Nancy Drew could be coming back to television — only grown-up and an NYPD detective

A still from an episode of the 1970s show &quot;The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries.&quot;

(Image credit: Twitter.com/Deadline)

published 6 October 2015

Goodbye River Heights, hello New York City: CBS is developing a new series on everyone's favorite titian-haired girl detective, except now Nancy Drew is in her 30s and working for the NYPD.

Grey's Anatomy writers and executive producers Tony Phelan and Joan Rater, with Dan Jinks, are working on the show, Entertainment Weekly reports, describing it as a "contemporary take on the character from the iconic book series." In her role as an NYPD detective, Nancy "investigates and solves crimes using her uncanny observational skills, all while navigating the complexities of life in a modern world." If the show gets picked up, it won't be Nancy's first time on the small screen — ABC aired The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries in the late 1970s, and a 2002 made-for-TV movie about the girl detective starred Maggie Lawson.

Full disclosure: I am a hardcore fan of the Nancy Drew series, who read every single book as a kid and was brainwashed into thinking all houses have secret passages and spooky secrets. Because of my devotion, there are several things I think this new show needs to have (are you listening, producers?). First, Nancy's family, friends, and blue roadster must make appearances; I especially want to see her lawyer father Carson Drew, housekeeper Hannah Gruen, and "special friend" Ned Nickerson (and while we're at it, make sure he doesn't stray from how he's described in the books — handsome, smart, and willing to do whatever Nancy says without asking any questions). Also, keep the paranormal element, as Nancy thrived when she was investigating a haunting or going to a seance. Finally, don't strip Nancy of the spunk and spirit that makes her so enchanting — she's going to need it in the big city.

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.