‘Pretty Little Liars’ Picked Up for Third Season; New Episodes Begin January 2

Michael Riley, president ABC Family, announced today that the network has picked up a third season of its hit original series “Pretty Little Liars.” The all new season will consist of 24 one-hour episodes that will start to air mid 2012. “Pretty Little Liars” is set to return on ABC Family with the rest of season two on Monday, January 2nd at 8:00 pm ET/PT.

Since “Pretty Little Liars” premiered on ABC Family in June 2010, the show has been a ratings success and is currently ABC Family’s top rated original series among P12-34 and F12-34. “Pretty Little Liars” was the #1 scripted original series on cable this summer among P12-34 and F12-34, and led its Tuesday 8-9 PM hour, ranking #1 across key persons and female targets versus all basic cable nets (18-34, 18-49 and 12-34).

The January premiere of “Pretty Little Liars,” entitled “Through Many Dangers, Toils and Snares,” picks up a month later in the town of Rosewood after the four Liars were caught by police and a lot has changed in Rosewood and with the girls. No longer the mighty four best friends, the Liars are at each others’ throats and Emily has been iced out completely. But what could have divided them so severely? Has “A” finally won the game of divide and conquer? With Emily now truly on her own, is she ripe for “A’s” picking?

“Pretty Little Liars” is produced by Alloy Entertainment in association with Warner Horizon Television and is executive produced by I. Marlene King, Oliver Goldstick and Leslie Morgenstein. The series stars Troian Bellisario, Ashley Benson, Holly Marie Combs, Lucy Hale, Ian Harding, Laura Leighton, Chad Lowe, Shay Mitchell and Sasha Pieterse.

ABC Family Orders Additional Episodes of ‘Pretty Little Liars’

ABC Family has ordered 12 additional episodes of the network’s hit one-hour series, “Pretty Little Liars,” announced Kate Juergens, Executive Vice President, Original Programming & Development. The order will bring the show’s first season to a total of 22 episodes.

“‘Pretty Little Liars’ is a break-out hit for the network,” said Juergens. “We’re thrilled that our Millennial viewers have responded so strongly to the show. It’s a perfect fit with the network’s strong slate of original scripted dramas, including ‘The Secret Life of the American Teenager’ and ‘Make It or Break It.’”

Based on the bestselling Harper Teen novels by Sara Shepard and produced by Alloy Entertainment in association with Warner Horizon Television, the scripted hour-long series stars Troian Bellisario, Ashley Benson, Holly Marie Combs, Lucy Hale, Ian Harding, Bianca Lawson, Laura Leighton, Chad Lowe, Shay Mitchell and Sasha Pieterse.

Set one year after the disappearance of Alison (Pieterse), the manipulative and vindictive queen bee of the group, the series revolves around four 16-year-old girlfriends — Aria (Hale), Spencer (Bellisario), Hanna (Benson), and Emily (Mitchell) — who have lost touch with one another until each begins to receive mysterious messages suggesting that Alison is watching them. Linked by their former bond and the panic and confusion the enigmatic messages cause, the friends are suddenly reunited, though each girl has her own secrets – secrets she wants no one else to know.

One of cable’s biggest breakout hits of summer, “Pretty Little Liars” launched as ABC Family’s No. 1 series debut ever in Adults 18-34 (837,000), Women 18-34 (657,000), Viewers 12-34 (1.7 million), Females 12-34 (1.5 million), Teens (904,000) and Female Teens (853,000). “Pretty Little Liars” posted its most-watched episode yet last week (June 22) in Total Viewers (2.7 million), and delivered series highs in key targets, including core 18-49, 18-34 and 12-34 demos. Three episodes in, “Pretty Little Liars” is already Tuesday’s No. 1 TV program in Females Teens (803,000) and Tuesday’s No. 1 cable program in Teens (883,000), Viewers 12-34 (1.7 million) and Females 12-34 (1.5 million). It is easily the top cable program in Tuesday’s 8 o’clock hour among core 18-49, 18-34, 12-34 demos, Teens and Female Teens, besting runner-up USA by 43% in Adults 18-49 (1.2 million vs. 837,000) and by 90% in Adults 18-34 (843,000 vs. 444,000).

“Pretty Little Liars” is executive-produced by I. Marlene King (“Just My Luck,” “If These Walls Could Talk”), Oliver Goldstick (“Lipstick Jungle,” “Ugly Betty”) and Leslie Morgenstein (“Gossip Girl,” “The Vampire Diaries”).

Source: Nielsen Media Research (National Ratings, 6/8/10-6/22/10, Live + SD).