With a recent network change and complete cast overhaul, The Librarians: The Next Chapter is hardly worth checking out when the series debuts in January 2025. After the original series The Librarians was canceled by TNT in 2018, the spinoff was set to move to the CW to enchant a newer, younger audience. However, the CW recently dropped The Next Chapter from its 2024-2025 production slate and was acquired back by TNT (via Deadline), suggesting something seriously wrong with the new crop of adventurous magicians.
Dropped by the CW to make way for ranching reality TV series The Wranglers, The Librarians: The Next Chapter looks more like a creative misstep by the network with each passing revelation. Although the spinoff is poised to return to The Librarians‘ original network, the biggest reason The Next Chapter should not have survived the sudden CW cancelation relates to the glaring absence of the original cast members, the alchemical magic of which remains the primary draw of the beloved fantasy series.
The Librarians Began in the TV Movie Space
Created by Leverage‘s Dean Devlin, The Librarians began in 2004 as a slate of TV movies starring Noah Wyle as Flynn Carsen, a magical librarian dedicated to protecting the world’s most valuable artifacts. Following a trio of beloved TV movies, Wyle repeated his role in The Librarians TV series, which ran for four seasons and 42 episodes between 2014 and 2018. In addition to Wyle leading the way, TV legend Bob Newhart joined the cast with Jane Curtin, John Laroquette, Rebecca Romijn, Christian Kane, Lindy Booth, John Harlan Kim, and a host of outstanding guest stars.
Thanks to the palpable onscreen chemistry among the cast members, the magical exploits of The Librarians captured the hearts and minds of viewers on TNT. With episodic adventures leading the way, the plot concerns an underground sect of scholars and historians dedicated to preserving the world’s rarest books, ancient tomes, and supernatural artifacts. Despite the cartoonish tone and tenor of the fantasy series, the show lives and dies with its perfectly mixed ensemble cast and electric onscreen energy guided by former NATO agent and designated New Leader Colonel Eve Baird (Romijn).
Along with Baird, the series gives plenty of space for her co-stars to demonstrate their crackling chemistry, including skillful hacker and thief Ezekiel (Harlan Kim), magic mathematician Cassandra (Booth), linguist and architect Jacob (Kane), the immortal Library Annex owner Sir Galahad (Laroquette), with Carsen tying the franchise together with his grand invitations and mission instructions. The entertaining rapport established by the ensemble cast remains the primary reason to watch The Librarians. Without a single one of them leading the fresh cast with a starring role in The Next Chapter, there’s little reason to care, much less tune in. Only Christian Kane is slated to guest star in the show, which is probably not enough to warrant a watch.
What is The Librarians: The Next Chapter About?
If the CW felt The Wranglers was a better option to attract viewers, something must be seriously amiss with The Librarians: The Next Chapter. Although few BTS details were given about the CW’s decision to drop The Next Chapter before TNT scooped it up, the casting is the most glaring problem. Without Wyle appearing as Carsen, there is very little reason for The Next Chapter to exist, much less persuading viewers.
Without Carsen’s presence in the series, the needless spinoff would inevitably feel like a shadow of its former self at best, and an unnecessary insult at worst. Even when Carsen’s role slid into the background as The Librarians progressed, the winning formula fomented by Romijn, Kane, Laroquette, Booth, and Kim would be difficult to replicate by the young, unestablished crop of actors tasked with replacing them. The magical formula of The Librarians will never be as potent or potable in the spinoff, especially considering the recent passing of icon Bob Newhart, the first librarian who served as a mentor to the others.
According to the official logline from Electric Entertainment:
“The new series centers on a “Librarian” from the past, who time traveled to the present and now finds himself stuck here. When he returns to his castle, which is now a museum, he inadvertently releases magic across the continent. He is given a new team to help him clean up the mess he made, forming a new team of Librarians.”
Per the release:
“The new series stars
Callum McGowan
(
Jamestown
),
Jessica Green
(
The Outpost
),
Olivia Morris
(
Hotel Portofino
), and
Bluey Robinson
(
Britannia
).
Caroline Loncq
(
Mammals
) guest stars.
Christian Kane
will reprise his role as “Jacob Stone” in a Guest-Starring role.”
Between the lack of original cast members, the redundant premise, and the CW ditching the spinoff in favor of an unproven reality show, it’s safe to say The Librarians: The Next Chapter will likely be worth skipping. The Librarians is streaming on the CW.
