Development of a new Nancy Drew TV series began in 2015 when CBS ordered a pilot revolving around an adult Nancy, but the network later passed on the project. It was then redeveloped for NBC until 2018, when it finally moved to the CW.

This 2019 series is the third television adaptation of Nancy Drew, following The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries (1977–1979) and a 1995 Canadian-American version.

Freddie Prinze Jr. was originally cast as Nancy's father, Carson Drew, for the pilot in early 2019, but he was replaced by Scott Wolf on May 9, 2019.

Pamela Sue Martin, who played the title role in the 1977 series The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, was cast in the new show as Harriet Grosset, a medium.

The series is a direct crossover origin point for the spin-off Tom Swift, with Tian Richards debuting as billionaire inventor Tom Swift in season 2 alongside LeVar Burton voicing his AI companion Barclay.

Principal photography for the first season, filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, was halted on March 12, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing episode 18 to serve as the improvised season one finale instead of the planned 22 episodes.

Season 2 production, which began on September 29, 2020, was stopped shortly after starting due to COVID-19 testing issues and resumed about a week later.

On Rotten Tomatoes, Nancy Drew holds a 53% approval rating with a critical consensus noting it as an 'overly broody and unfortunately bland mystery' that follows too closely in the footsteps of similar shows.

A tie-in prequel novel titled Nancy Drew: The Curse, written by Micol Ostow, was published on March 31, 2020, based on the show's events.