CBS ordering ‘Nancy Drew’ pilot, but with detective twist

Nancy Drew is one of the most popular characters in the history of mystery-related literature, but for its current pilot season CBS is clearly considering a rather modern twist on the character.

How modern? Well in CBS terms, they’re making her story into something that you can see on almost every other show on the network now. The network has formally ordered “Drew,” a drama pilot featuring none other than the iconic character. However, she’s no longer some crime-solving teenager; instead, Nancy is now in her thirties and uses her skills to solve crimes for the NYPD … which is basically what the network is already doing in “Elementary.” Why put another adaptation of popular literature on the air when it is effectively doing more or less the same exact thing? We’re not entirely sure.

What does make this different from “Elementary” is that “Drew” is specifically looking for a “diverse” lead, which could mean many different things. The best way to look at this, though, is that CBS is trying to get more in the game of appealing to a wide array of demographics … and we understand why. When you look at almost every one of their scripted series across the board, almost every one of them has the same thing in common: Primarily white actors in leading roles. LL Cool J may be the only minority actor that the network has to topline a series, though many have them in supporting roles across the board, and the upcoming “Rush Hour” will feature both an African-American and Asian lead.

First of all, what do you think about adapting Nancy Drew for TV, and then what do you think about the way in which CBS is doing it? Share your thoughts right now with a comment.