ABC Family Ramps Up Original Programming

BURBANK: ABC Family has unveiled its new original programming slate, which includes the recently greenlit comedy series Baby Daddy, among others.

The reality series Beverly Hills Nannies has been added to the channel’s slate, along with a fifth season of The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Beverly Hills Nannies is a docu-series that follows the lives of a group of nannies working for wealthy families. It is produced by Evolution Media (The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, The Real Housewives of Orange County). Actresses Tori Spelling and Tia Mowry have been tapped to star in The Mistle-Tones, a holiday movie that begins production in Utah this month. ABC Family originals Pretty Little Liars and Switched at Birth will return to the lineup.

Baby Daddy, the network’s highest-testing comedy pilot ever, from executive producer Dan Berendsen (The Nine Lives of Chloe King, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Hannah Montana: The Movie), stars Chelsea Kane (Dancing with the Stars), Tahj Mowry (The Game) and Derek Theler (90210). The half-hour series is about a young man who becomes a father to a baby girl when she’s left on his doorstep by an ex-girlfriend.

“We’re very proud of our deep bench of original content successfully built out over eight years of exceptional growth,” said Michael Riley, the president of ABC Family. “This summer, we’re excited to continue to expand our content across key genres adding another season to our groundbreaking drama Secret Life, wonderful comedy and a return to reality programming as we continue to innovate with our ABC Family brand.”

Kate Juergens, the executive VP of original programming and development at ABC Family, added, “Our lineup continues to resonate with our audience and we believe that the new programming will become strong additions to our slate. This new crop of shows blends nicely with our current schedule and will continue to deliver on our promise to create shows that our fans find engaging, optimistic and relatable.”