CW loads its summer with new (to Americans) shows

Maybe the CW network didn’t get the worry-about-the-strike memo.
Showing no signs of caution, the mini-network has announced a summer line-up that will be filled with new episodes … or ones that are new to American audiences.
That includes lots of scripted shows – American, British, Australian (shown here) and (especially) Canadian – plus some non-fiction.
With the prospect of a long Writers Guild strike, networks might have been expected to cache away prospects. CBS has announced a fall schedule with only two new shows. During the pandemic, CW used Canadian shows to prop up its fall line-up; that year, Fox delayed two summer shows until fall.
But the new summer plan indicates CW is holding nothing back.
It had already announced drama nights starting May 29 and 31. Mondays will have the British “The Rising” (a dead woman tries to solve her own murder) and the Australian “Barons” (shown heree, based on the true corporate competition of former surfing buddies). Wednesdays will have the final seasons of two American shows – “Riverdale” (which has already started) and “Nancy Drew.”
Now CW has announced other shows, without specific times or dates. They are:
— Four scripted shows from Canada. “Family Law” – Jewel Staite as a recovering alcoholic, reluctantly working for her dad (Victor Garber)– has its second season. In their first seasons are two comedies – “Run the Burbs” and “Son of a Critch” – and a drama-comedy: In “Moonshine,” siblings (including Jennifer Finnigan) eye different futures for the family’s waterfront restaurant.
— An Australian comedy-drama. It’s the second year for “Bump,” in which a brainy teen-ager saw her life change with an unexpected (and unnoticed) pregnancy.
— Two food competitions. “Recipe for Disaster” is new; “Great Chocolate Show” is returning.
— A four-part documentary series. “Greatest Geek Year Ever: 1982” looks at the year moviegoers found “ET,” “Blade Runner,” “Poltergeist,” “Tron” and more, including “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.”
— The third season of “Mystery Decoded.”
— And a rarity – a show that has been on Netflix and now airs on broadcast. In the two seasons of “Down to Earth With Zach Efron,” Efron has wandered the globe with food expert Darin Olien.