'The Librarians: The Next Chapter' Comes Home To TNT After Abrupt CW Pull
Cable comeback? That sounds good
The Librarians: The Next Chapter is no longer premiering on The CW on October 23 at 9 PM following Superman & Lois. The network pulled it from the schedule last week, but it has found the best home possible. That home is TNT, where the franchise began with three TV movies from 2004-2008 and followed by the four-season TV series The Librarians from 2014 to 2018.
With its 12 episodes set to premiere in 2025, it is a major step of an unexpected return to scripted programming. Such had been a major casualty of the Warner Bros. Discovery formation in 2022, something sister network TBS has yet to recover from. Each have a dropped original that finally aired the refused seasons this year, Snowpiercer now on AMC in the midst of its fourth and final season, and Chad on Roku, which ran its second season and promptly concluded. It comes after losing the NBA to NBC as part of the package that begins in 2025 and joint streaming venture Venu having its launch blocked. The sports rights being acquired to replace it are said to pair well with the “high-adrenaline” dramas like The Librarians: The Next Chapter that will beef up original programming. The network is also looking to scour the Warner Bros. movie library to reboot several films for new made-for-TV movies or series. The pickup includes a second season order, ensuring somewhat long-term commitment.
It was also last week that it was revealed Channing Dungey, the chairman and chief executive of the Warner Bros. Television Group, would succeed Kathleen Finch, the current cable network chief, upon her retirement. This is being viewed as a signal that the company isn’t abandoning original content on its networks. According to Deadline, the push back into scripted programming is a Finch initiative, as if a parting gift that I personally view Dungey’s own renewal of Agents of SHIELD for its seventh and final season before she left her role as President of the ABC Entertainment Group in November 2018 to be. She moved to Netflix from there until her current position at Warner Bros. in 2020. Insiders are believing that with Nexstar closing the CW door on them, a new outlet was needed.
The Librarians: The Next Chapter centers on Vikram, played by Callum McGowan, a “Librarian” from the past, who is now stuck after time traveling here. The castle he once had is now a museum, inadvertently releasing magic across the continent. He is given his own cleanup crew: a new team of Librarians, people responsible for maintaining the mythical Library, which serves as a storehouse for powerful and dangerous artifacts. The series also stars Jessica Green as Charlie Cornwall, the Guardian; Olivia Morris as Lysa Pascal, The Scientist and Bluey Robinson as Connor Green, the Historian. Dean Devlin serves as showrunner and executive producer alongside Marc Roskin and Rachel Olschan-Wilson of Electric Entertainment. Original series star Noah Wyle also serves as executive producer. Mark Franco of Electric Entertainment and Jonathan English of Balkanic Media also produce.
Devlin gratefully says “Our comeback to TNT … holds immense significance for us and we are thrilled by TNT’s dedication to fans by offering them the continuation of one of their beloved fantasy series.” Meanwhile, The CW President Brad Schwartz explains “The CW is incredibly proud to have worked alongside Dean Devlin and the entire team at Electric Entertainment to create an extraordinary continuation of The Librarians franchise. We are thrilled that the series’ original network TNT loves it as much as we do and saw great value bringing it to their audience. It’s a first for CW Studios and we cannot wait for fans to experience this incredible next chapter.” Yes, CW Studios exists now, thanks to this deal, apparently, an umbrella that can house its own co-productions going forward, including its partnerships with Canadian broadcasters on shows such as Wild Cards.
What exactly did The CW put in its place? A docuseries of course! Non-scripted programming, yay (gross)! The Wranglers follows the personal and professional lives of young staff members working at the Circle Bar Dude Ranch in Montana. One might be wondering what TNT’s first step in the direction of original scripted programming is, and it’s the four-hour miniseries working under the title Debriefing the President. Greenlit earlier this morning, it is about the 2003 interrogation of deposed Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, already set to also air in 2025.
Sources: Variety, Wall Street Journal, Deadline (1, 2, 3)