The CW is currently expanding their non-superhero-related drama category.
According to Variety, they are doing so by first developing a program with Michael Weatherly of NCIS fame. Weatherly is set to executive produce a series called Mata Hari, which is a fictionalized life of a real person. Mata Hari was a hotblooded exotic dancer . . . who also happened to be a World War One double agent. Once her fiancé is murdered, Mata Hari is lured into the spy world with the promise to avenge his death. This new thriller is still in the developing stages.
However, Mata Hari does have a crew with past CW relationships. The series is penned by Micah Schraft, who has written for Jane the Virgin (a critically-acclaimed CW show), The Tomorrow People, and even Netflix’s Jessica Jones. In addition to his writing duties, Schraft will executive produce Mata Hari alongside Weatherly and Laurie McCarthy.
Mata Hari marks Weatherly’s first foray into executive producing for major television. He previously executive produced a documentary called Jamaica Man in 2013, as well as a short called Under the Sun in the same year.
Audiences will know Weatherly best from his thirteen-year run as Anthony DiNozzo in NCIS, but Weatherly did not leave audience’s eyes for long before returning to primetime with Bull. Weatherly stars in CBS’ drama about the intellectual and crazy world of picking a jury for a major trial. That series aired its premiere episode on September 20th.
The CW is also working on developing a drama with Tim Kring (creator of Heroes). Kring is executive producing a series called Stick Man, a story of an amateur sleuth who investigates her brother’s murder and follows the trial, all while placing us an environment like Making A Murderer. As she investigates further, she grows fonder and fonder of the suspect, until she finally finds evidence that her brother’s death might have more to do with the supernatural world instead of a natural one.
Stick Man is produced by Kring, Justin Levy, Dan Friedkin, and Cameron Porsandeh (who has dipped their toes into the world of science-fiction by working on Syfy’s Helix).