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Kennedy McMann’s The Good Lawyer not happening at ABC

By Michael Weyer

Nancy Drew -- “The Return of the Killer’s Hook” -- Image Number: NCD404a_0158r -- Pictured (L-R): Kennedy McMann as Nancy Drew -- Photo Credit: Colin Bentley/The CW--© 2023 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Nancy Drew -- “The Return of the Killer’s Hook” -- Image Number: NCD404a_0158r -- Pictured (L-R): Kennedy McMann as Nancy Drew -- Photo Credit: Colin Bentley/The CW--© 2023 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved. /
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It’s been a rough year for Kennedy McMann. Not only has her Nancy Drew show ended after four seasons on The CW, but now word has come that ABC is passing on The Good Lawyer, the spin-off of The Good Doctor that was to star McMann. What happened?

Kennedy McMann rose to fame in the title role of the CW’s reboot of Nancy Drew. This played the classic property differently as the former girl detective was not only college-age but also tackling cases involving actual ghosts and spirits.

The series had a good following but was sadly canceled after four seasons, mostly due to the huge behind-the-scenes changes happening at the CW. It did seem good for McMann as she already lined up what looked like a great new starring role in The Good Lawyer.

The Good Doctor stars Freddie Highmore as Dr. Shaun Murphy, a brilliant doctor wrestling with autism among other issues. A spring 2023 episode of the series was a “backdoor pilot” where Shaun, needing legal help, hired Joni DeGroot (McMann), a promising young attorney.

The twist was Joni had serious obsessive-compulsive disorder, which helped her legal brilliance but made her personal life a mess. The series would also have been a comeback vehicle for Felicity Huffman, playing Joni’s boss. It would be the Emmy winner’s first project since being arrested as part of the infamous college enrollment scandal.

The show was going to be part of ABC’s spring 2024 schedule, so why is it not happening now?

Why is The Good Lawyer not going forward?

The obvious reasons for The Good Lawyer not going forward as a series are the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. The Good Doctor is among the many network shows that now has to have a spring 2024 debut with a 10-13 episode series.

With so many shows now fighting for spring arrivals, combined with the money lost by no fall 2023 season, ABC has to choose which shows take priority. This has led to several cancellations, such as The Rookie: Feds and the crime drama High Potential now pushed to the fall of 2024.

Thus, with so many hit shows needing more attention, ABC just didn’t have the time or money for a new spin-off. Without the strikes, it’s likely The Good Lawyer would be going ahead.

Hopefully, McMann can land herself a new project soon with her talents, but it’s sad to see her lose two TV shows in the same year.

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Nancy Drew Seasons 1-4 are streaming on Max.

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