CW picks up '61st Street' after AMC cancellation

May 12 (UPI) -- The CW announced Friday that it has picked up the drama 61st Street. The broadcaster will air the first season before premiering the all new second season.

61st Street first aired on AMC. The cable network originally commissioned a second season but canceled the show in January after Season 2 had already wrapped.

CW is calling 61st Street a "two-season television event," indicating that while Season 2 has found a home, they are not producing a third.

Courtney B. Vance starred as a Chicago public defender fighting for his clients in the legal system. Aunjanue Ellis plays his wife.

Tosin Cole plays Moses Johnson, a high school athlete falsely arrested by police.

"I'm thrilled that The CW has enthusiastically given all 16 episodes of 61st Street a network home," Vance said in a statement. "With The CW, I'm confident that we will engage a universe of viewers who will celebrate the series with us."

CW will air Season 1 in the fall. With the Writers Guild of America striking over the summer, new shows are unlikely to be ready in time for fall, so 61st Street can fill that gap.

Season 2 will premiere in 2024.