Moms everywhere, set the DVR. It’s time for some life lessons!
ABC Family just announced it’s bringing three new pilots to its lineup this fall, and they’re all very ABC Family-esque — a teen superhero fantasy, a mistaken identity drama, and a cheerleading drama.
Network president Michael Riley announced the plans yesterday, saying the initiative was part of ABC Family’s effort to create more original series like Pretty Little Liars and The Secret Life of the American Teenager, both of which have enjoyed lucrative ratings.
“ABC Family is coming off another summer of record ratings … Adding depth to the network’s original programming slate is one of our biggest priorities going into next year,” he said.
The Nine Lives of Chloe King is based on the young-adult novel by Celia Thompson and will be written and produced by Dan Berendsen. It’s about a girl who realizes she’s part of an ancient race with super powers. (Half human and half cat?)
Switched at Birth is an hourlong drama about just that — getting switched at birth. And more specifically — two teens who were swapped at the maternity board. Lizzy Weiss serves as executive producer and writer.
The third is called Strut — another hourlong drama about a former showgirl who works with a high school dance team in Texas. Lamar Damon is head writer.
Each show should will probably last a season, but the one with most promise is definitely Chloe King. Superpowers? Teenage drama? Moral problems? It’s everything any ABC Family enthusiast could ever want. Switched at Birth treads territory previously explored by the Olsen twins and Taylor Lautner is shooting his similarly themed film Abduction as we speak, which could make the drama seem awfully stale by the time the show hits American homes. Strut sounds like it could be worthwhile but it needs an edge and I doubt that it’ll find it on ABC Family. But it’ll still be better than Showgirls…
Source: The Wrap
