After a few years away, showrunner and co-creator Dean Devlin is playing in the magical sandbox again with ‘The Librarians: The Next Chapter.’
After starting out as a series of films, TNT aired four seasons of ‘The Librarians’ during 2014-2018. This time around, it’s a completely different team dealing with the magic and the chaos that ensues when Vikram Chamberlain (Callum McGowan), a Librarian from 1847, travels in time to present-day Belgrade, Serbia. When Vikram releases magic all across the continent, The Library has to go into cleanup mode, sending Guardian Charlie Cornwall (Jessica Green). In addition to Vikram and Charlie, the team–including Lysa Pascal (Olivia Morris) and Connor Green (Bluey Robinson)–has six months to clean it up.
“I don’t think I ever wanted to get out of the sandbox,” Devlin says of continuing the franchise story with ‘The Librarians.’ “When the opportunity arose to tell a different story within the world of The Library, I jumped at it. To get to be back into that universe is such a gift. You mentioned the movies. The first one was done just over 20 years ago at TNT. To come full circle and be back home again, telling another story within the world of The Library, it’s a real gift.”
The series had initially been ordered a few years ago by the CW before switching networks to TNT. Upon going back to its rightful home, TNT subsequently ordered a second season. They are currently in production with Devlin telling Awards Focus that they are waiting on him to finish writing the finale.
TNT is launching ‘The Librarians: The Next Chapter’ with a two-night premiere–new episodes are running after the NBA Playoffs coverage May 25, 2025, and after NHL Playoffs coverage on May 26–approximately 11:30 PM ET/8:30 PM PT. Following Memorial Day weekend, the 12-episode series will settle into a Monday night schedule. Check TNT listings for details or this handy guide from Lisa Brenner–episodes will air at 9 PM ET/PT on June 16 and from June 30-August 4! Times will vary while TNT is airing the NBA and NHL Playoffs.
Awards Focus: It’s so nice to meet you today. How are you doing?
Dean Devlin: I’m good. How are you doing?
AF: I’m doing well. I got to watch eight brand new episodes of ‘The Librarians’ franchise for the first time in several years so that was fun.
Devlin: (Laughs) Well, thanks for watching.
AF: Yeah. I was a late arrival, having not watched the original trilogy until after ‘The Librarians’ premiered in 2014, but I became a quick fan.
Devlin: What was it like seeing the movies after you’d seen the series?
AF: Different. It wasn’t the first time I’ve watched originals before watching a sequel of sorts.
Devlin: Interesting.
AF: What led you to decide to play in the sandbox again?
Devlin: Well, I don’t think I ever wanted to get out of the sandbox. When the opportunity arose to tell a different story within the world of The Library, I jumped at it. To get to be back into that universe is such a gift. You mentioned the movies. The first one was done just over 20 years ago at TNT. To come full circle and be back home again, telling another story within the world of The Library, it’s a real gift.
AF: The series is following a different cast of characters with a librarian out of time. Was there any particular reason in deciding on a librarian out of time?
Devlin: Well, one of the things that I loved doing in the in the original movies was this idea that Flynn Carsen, played by Noah Wiley, had been someone who had spent his adult life in academia. He’d read about everything in the world but had done nothing. When he joins The Library, he’s suddenly for the first time doing things he had only read about. He was, in essence, a fish out of water. So rather than just repeating that idea, we thought, well, what if you took a librarian from 1847, who missed the Industrial Revolution, who missed two world wars, who missed technologies, evolution, and plopped them down today, you’d have another kind of fish out of water, but in a totally different way. That began the idea of this spinoff.
AF: What were you all looking for in casting the series?
Devlin: Well, I always look for two things. One, I look for people who are kind of like jazz musicians, who can really listen to the other actors, play off of them, and get a great rhythm. But I also care a lot about what happens off camera. I don’t care how talented an actor is. If they’re a big egomaniac, it can really ruin the experience for everyone. To find these incredibly dedicated actors who are really genuinely sweet and good people, it makes the entire experience of making this show so pleasurable and I think makes the show better because these relationships that form off camera, they’re expressed on camera through the relationships that develop through their characters.
AF: I loved that Christian Kane makes a cameo this season. Could we possibly see Flynn or other legacy characters make an appearance during Season 2?
Devlin: You may be surprised who shows up in season two.
AF: How many of those scripts have been written?
Devlin: Well, we’re shooting the seventh episode right now of season two. I think they’re only waiting for me to finish writing the finale.
AF: What’s the research process like for a series like this?
Devlin: That’s the most fun because we try to make sure that everything we do is something you can Google. Whether we follow what we traditionally know about something or if we say, oh, actually it deviates this other direction, there should be some anchor. You’ll see in every episode, if you take the time to Google it, you’ll go, oh, my G-d, that really is a real thing. Or that’s based on this thing. We have a lot of fun in the writer’s room with that.
AF: Yeah. I really remember enjoying watching Excalibur during the movies and series.
Devlin: That was a great character.
AF: Aside from moving networks, what was the most challenging aspect in putting the new series together?
Devlin: Well, it’s tough in our business today. There’s ever shrinking budgets. There’s more competition for eyeballs than ever. I keep hearing about shows being canceled in season five that I never even heard of season one. There’s just so much out there. It’s hard to try and do more with less, with less amount of time. It’s really hard to try and do something that can break through the noise of all the different ways that we’re entertained today.
AF: Bob Newhart played a role in the earlier films and recurred during ‘The Librarians.’ What did he bring to the franchise that you’re going to miss the most?
Devlin: Well, Bob was hilarious, first of all. I had the pleasure of doing the only fight scene of his entire career (Laughs), which he thoroughly enjoyed doing. But again, what Bob brought, though, was his experience on camera. But the off-camera conversations that he had with our actors, with our writers, with me, talking about his experiences in the business and telling unbelievable stories, I’m going to miss that the most.
AF: To be a fly on that wall.
Devlin: Well, before we had done the original movies, I didn’t know that Noah Wyle could do comedy. I only knew him from ER. Suddenly, here he is going toe to toe with Bob Newhart and really pulling out some remarkable comedy chops. It was so kind of shocking and stunning, but that began a relationship of Noah and I working together for over 20 years now.
AF: Yeah. And if I read correctly, Electric Entertainment is releasing One Big Happy Family.
Devlin: Yes. The end of this year.
AF: I was just about to ask if a release date’s been announced.
Devlin: Well, we’re working it out. It’s looking like September. But when you have a small independent film, you kind of have to see what the big boys are doing and trying to figure out, well, where can we fit in? But right now it’s looking like September.
AF: What do you hope fans take away from watching this season?
Devlin: I just feel like when you go through the kind of upheaval that we’ve gone through, whether it’s the pandemic or the economic situations or political arguments with family members, I just think the idea of getting to escape for an hour a week is a really valuable thing. I’m hoping that our audience will find the magic, will find the fun, and get to escape to a better place for a little bit.
AF: It’s been such a pleasure to meet you. I’ve enjoyed watching your films and series over the years.
Devlin: When you see it, I’d love to hear what you think of the finale of season one. I’m super proud of that one, too.
AF: I’m waiting for them to send episodes 9-12, unless they’ve already sent them and I missed them come through my inbox.
Devlin: Well, I hope you get to see them. I hope you dig them, and I hope we get a chance to talk soon.
AF: Yeah, me too. Take care.
Devlin: Take care.