CW is giving fictional franchises new life, picking up "Batwoman" and "Nancy Drew" as series for the 2019-20 season

The broadcast network, which will announce its fall schedule May 16 at the New York advertising upfronts, also is going back to the rich Archie Comics archive, which spawned "Riverdale," for "Katy Keene."

"Batwoman," which comes from Berlanti Productions, the producer of CW's numerous Arrow-verse shows, stars Ruby Rose as the title character, alias Kate Kane, "an out lesbian and highly trained street fighter primed to snuff out (Gotham's) criminal resurgence," according to a show description. Kate is described as "armed with a passion for social justice and a flair for speaking her mind," but she also has demons to overcome before "embracing the call to be Gotham's symbol of hope."

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"Nancy Drew," inspired by the classic mystery books, features Nancy (Kennedy McMann) as an 18-year-old who delays out-of-town college plans for a year because of family tragedy and "finds herself embroiled in a ghostly murder investigation (that) uncovers secrets that run deeper than she ever imagined," the show description says.

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"Katy Keene" stars Lucy Hale as the title character, an aspiring fashion designer in "a timeless New York City, as enchanting as Riverdale is moody." She meets musician hopeful Josie McCoy (Ashleigh Murray) and they enter a world of fellow aspiring artists who all hope "to see their name in lights." Berlanti is the producer of this series, too.

CW has renewed 14 of its scripted series for 2019-20, including all five first-year shows.



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