series about Olympia (Oly) Chalmers-Davis (Nathalie Morris, “Almost Paradise,” “One Lane Bridge”), an overachieving 17-year-old student who knows exactly where she’s going – until she finds out she’s pregnant. In Season 2, with the expectations of what life was supposed to be still freshly turned upside down, Oly and Santi (Carlos Sanson Jr.) get to know each other better, look to the future, and discover just how much family can mess you up. Created by Claudia Karvan and Kelsey Munro, BUMP stars Claudia Karvan, Nathalie Morris, Carlos Sanson Jr. and Angus Sampson and is produced by Roadshow Rough Diamond (“Romper Stomper,” “Les Norton,” “Australian Gangster”) with John Edwards (“Love My Way,” “The Secret Life of Us,” “Offspring”), Dan Edwards (“Romper Stomper,” “Australian Gangster”) and Claudia Karvan (“Love My Way,” “Doctor Doctor,” “Spirited”) serving as producers.
FAMILY LAW (Season 2)
After six months’ probation at her father’s firm, Abby’s (Jewel Staite) getting into the groove of family law – but her marriage is a trainwreck. Harry (Victor Garber), meanwhile, has finally made Daniel (Zach Smadu) a partner – but is he ready to share his firm with his son? Daniel’s quest for approval leads him to a carefree woman who is definitely not his type… Or is she? And Lucy (Genelle Williams) is crashing at Joanne’s (Lauren Holly), hoping she can fix things with a newly-pregnant Maggie (Ali Liebert) – and getting up her older sister’s nose at the same time. Season 2 follows Abby and her dysfunctional family as they help other dysfunctional families – all while navigating their own personal dramas. Produced by SEVEN24 Films and Lark Productions for Corus Entertainment’s Global (Canada), FAMILY LAW is created, written and executive produced by award-winning author Susin Nielsen (“Degrassi”). The series is executive produced by SEVEN24’s Jordy Randall (“Heartland”) and Tom Cox (“Fortunate Son”), and Lark’s Erin Haskett (“Motive”) and Andy Mikita (“Stargate SG-1”) serve as executive producers.
Created by Sheri Elwood (“Lucifer”), MOONSHINE is an epic tale of lust, legacy and lobster, set against the backdrop of financial hardship, small town intrigue and a long-buried secret that threatens to annihilate the Finley-Cullens once and for all. Corrine Koslo (“Anne with an E”) and Peter MacNeill (“A History of Violence”) play Bea and Ken Finley-Cullen, the heads of the family and owners of The Moonshine, their own little slice of paradise that is starting to become a nightmare – if only they could decide which of their flawed brood is fit to take over the business. Jennifer Finnigan (“Salvation”) plays Lidia, an architect and the eldest sibling who wants to redevelop and exploit the valuable coastal property, giving her an opportunity to shine and overcome past disappointments, and Anastasia Phillips (“Reign”) plays her often-overlooked younger sister Rhian, who sees The Moonshine as her own chance to shine. Other family members include Lidia’s sister Nora, the sexy local DJ, who knows all the family secrets and is played by Emma Hunter (“Mr. D,” “Fridge Wars”); Alexander Nunez (“Avocado Toast”) as Sammy, Lidia’s musically gifted adopted brother who holds secrets of his own; and Tom Stevens (“Wayward Pines”) as aging party boy Ryan, Rhian’s twin, who is running his own (illegal) business out of the resort. The series is produced by Six Eleven Media and Entertainment One (eOne). Elwood also serves as showrunner and executive producer alongside Six Eleven Media’s Charles Bishop. Jocelyn Hamilton is executive producer for eOne.
RUN THE BURBS follows the Phams, a young, bold Vietnamese-South Asian family taking a different approach to living life to the fullest, while changing the way we think about contemporary family values and life in the burbs. Often the instigators of community events and always the first to know what’s going on in the neighborhood, the Phams have become the heart of their cul-de-sac. Through all the challenges and stresses of everyday suburban life, the Phams take on the world as a cohesive unit. Because together, nothing can beat phamily. Andrew Phung (“Kim’s Convenience”), who co-created and executive produces the series with Scott Townend, stars as stay-at-home dad Andrew Pham. Rahkee Morzaria (“What We Do in the Shadows”) stars as Andrew’s free-spirited entrepreneur wife Camille, Zoriah Wong (“Nancy Drew”) as their teenage daughter Khia, and Roman Pesino (“Odd Squad”) as their clever young son Leo. RUN THE BURBS is a CBC Original Production produced by Pier 21 Films and distributed by Fifth Season.
UNSCRIPTED SERIES
GREAT CHOCOLATE SHOWDOWN (Season 4)
GREAT CHOCOLATE SHOWDOWN is a decadent chocolate dessert competition series where ten home bakers go head-to-head in the indulgent world of chocolate, vying to be crowned “Great Chocolate Showdown Champion” and win the $50,000 grand prize. GREAT CHOCOLATE SHOWDOWN is produced by Nikki Ray Media Agency in association with Corus Studios. Executive producers are Mike Sheerin and Tanya Linton, and co-executive producer is Jennifer Pratt.
An inside look back at the greatest geek year in cinema ever, 1982, with stars, directors, writers, producers, critics and pop culture historians sharing their insights about such classic films as E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Blade Runner, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Poltergeist, Tron, and many more. Filled with exclusive interviews, rare behind the scenes footage and incredible never before seen clips in a fun, lively, no holds barred celebration of the legendary moviegoing year, GREATEST GEEK YEAR EVER: 1982 will take viewers behind the scenes of the biggest and most influential movies ever made at a time when fandom was in its infancy. GREATEST GEEK YEAR EVER: 1982 is written and produced by Mark A. Altman, directed and produced by Roger Lay, Jr. and executive produced by Berge Garabedian. Scott Mantz, Thomas P. Vitale, Eric Carnagey and Aaron Rattner also serve as producers.
Zac Efron and superfoods expert Darin Olien travel the world in search of the secrets to good health, a long life, and a higher level of eco-consciousness. Adventure, laughs and goat-milking ensue. DOWN TO EARTH is a binge-worthy travelogue, food odyssey, and eco-warrior series that takes the star out of his comfort zone and into the far corners of the world. Produced by The Nacelle Company and Ninjas Runnin’ Wild, DOWN TO EARTH WITH ZAC EFRON is executive produced by Zac Efron, Brian Volk-Weiss, Darin Olien, Michael Simkin, Jason Barrett and Cisco Henson.
MYSTERIES DECODED (Season 3)
Nothing fazes Jennifer Marshall, the accomplished U.S. Navy veteran turned private investigator who has explored mysteries from time travel to historical hauntings, monsters, and government conspiracy theories in The CW’s groundbreaking investigative documentary series MYSTERIES DECODED. Utilizing high-tech tools, leads from witnesses, and following the trail of newly discovered evidence, in each episode Marshall mobilizes a team of experts to convene at the site of the mystery and embark on the formidable quest for answers to these long-simmering puzzles. MYSTERIES DECODED is from MorningStar Entertainment and executive produced by Gary Tarpinian, Paninee Theeranuntawat and Cyle Zezo.
In each episode of RECIPE FOR DISASTER, three professional chefs and their cooking buddies compete to prepare spectacular dishes under absurdly adverse conditions. Our studio transforms into a bizarre new world each week, replete with themed disasters that challenge our chefs in ways they never imagined. They will attempt the perfect sear while stuck on a “sinking cruise ship” during a tropical storm, try their hand at risotto while bouncing in baby jumpers, or create an earth-shattering gnocchi with nothing but a chisel and rock hammer while dining with dinosaurs. To make matters worse, their cooking buddies are people from their lives who are total kitchen novices. Who will impress the judges, and whose dishes will succumb to the ridiculous disasters du jour? Ultimately, only one team will be crowned Masters of Disaster! Produced by 3Bird Media, RECIPE FOR DISASTER is executive produced by Jennifer Twamley, Andrika Lawren and Cyle Zezo.
Premiere dates for The CW’s summer lineup will be announced later.
What do you think? Which shows are you planning to check out this summer on The CW?
cw is gonna suck