ABC Family summer programming? Yes, please!

Photo Credit: ABC Family.

As a lot of your favorite shows are ending, don’t despair, because there is going to be a lot of fun programming on TV this summer.  As a fan of Greek and Pretty Little Liars, I am especially excited for the new shows set to air on ABC Family this summer.  Unfortunately, none of the show trailers were embeddable, so click on the links in pink where indicated, in order to watch the promos on YouTube.  First up, Switched at Birth is scheduled to premiere on Monday June 6th at 9/8c.  ABC Family offers the following description of the new series:

“Switched at Birth, a one-hour scripted drama, tells the story of two teenage girls who discover they were accidentally switched as newborns in the hospital. Bay Kennish grew up in a wealthy family with two parents and a brother, while Daphne Vasquez, who lost her hearing at an early age due to a case of meningitis, grew up with a single mother in a working-class neighborhood. Things come to a dramatic head when both families meet and struggle to learn how to live together for the sake of the girls.”

It all reminds me of that Veronica Mars episode, when we learned that Mac and Madison Sinclair had been switched at birth.  Could be good stuff.

Switched at Birth stars Vanessa Marano (April Narducci from Gilmore Girls) as Bay Kennish; Lea Thompson (yes, that Lea Thompson from the all time classic Back to the Future) as her mom, Kathryn Kennish; D.W. Moffett as Bay’s father, John Kennish (Joe McCoy, aka “the biggest jerk ever,” in Friday Night Lights); newcomer Katie Leclerc as Daphne Vasquez; Constance Marie (Angie Lopez from George Lopez) as Daphne’s mother; and Lucas Grabeel (he recently played Connor Kent in Smallville) as Toby Kennish, Bay’s brother.  It sounds like an interesting combination.  I will try not to let April Narducci and Joe McCoy color my impressions of the Kennish family, but no promises.  I’m certainly intrigued, and will be tuning in for the premiere.  You can watch promos for the show here and here.

Photo Credit: ABC Family.

On Tuesday, June 14th at 8/7c, season 2 of Pretty Little Liars premieres.  I’m waaaay too excited for this one, you guys.  After that crazy finale, what will happen next in Rosewood?  Is [name redacted for fear of spoilers] really dead?  If so, who moved his body?  Who is “A”?  And what will happen to Hanna, Aria, Spencer, and Emily next?  Will Spencer escape suspicion for her Allison’s murder?  Who will be the next suspect?  And what is Jenna’s playing at?  I love all the little mysteries.  There’s a little promo for the show here.  Before the premiere, ABC Family will be airing a marathon, so double check your local listings if you want to play catch-up.  Also, in case you missed them, my sister Francesca and I recorded three podcasts on Pretty Little Liars, which can be found here, here, and here.

Photo Credit: ABC Family.

After you finish Pretty Little Liars, you can tune into The Nine Lives of Chloe King, premiering Tuesday, June 14th at 9/8c.  This new one hour drama is based on the book series The Nine Lives of Chloe King by Liz Braswell (a.k.a. Celia Thomson).  The series will star Skyler Samuels as Chloe King.  I enjoyed her as Andie Bates on The Gates last summer, where she played a succubus.  Sadly that show was canceled (I know, I am one of only a handful of people who was disappointed by that cancellation), but now Samuels will play another supernatural character.  ABC Family provides the following description:

“In the one-hour scripted drama The Nine Lives of Chloe King, Chloe King is looking forward to celebrating her birthday with her friends and single mother, just like every other year… that is until she starts developing heightened abilities and discovers she’s being pursued by a mysterious figure. Chloe soon learns she’s part of an ancient race which has been hunted by human assassins for millennia —and that she may be their only hope for ultimate survival.”

From the title and the claws in the preview,  it seems that this “ancient race” has some feline qualities.  I guess there are worse things to discover on your 16th birthday than the fact that you are Catwoman-esque.  Still, it looks like this reveal comes with a great deal of peril.  Intriguing.  According to the ABC Family site, the show also stars Amy Pietz (The Office, Caroline in the City) as Chloe’s mom, Meredith King; Grey Damon (True Blood, Friday Night Lights) as Brian; Grace Phipps as Amy; Benjamin Stone (10 Things I Hate About You) as Alek; Alyssa Diaz (Southland) as Jasmine; and Ki Hong Lee (The Secret Life as the American Teenager) as Paul.  Other than Skyler Samuels, the only actor with whom I’m familiar is Grey Damon.  However, he didn’t really have a chance to do much during his brief run on Friday Night Lights, so I don’t really have a strong opinion of him either way.  Here’s hoping for an addictive new supernatural drama.  You can watch previews here and here.