The CW Acquires Courtney B. Vance’s ’61st Street’

Courtney B. Vance’s thriller, “61st Street” has landed at The CW. Brad Schwartz, The CW’s president of entertainment, shared the announcement on Friday.

The drama follows the story of promising high school athlete who gets swept up in a corrupt Chicago criminal justice system. The first season of “61st Street” will air on The CW in Fall 2023, with the second season making its television debut in 2024. Aunjanue Ellis (“When They See Us,” “King Richard”) Mark O’Brien (“City on a Hill,” “Blue Bayou”), Holt McCallany (“Mindhunter,” “Lights Out”), Tosin Cole (“Doctor Who,” “Hollyoaks”), Andrene Ward-Hammond (“Your Honor,” “Manifest”) and Bentley Green (“Snowfall,” “Sweet Magnolias”) join Vance among the cast.

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“’61st Street’ is a gripping, star-studded premium drama led by a powerhouse performance from Courtney B. Vance and featuring an incredibly talented ensemble cast and creatively brilliant team of producers,” said Schwartz in a statement. “We are proud The CW is now the broadcast home of 61st Street and cannot wait to introduce this series to a whole new audience.”

“There was a lot of love and hard work that went into making ’61st Street,” said Vance. “I’m thrilled that The CW has enthusiastically given all 16 episodes of ’61st Street’ a network home. With The CW, I’m confident that we will engage a universe of viewers who will celebrate the series with us. My cast, crew and I can’t wait!”

The series executive produced by Peter Moffat, J. David Shanks, Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society, Alana Mayo (Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse, Just Mercy), Jeff Freilich (“Lodge 49,” “Dispatches from Elsewhere”) and Hilary Salmon (“MotherFatherSon,” “The Night Of,” “London Spy”). AMC Studios backs the production.

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