ABC Family Greenlights Second Season of Melissa & Joey

BURBANK: A second season of the comedy series Melissa & Joey starring Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence has been picked up by ABC Family to premiere in 2012.

The half-hour series airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. It premiered in the summer of 2010 and is ABC Family’s number one comedy debut ever in total viewers, viewers 12 to 34 and across the 18-to-34 and 18-to-49 demos. The show is currently completing its first season with 18 new episodes rolling out in the summer and fall.

Both Hart, of Sabrina the Teenage Witch fame, and Lawrence, of Blossom, are known for their roles on the ’90s sitcoms.

“Melissa and Joey have proven to be a comedic powerhouse, with wonderful chemistry that has resonated with viewers in the tradition of great television pairings,” said Michael Riley, the president of ABC Family. “As our focus on comedy continues to develop, we’re delighted to see it return next year as an integral part of the network’s expanding slate of original series.”