The CW's latest attempt at relevancy is a Sherlock series

It’s safe to say The CW’s heydey is way, way behind us. At one point a decade ago, the network was thriving with its array of superhero dramas (Arrow, The Flash, Legends Of Tomorrow, and Supergirl), inventive originals (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Jane The Virgin), and wild YA fare (Riverdale, The 100, The Vampire Diaries, Gossip Girl). Long before that, the network was at its peak with hits from its UPN/WB past like Gilmore Girls, Veronica Mars, and Supernatural. The name-dropping is for a reason; what exactly does it have to show for itself now?

Well, in its current Nextstar era, The CW has famously pivoted to Jesus, it features a ton of golf, magic, FBOY Island, and some middling Canadian exports. It’s not The CW we know and love. Although there are a couple of underrated gems like All American and its spin-off, it doesn’t look like the network has enough trust in it to give it the marketing love it deserves. And so, their newest ray of hope comes from something, or rather someone familiar. IP for the win, as always, huh?

At the winter 2024 Television Critics Association (TCA) press tour, The CW announced its latest venture: Sherlock & Daughter. The series features Fargo and Harry Potter star David Thewlis as the famous fictional detective who resides at 221B Baker Street.

The show features Sherlock in a weird stage as he’s unable to solve a complex mystery that puts his loved ones at risk. Everything changes when his supposed daughter enters his life. Amelia (Blu Hunt) is an American whose mother dies unexpectedly and she learns she might be Sherlock’s spawn. Despite wildly different personalities, the duo teams up to crack a global conspiracy theory. And where there’s a Sherlock, there’s a Moriarty. Batwoman’s Dougray Scott will play his legendary nemesis.

Who knows if Sherlock & Daughter will lead to The CW’s second (third?) coming, but there’s some optimism here—sue us!—because TV is used to pretty good adaptations of Arthur Conan Doyle’s novels. They include the Benedict Cumberbatch-led Sherlock and CBS’ long-running procedural, Elementary. The actual lesson to be learned here as Nexstar fishes for success is that perhaps TV companies should be owned and run by people who care for/love the platform.

Anyway, Sherlock & Daughter is created, written, and executive produced by Brendan Foley, and the writers include Micah War Dog Wright and Shelly Goldstein. To match the theme, The CW also announced at TCA it has picked up two game shows, Trivial Pursuit and Scrabble. Yes, they’re based on the board games. Yes, we can laugh a little. Finally, All American returns for season six on April 1, and Jared Padalecki’s Walker season four on April 3.

Sherlock & Daughter, meanwhile, is slated for 2025.