‘Tom Swift’. Quantrell D.Colbert/The CW
An iconic network crossover! Tom Swift (Tian Richards) may have started his story on a backdoor pilot episode of Nancy Drew, but the titular character won’t be coming back to Horseshoe Bay — for now.
“So right now, they are in two completely different years. Nancy Drew, it’s still 2019 and Tom Swift has jumped forward to present day. As far as the two shows speaking to each other, if they do, it’s gonna happen eventually, and it’s gonna happen in a really interesting way,” co-creator Noga LandauTelled Us WeeklyReporters and editors during a panel discussion for the upcoming series. “But, you know, what’s important to us is that these two shows really stand on their own.”
Landau observed that narratively, Tom Swift Nancy DrewThey will still share a connection, but they will exist separately. “Like they’re in the same universe, the characters know each other and we’ve put a lot of really fun Easter eggs — if you’re paying attention — between Tom and Nancy (Kennedy McMann),” she continued. “But, you know, they’re such different shows. Nancy Drew is about a group a children in a small Maine village who solve ghost stories from a crab shack. This show is about billionaires and people who build rocket ships and go to space.”
Tian Richards portrays Tom Swift, Kennedy McMann portrays Nancy. Shane Harvey/The CW
New Mexico native, Carlos Martinez, also praised the shows for their positive impact on viewers. “What links them together is how earnest they are and funny. At their core, they’re kind of about similar issues of claiming your own identity, growing up, figuring out who you are in relation to your family and your parents and the secrets you carry with you,” Landau concluded. “There’s the similarities, for sure, but they’re definitely their own things at this point.”
Meanwhile, co-creator Cameron Johnson teased that he could see the perfect way to allow Nancy to enter Tom’s world, saying, “I just want Nancy. in our clothes. I just want to see Nancy [in]Gucci to the ground. Like, that’s important for me. I wanna see that.”
Tom was first seen by viewers when he helped Nancy solve a mystery during season 2. The backdoor pilot earned Tom the role of guest star on his own show. This pushes Tom to new heights. Stars also appear on the CW series Ashleigh Murray, Marquise Vilsón, April Parker Jones, Albert Mwangi LeVar Burton as Tom’s A.I. Barclay.
Season 1 Tom Swift, the inventor finds himself caught in a world of sci-fi conspiracy and unexplained phenomena after his father’s shocking disappearance. Tom’s mission to uncover the truth about what happened will involve fighting an Illuminati-scale group that will stop at nothing to halt his plans.
‘Tom Swift’. Quantrell D.Colbert/The CW
Ahead of the show’s debut, Richards revealed how his character has grown since he left Horseshoe Bay with a meteorite. “Tom has definitely grown up a little more. When we first meet him, he’s still trying to get the meteorite to build the spaceship for his father,” the Dumplin’ star explained. “At the top of our series, we meet him when he has just completed that spaceship. So again, definitely further along his journey.”
The actor continued: “We look a little different. We’re giving a little more grown-man energy this time around. It was beautiful to see Tom at his best. You get to see Tom with his family, his friends, and in his hometown. It really does reveal the fullness of this man. We were treated to a prequel. Now, you get a complete course. We’re not snacks, we’re meals.”
Despite their shared interest in the supernatural, Tom and Nancy are still close friends. Richards confirmed that technology would be the focus of the series.
“A cool aspect about the books is how much tech came from it,” he shared, noting that the TV show focuses on “inclusion” across the board. “Our show is definitely driven by the personal stories of today and of the modern world. But you’ll also find many references and new iterations to the stuff that was in this book. [It is] little Easter eggs that we’ve had since Nancy Drew to now that tie it back to the universe.”
Richards praised starting on the right foot when he was reflecting on his journey with The CW Nancy Drew.
“Before, I got to come in and be cute in Horseshoe Bay and just follow Nancy’s lead. But I needed. [to watch Kennedy lead] because that was the most I’d ever done in an episode of television. I’d never been [in]A series. I had never been a series regular before,” he noted. “Just to watch Kennedy take control of the set as a leader and be so beautiful and fearless, it really gave me insight on what was to come or what I hoped to come at the time.”
Richards is excited to be the show’s leader. It brings with it its own set of challenges and lessons. “It feels totally different. This is something I tell myself all the time. I love my cast and my creators because they are so supportive of me. [They allow me]to find my voice and become a true artist. I definitely feel a lot more grown this time around,” he joked. “Because I came in with a bit of imposter syndrome, and I’ve been definitely finding myself in this space so seamlessly. That’s life experience that I’ll take with me. Growth is the main thing that I’m getting in this journey.”
Tom SwiftPremieres on The CW Tuesday, May 31, at 9 p.m. ET.
