ABC Family Orders Full Season of Switched at Birth

BURBANK: Switched at Birth, which premiered on ABC Family in June with a 10-episode order, has been given a back-season order for 22 episodes to return in 2012.

Switched at Birth ranks among cable’s top five original scripted series during prime time for viewers 12 to 34 and females 12 to 34. It was recently honored as the recipient of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists’s 2011 American Scene Crystal Award and nominated by the Teen Choice Awards in the Choice Summer TV Show category.

The series is about the story of two teen girls who discover they were accidentally switched at birth in the hospital. One grew up in a wealthy family with two parents and a brother and the other, who lost her hearing as a child due to meningitis, grew up with a single mother in a working-class neighborhood.

“Viewers have fallen in love with this show, just as we did when we first saw it,” said Michael Riley, the president of ABC Family. “We set out this year to bring viewers more original content than ever before, all with the trademarks of our bright, authentic, quality storytelling. We’re so thrilled to see this series become a break-out hit this summer and become a key component of our programming lineup into next year.”

“Everything about this ground-breaking show speaks to our Millennial viewers,” added Kate Juergens, the executive VP of original programming and development at ABC Family. “It has heart, humor, drama and an incredible cast that has brought beautifully nuanced performances to every role. To see it resonate so deeply with audiences is just fantastic.”