Riley Smith is returning to the CW with a lead role opposite Kennedy McMann in the network’s new drama series Nancy Drew, from CBS TV Studios and Fake Empire. Smith had been quietly cast as a series regular in the pilot in second position to his Fox drama series Proven Innocent. He became officially available when Fox canceled the legal drama this past weekend.

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Written by Noga Landau, Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage and directed by Larry Teng, Nancy Drew centers on 18-year-old Nancy Drew (McMann) and is set in the summer after her high school graduation. She thought she’d be leaving her hometown for college, but when a socialite is murdered, Nancy finds herself a prime suspect in the crime, along with a group of other teens present at the scene.

Smith plays the handsome and affluent Ryan Hudson whose trophy wife is the murder victim. While he has been ruled out as a suspect by the police, Nancy’s not so sure.

This is the third CW series in three years for Smith who starred on Frequency and had a major recurring role on Life Sentence.

Nancy Drew co-stars Leah Lewis, Maddison Jaizani, Tunji Kasim, Alex Saxon, Scott Wolf and Alvina August.

Noga Landau, Melinda Hsu Taylor, Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage and Lis Rowinski executive produce.

Smith is repped by Gersh, Principal Entertainment LA and attorney Dave Feldman.