The CW is adding game shows and another drama to its lineup. Scrabble and Trivial Pursuit, based on the popular board games, are coming to the network alongside a new thriller, Sherlock & Daughter. The latter will take viewers back into the world of Sherlock Holmes. David Thewlis will star as the legendary detective in the series, which promises a new twist on the iconic character. Blu Hunt and Dougray Scott also star.
The CW revealed more about all three upcoming shows in a press release.
The CW Network today announced it has picked up the new original scripted drama series SHERLOCK & DAUGHTER starring Emmy® Award-nominated actor David Thewlis (“Harry Potter,” “Fargo”) as the legendary detective Sherlock Holmes. Additionally, the network has ordered a pair of game shows based on the classic board games TRIVIAL PURSUIT and SCRABBLE produced by Hasbro Entertainment alongside Lionsgate Alternative Television.
“The CW continues to expand its original programming lineup with quality scripted and unscripted series, based on IP that everyone knows, that encourage co-viewing across generations of fans,” said Brad Schwartz, President of Entertainment, The CW Network. “SHERLOCK & DAUGHTER brings Cannes Film Festival Best Actor award winner and SAG, Golden Globe and Emmy® nominated David Thewlis to the network as the renowned detective Sherlock Holmes. The entire cast and creative team have done a magnificent job putting a new twist on the classic character. And because we also need things only a Sherlock can solve, we are looking forward to welcoming two great game shows to The CW in TRIVIAL PURSUIT and SCRABBLE, which will bring prime time game night to the whole family.”
The mystery thriller series SHERLOCK & DAUGHTER puts Sherlock Holmes (David Thewlis) out of his comfort zone, mysteriously unable to investigate a sinister case without risking the lives of his closest friends. Enter: young American Amelia (Blu Hunt, “The Originals,” “The New Mutants”). After her mother’s mysterious murder, she learns her missing father may be the legendary detective. Despite wildly different backgrounds and attitudes, the pair must work together to solve a global conspiracy, crack her mother’s murder, and find out for sure if she really is Sherlock’s daughter. International Emmy® Award-winning Dougray Scott (“Batwoman,” “Crime”) also stars as Holmes’ nemesis, Moriarty.
From Starlings Television Distribution, Albion Television and StoryFirst, SHERLOCK & DAUGHTER is led by showrunner and executive producer James Duff (“The Closer,” “Major Crimes”) and is created, written and executive produced by Brendan Foley (“Cold Courage,” “The Man Who Died”). Micah War Dog Wright (“They’re Watching,” “First Nations Comedy Experience”) and Shelly Goldstein (“Cold Courage,” “Laverne & Shirley”) are writers on the series. Karine Martin, Chris Philip, Peter Gerwe, Dominic Barlow and Ivan Dunleavy also serve as executive producers, along with Escapade Media.
The all-time classic trivia game TRIVIAL PURSUIT is reimagined in a question-packed entertainment format. Gameplay takes place on a giant version of the iconic Trivial Pursuit game board, as contestants battle it out over a range of play-along question categories to win wedges and beat each other to the center. The victor then takes on a dramatic finale against the clock to claim the big money jackpot. TRIVIAL PURSUIT is produced by Hasbro Entertainment, The CW and Lionsgate Alternative Television. Gabriel Marano, John De Mol, Matt Walton and Matt Pritchard, and David Garfinkle serve as executive producers.
SCRABBLE is a captivating, fast-paced take on the global board-game phenomenon. In each episode, wordsmiths battle it out playing a series of addictive, word-based games to win points and add words to a giant SCRABBLE board in the center of the set. SCRABBLE is produced by Hasbro Entertainment, The CW, Mattel Television Studios and Lionsgate Alternative Television. Gabriel Marano, David Garfinkle and Michelle Mendelovitz serve as executive producers.
Premiere dates for these new shows will be announced later.
What do you think? Are you planning to watch these new shows on The CW when they arrive?
What’s the point of trying to get invested in a new CW show? The odds are it will be cancelled after the first season.
I wonder if Trivial Pursuit is going to last as a game show this time on CW! Wink Martindale hosted the show for one season on the Family Channel in the 1990s, while Christopher Knight from “The Brady Bunch” did the same in the late 2000s decade in 1st-run Syndication. Scrabble was a successful 1980s NBC Daytime game show hosted by Chuck Woolery, but will it, too, succeed on CW?