ABC Family Announces Summer Schedule Featuring New Series, Original Movies and More

Paul Lee, president, ABC Family, today announced the network’s summer 2010 schedule. The network’s programming slate includes three new original series, returning hits, original movies and blockbuster theatrical acquisitions. The network finished 2009 as its best year on record.

“ABC Family has truly become a factory for great Millennial storytelling,” said Lee. “We’re so proud of our three summer launches, ‘Pretty Little Liars,’ ‘Huge’ and ‘Melissa & Joey,’ and we think they’ll make the perfect complement to our returning hits ‘The Secret Life of the American Teenager’ and ‘Make It or Break’.”

“Pretty Little Liars” follows four estranged best friends who are reunited one year after their best friend and queen bee of the group, Alison, goes missing – only to discover they’re receiving messages from an anonymous “A” who knows all their secrets. The drama stars Lucy Hale (“Privileged”) as Aria, Troian Bellisario (“Navy NCIS”) as Spencer, Ashley Benson (“Eastwick”) as Hanna, Shay Mitchell as Emily and Sasha Pieterse (“Heroes”) as Alison. Also starring are Laura Leighton (“Melrose Place”), Bianca Lawson (“The Vampire Diaries”) and Ian Harding (“NCIS: Los Angeles”). Produced by Alloy Entertainment in association with Warner Horizon Television.

I. Marlene King (“If These Walls Could Talk”), Oliver Goldstick (“Lipstick Jungle,” “Desperate Housewives”), and Leslie Morgenstein and Bob Levy (“Gossip Girl,” “The Vampire Diaries”) are executive-producing.  The series is based on Alloy Entertainment’s popular young adult book series written by Sara Shepard. “Pretty Little Liars” premieres on Tuesday, June 8 at 8:00PM ET/PT.

“Huge” is being developed by Winnie Holzman (“Wicked,” “My So-Called Life,” “Once & Again”) and daughter Savannah Dooley. Funny, heartbreaking and provocative, “Huge” follows the lives of seven teens and the staff at a weight-loss camp, as they look beneath the surface to discover their true selves and the truth about each other. The series stars Nikki Blonsky (“Hairspray”), Andrew Caldwell, Zander Eckhouse, Harvey Guillen, Ari Stidham, Ashley Holliday and Hayley Hasselhoff. Holzman will be executive producer on the premiere episode, and will serve as consultant for the remainder of the episodes. Dooley will serve as producer on the series. Kim Rozenfeld (“American High”), and Alloy Entertainment’s Leslie Morgenstein and Bob Levy (“Gossip Girl,” “The Vampire Diaries”), will serve as executive producers; Robin Schiff (“Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion” and ABC Family’s “10 Things I Hate About You”) will serve as a consulting producer. The series is based on the Alloy Entertainment book written by Sasha Paley. “Huge” premieres Monday, June 28 at 9:00PM ET/PT.

“Melissa & Joey,” a half-hour multi-cam comedy with Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence executive producing and starring, finds Hart portraying Mel, the grown-up former wild child of a political family who is now a local politician herself. When her sister ends up in prison and her brother-in-law flees after a scandal hits, Mel must take responsibility for her teenaged niece, Lennox, and pre-adolescent nephew, Ryder. With Mel spread too thin to manage by herself, help comes in the unlikely form of Joe (Lawrence) who, desperate for a job, moves in and becomes the family’s “manny.” David Kendall & Bob Young are executive producers and writers. Paula Hart also serves as executive producer. “Melissa & Joey” will premiere in August 2010 (Date TBA).

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