The CW Acquires Lea Thompson Drama The Spencer Sisters as 5 Current Series Hang in the Balance
The CW’s slate of international acquisitions continues to grow amid much uncertainty surrounding the network’s current programming.
As the fate of five CW series continue to hang in the balance (UPDATE: Make that three), the network has announced that Canadian drama The Spencer Sisters will begin airing this fall. The series stars Lea Thompson (Caroline in the City) and Stacey Farber (Schitt’s Creek) as a mother and daughter duo who join forces to start their own private detective agency.
“The Spencer Sisters is a charming new drama series led by the unforgettable Lea Thompson and rising star Stacey Farber,” said Brad Schwartz, President of Entertainment at the CW, in a statement. “We are thrilled to welcome this dynamic pair to The CW this fall in an entertaining procedural that will appeal to multiple generations of amateur sleuths.”
The CW is, of course, no stranger to low-cost international acquisitions, having given a U.S. home in past years to fare such as Coroner, Professionals, Leonardo, Devilsand Family Law, and the soon-to-premiere The Rising, Barons and Sullivan’s Crossing. And the network surely will stay on that track under its new ownership, which has announced its plan to carry over only a precious few current scripted shows.
Can we please rename the network since they ruined The CW!?
Might as well rename it The Canadian network
With all of the Canadian series that Nexstar/The CW is acquiring, I would suggest CBC-US as the new name for the network. To be clear not every single acquired series is from Canada but Nexstar/The CW has six current ones by my count. Spencer, Sullivan’s Crossing, Family Law, Son of a Critch, Run The Burbs and Moonshine.
Greatest Chocolate Showdown is also Canadian in origin.
RIGHT? The CW had a well established brand…and their new programming strategy ain’t it.
So excited – I absolutely love both of these excellent actors! Fondly recall Stacey Farber best from her long running role on Degrassi.
Ellie! I’ll watch at least a couple episodes just for her.
“Rising Star Stacey Farber?”
What does he think a rising star is? She’s been acting for 21 years…
Well it does appear to be Stacey Farber’s first lead role in a TV series as far as I can tell. Someone might have said the same thing about Tatiana Maslany back in 2013 when Orphan Black first premiered. Georgina Campbell is suddenly on everyones radar because of the film Barbarian from last year but Campbell has numerous UK TV critics going back to 2010. Than there is George Clooney prior to ER. Actors can have successful careers for years without that one breakout or lead role.
I came here to say this exact same thing! She’s been acting for over two decades (including on multiple CW shows), so the term ‘rising star’ is very ill-fitting.
This one could also fill in the Summer instead of going for the Fall season.
Do they really believe that by pushing away all of the network’s audience by cancelling the actual scripted content that their “58-year old” viewers have been following for years, have become so invested, will make them earn profit? Are Nexstar execs THIS delusional? Maybe it’ll all be a cover up and they will actually do money laundering as it was always meme-ed about on Twitter by the usual CW haters about the network’s flagship series always being renewed.
Can’t wait to rub it on their faces the hypocrisy if they cancel Kung Fu and/or Superman & Lois, two shows that they filled their mouth last year saying that they “were fans of”.
But won’t lie, part of my hate also goes to the cheap new regime ruling WB ever since last year, they’re the reason why The CW was sold to the worst people ever in the first place.
Quick question: The Spencer Sisters sounds interesting, but why is it called that if it’s about a mother-daughter team? Just curious. Thanks!
The ‘sister’ name is an inside joke about the mom looking too young to be a mom.
So I actually watched the series (I’m in Canada) and it’s very charming and fun! It’s a running joke in the series that they’re mistaken for sisters, which the mom loves and the daughter gets annoyed by. And the mom named that their private detective business. Highly recommend the show!
Oh that’s why she looks so familiar! De Grassi! Thank you!
What is with all these Canadian shows being greenlit while we are STILL awaiting news of our shows? Great job CW.
They aren’t being “greenlit.” They are finished shows that have already aired. That’s the point. They are buying the rights to cheap shows ready to air.
The CW is becoming the network of imports I already imported.
At this rate they might as well import season 3 onward of Transplant so the rest of you can watch it.
I’m five episodes into this show and loving it…it’s feels like an modern take of the sleuth shows from the past. The problem is this is more an summer fun show than fall tv who has to carry the channel and compete with other channels. (It only has 10 episodes)
And the CW is turning into an Canadian channel, not complaining, just sad no more Nancy Drew type shows 😢.
Looks like Nexstar doesn’t know who they market is or going to be….
Looks like they’re getting imports to fill the programming amid the writers strike. I anticipate seeing more international properties being acquired for airing rights all around.
I bet all theses shows they getting from The Canadian network won’t have any LGBTQIAP+ characters but what do I care I stop watching this network when all the shows I love got cancelled
Not true! Spencer Sisters has several LGBTQIAP+ characters.
??? Canadian TV has a boom in onscreen Queer representation before American TV did
I wish a US network would air Hudson & Rex. Love John Reardon and this show is not even available on DVD except ones that play on PAL systems.
Apparently Hudson & Rex is on UP Faith and Family streaming network in the US, but considering the success this show has had in Canada and internationally (120 countries), it is bewildering that an American network has not picked it up. And the dog is just amazing!
The CW is a glorified syndication channel now. Much like My network TV & ion television today & WWOR, WGN, and WTBS used to be.
It’s a fun series, and a lot better than sullivan’s crossing in my book
Seems like the CW could potentially fill in the hole left by Hallmark Movies & Mysteries dropping so many Mysteries, but they’ve made some new ones, so there is still hope.
If they decided to by Transplant that NBC decided nit to air season 3 then I’d watch, but that’s all.
Well the CW shows are almost all filmed in Canada so why not just import Canadian shows. I like a lot of Canadian shows and the cost sharing has got to be a plus.
There have been some truly great series in Canada. A problem for US viewers has been that they are on all sorts of different channels and sometimes they do not show all the seasons. ABC was good with Rookie Blue for many years. Transplant started on NBC but probably won’t be back. CW had Coroner and Burden of Truth. Will Family Law be back? Some good ones — Lost Girl, Wynonna Earp, Continuum, Nurses, Schitt’s Creek, Being Human, Private Eyes, Frankie Drake, Being Erica, degrassi, and lots more. Give us some good ones, CW.
My all-time favorite Canadian import was the iconic Forever Knight! At least once a month I check to see if the series is streaming anywhere. Sigh.
I was happy to I find an article from May 10, 2023 (on ‘tv series finale’ site) that Family Law will come back this summer on CW.
(I tried to add the link but then comment didn’t seem to post)
Well I miss what the CW used to be. Some of my all time favorite shows. I hope superman and lois at least get renewed