Pretty Little Liars, Ravenswood and Switched at Birth are some of our favorite shows today, but looking deeper, it’s cool to see how ABC Family has evolved as a network. Twitter, Facebook and the rise of celebrity have contributed to the awesomeness that is ABC Fam. Where would we be without Ashley Benson’s rad Instagram posts and ever-changing boyfriends?
One of the earliest shows on ABC Family was State of Grace. The show was one of the first to bring new genres and storylines into the living rooms of families all over. Already an Academy Award winner for her role in Fargo, Frances McDormand, who voiced Hannah in State of Grace, went on to wow us with her acting chops in Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day among other projects.
From 2005 to 2008, viewers of ABC Family were treated to another great show titled Wildfire. After four seasons, Wildfire was cancelled and the network moved to more high concept material. Although we love a good rerun, the show didn’t catch on like some of the other programs on the network. Maybe the lack of social media presence at the time contributed, but ABC Family continued on and definitely made a mark with Kyle XY.
As supernatural genre shows came to more networks, ABC Family came on the scene with this strange new show, Kyle XY. Star and major cutie Matt Dallas has always been one of our favorites. Matt has continued beyond his Kyle XY fame with a strong presence on Twitter and social media. He recently connected with KickStarter and his company, Astoria Entertainment, to crowd-fund a film he plans to act in, called Thunder Road. Dallas announced his engagement to boyfriend, Blue Hamilton, last New Year’s via Twitter. @MattDallas…We approve!
The channel then moved to Lincoln Heights. It was one of the more traditional dramas, and paved the road for shows to come later, such as The Fosters. A mix of cop drama and the Cosby Show, Lincoln Heights tested the waters with complex storylines involving race, family and workplace conflict. It was a new direction for ABC Family and we liked it!
Greek came along and tested some even riskier content for the network. Greek was one of the biggest ABC Family hits at the time it came out, blowing away previous network ratings. After the series was over, fans were able to head to iTunes for the extended director’s cut of the finale episode. It runs five minutes longer than the broadcast version and has two additional scenes, including one in which Evan and Cappie (finally) make amends. The extended versions were later seen on Netflix, and helped the show to live on through the internet. Did you catch the alternate endings? We loved seeing E and C make nice!
The Secret Life of the American Teenager was a game changer in terms of pushing boundaries and discussing topics like teen pregnancy for ABC Fam. Although we loved the show, the finale was not our favorite. I bet we weren’t alone because all over Twitter and Facebook, fans wondered why the show wasn’t wrapped up better. Did Amy move to New York for Ben? We’ll have to rely on our imagination for this one.
ABC Family has continued its success with new shows that easily bring in viewers and wow audiences. Baby Daddy is a series with an awesome cast—one of our favorites stars on the show is Chelsea Kane. You’ve seen her on One Tree Hill and Jonas L.A., but she totally won us over on Dancing with the Stars. She even made it to the finale and had the twitter-sphere cheering her on.
Of course, Pretty Little Liars has been an enormous success for ABC Fam. It was picked up for a fifth season and inspired a hit spinoff, Ravenswood. The ratings success of the first 10 PLL episodes even prompted the book series to be extended beyond the initial eight novels. We totally think PLL has been ABC Fam’s biggest victory to date. With tabloids documenting Shay Mitchell and Ashley Benson’s every move, fans can follow their favorite girls on and off the screen. Ashley Benson has really taken off in social media, especially on Twitter and Instagram. She loves to change her style (looking fabulous everyday) and we love to watch her do it! It’s no wonder her show is such a hit.
Ravenswood, following in PLL’s footsteps, has captured the hearts of many. The ratings are good and the characters are fascinating. We look forward to more from this creepy new show because it has the PLL seal of approval, and you know how we love our girls!
Another new show from ABC Family is The Fosters, which pushes new boundaries for the network and has been met with much acclaim. The first 10 episodes are now available on ABCFamily.com so if you haven’t checked it out, you know where to go tonight. Grab your popcorn because you won’t be able to stop for a break!
ABC Family continues to set the bar high with content that viewers are eager to tune in for. We at YAMag have been loyal fans from the start. What’s your favorite show on the network and which original show do you think they should revive? Leave us your comments below! Or tweet us with #YAlovesABCFam
Happy Watching!
One of the earliest shows on ABC Family was State of Grace. The show was one of the first to bring new genres and storylines into the living rooms of families all over. Already an Academy Award winner for her role in Fargo, Frances McDormand, who voiced Hannah in State of Grace, went on to wow us with her acting chops in Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day among other projects. 
From 2005 to 2008, viewers of ABC Family were treated to another great show titled Wildfire. After four seasons, Wildfire was cancelled and the network moved to more high concept material. Although we love a good rerun, the show didn’t catch on like some of the other programs on the network. Maybe the lack of social media presence at the time contributed, but ABC Family continued on and definitely made a mark with Kyle XY.
As supernatural genre shows came to more networks, ABC Family came on the scene with this strange new show, Kyle XY. Star and major cutie Matt Dallas has always been one of our favorites. Matt has continued beyond his Kyle XY fame with a strong presence on Twitter and social media. He recently connected with KickStarter and his company, Astoria Entertainment, to crowd-fund a film he plans to act in, called Thunder Road. Dallas announced his engagement to boyfriend, Blue Hamilton, last New Year’s via Twitter. @MattDallas…We approve!
The channel then moved to Lincoln Heights. It was one of the more traditional dramas, and paved the road for shows to come later, such as The Fosters. A mix of cop drama and the Cosby Show, Lincoln Heights tested the waters with complex storylines involving race, family and workplace conflict. It was a new direction for ABC Family and we liked it!
Greek came along and tested some even riskier content for the network. Greek was one of the biggest ABC Family hits at the time it came out, blowing away previous network ratings. After the series was over, fans were able to head to iTunes for the extended director’s cut of the finale episode. It runs five minutes longer than the broadcast version and has two additional scenes, including one in which Evan and Cappie (finally) make amends. The extended versions were later seen on Netflix, and helped the show to live on through the internet. Did you catch the alternate endings? We loved seeing E and C make nice!
The Secret Life of the American Teenager was a game changer in terms of pushing boundaries and discussing topics like teen pregnancy for ABC Fam. Although we loved the show, the finale was not our favorite. I bet we weren’t alone because all over Twitter and Facebook, fans wondered why the show wasn’t wrapped up better. Did Amy move to New York for Ben? We’ll have to rely on our imagination for this one.
ABC Family has continued its success with new shows that easily bring in viewers and wow audiences. Baby Daddy is a series with an awesome cast—one of our favorites stars on the show is 
Of course, Pretty Little Liars has been an enormous success for ABC Fam. It was picked up for a fifth season and inspired a hit spinoff, Ravenswood. The ratings success of the first 10 PLL episodes even prompted the book series to be extended beyond the initial eight novels. We totally think PLL has been ABC Fam’s biggest victory to date. With tabloids documenting Shay Mitchell and Ashley Benson’s every move, fans can follow their favorite girls on and off the screen. Ashley Benson has really taken off in social media, especially on Twitter and Instagram. She loves to change her style (looking fabulous everyday) and we love to watch her do it! It’s no wonder her show is such a hit.
Ravenswood, following in PLL’s footsteps, has captured the hearts of many. The ratings are good and the characters are fascinating. We look forward to more from this creepy new show because it has the PLL seal of approval, and you know how we love our girls!
Another new show from ABC Family is The Fosters, which pushes new boundaries for the network and has been met with much acclaim. The first 10 episodes are now available on ABCFamily.com so if you haven’t checked it out, you know where to go tonight. Grab your popcorn because you won’t be able to stop for a break!