After a pilot order back in September, Freeform has officially picked up The Watchful Eye to series. The new scripted series, previously known as The Nanny, is a mystery/thriller meant to be a new twist on a Hitchcockian thriller. It features an ensemble cast led by Mariel Molino (Promised Land).
The Watchful Eye follows Elena Santos (Molino), a "bright, savvy young woman" who begins working as a live-in nanny for an affluent Manhattan widower and his son. Shortly after she starts work, she discovers that everyone in the family's mysterious building, The Greybourne, is teeming with ulterior motives and dark secrets. Unbeknownst to them, Elena also harbors her own shocking secrets thanks to her complicated past.
The ensemble cast includes Warren Christie, who plays Matthew, a self-made architect trying to cope with grief over the death of his wife and its effect on his son. His "intelligent but withdrawn" son, Jasper, is portrayed by Henry Joseph Samiri. Kelly Bishop plays lifelong Greybourne resident Mrs. Ivey, who essentially runs the place and always gets her way. Amy Acker appears as Tory, Matthew's sister-in-law who immediately dislikes Elena. Jon Ecker plays Scott, Elena's boyfriend who helped her acquire the job at The Greybourne. Lex Lumpkin stars as the precocious teen Elliott, another resident at The Greybourne who quickly forms a friendship with Elena. Aliyah Royale plays Ginny, another live-in nanny who befriends Elena and manages to break through her tough exterior.
The Watchful Eye was created by Julie Durk, who also serves as a consultant for the show. Emily Fox serves as showrunner and executive produces with Ryan Seacrest, Nina Wass, Andrea Shay, and Jeffrey Reiner, who directs the pilot. The series hails from Ryan Seacrest Productions and is produced by ABC Signature.
About the series, Jamila Hunter, EVP of Programming and Development for Freeform, said in a statement:
“I’m incredibly excited about this series because it presents a contemporary twist on the classic mystery and thriller genre. Julie, Emily and everyone on the team have created a surprising world of haves and have-nots that’s perfect for Freeform’s audience.”
Fox, Wass, and Shay added:
“We are so excited to be working with our partners at Freeform and ABC Signature on ‘The Watchful Eye,’ an updated twist on a classic Hitchcockian thriller featuring an empowered female lead who’s got an ax to grind. An elegant New York City apartment building called The Greybourne provides a backdrop where nothing is as it seems and where the palace intrigue has an undercurrent of terror. Elena Santos is very much a force to be reckoned with, and the Manhattan power players who underestimate her may soon realize they’ve met their match. In this day and age, who doesn’t secretly long to eat the rich?”
There is currently no projected release date for The Watchful Eye.