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The network also ordered Lucy Hale's Life Sentence
The CW's roster is nearly restocked for the 2017-2018 season -- and it just got both more super and more pretty. The network has officially ordered Black Lightning, an adaptation of the DC Comics story of the same name, as well as Life Sentence, a star vehicle for Pretty Little Liars' Lucy Hale.
Black Lightning has been a frontrunner for pickup based on the DC Comics connection, despite the fact that the Cress Williams (Hart of Dixie) showcase began development at Fox and didn't shoot a full pilot. It becomes the fifth Greg Berlanti-produced DC superhero series to make it onto The CW's schedule.
Instead of following an upstart crusader, Black Lightning begins after Williams' Jefferson Pierce has hung up the suit and his secret identity years ago. However, once his daughter (Nafessa Williams) catches the bug for crusading against injustice, Pierce finds himself pulled back into the fight as the titular character.
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Though not a superhero joint, Life Sentence was also a prime candidate for pickup because of Hale's attachment. The PLL star returns to The CW fold after co-fronting the brilliant-but-cancelled Privileged many years ago.
In Life Sentence, Hale plays a young woman diagnosed with terminal cancer who discovers that she's actually not dying after all and must therefore live (get it) with the choices she made in what she thought were her final months. The show is produced by Bill Lawrence (Scrubs) and written by Significant Mother duo Erin Cardillo and Rich Keith.
Black Lightning and Life Sentence join the Dynasty reboot and military drama Valoras the four likely new series on The CW's 2017-2018 schedule. The CW also renewed iZombie and The Originals.
The CW will announce its full fall schedule on Thursday, May 18.