The CW Adds First True Crime Series in Network's History

The CW's rebrand is continuing with the network adding its first-ever true crime series. According to The Hollywood Reporter, The CW has given a 10-episode order to Crime Nation for an early 2024 debut. From Candle True Stories, the series is set to dive into recent high-profile cases, like the Delphi murders, the Lori Vallow Daybell case, and the Gilgo Beach murders. It will also include new details thanks to expert analysis, new reporting, and unaired interviews from the cases.

"As the first true crime series in the history of The CW, Crime Nation will prove a fresh new spin on the genre, giving viewers a deeper look into a variety of thrilling and compelling cases," Heather Olander, head of unscripted programming at The CW, said in a statement. "The social media conversation around true crime is bigger than ever, and the Crime Nation team will explore the relationship between the public narrative and official investigations for each case."

Crime Nation will also feature "crime enthusiasts, social media sleuths, podcasters, and digital detectives" who have dug into some of the cases. It is produced by former ABC News president James Goldston. As of now, there isn't an estimated premiere date for Crime Nation. But true crime fans will be able to look forward to it sometime early next year.

With the addition of Crime Nation, The CW is heading further and further away from original scripted content. The network has been adding a lot of unscripted and acquired series to the lineup, along with plenty of sports. There were also only just four scripted originals renewed for the 2023-24 broadcast season. It's a big downgrade from a network that would, at one point, renew a whopping 12 shows at once. True crime is an interesting turn, though. Depending on how well it does, maybe The CW can become the new hub for the genre.

Viewers will have to wait until 2024 to see Crime Nation, but The CW's fall schedule is still pretty stocked. With a variety of unscripted series and acquired series, the network is still keeping fans occupied. Even if it's not the way they used to. At least people can look forward to Walker, Superman & Lois, All American, and All American: Homecoming sometime next year. Plus, there are two new shows in development that will also make up for it. In the meantime, keep an eye out for Crime Nation in early 2024.