ABC Family skipped a traditional upfront in favor of an event that looked more like a pop concert.
After brief introductions from Laura Nathanson, exec VP-ad sales, and Tom Ascheim, president of ABC Family, the network kicked off a live-streamed table reading with the cast of "Pretty Little Liars" ahead of the show's season finale. The goal was to help break a Twitter record -- which wouldn't be a bad way to show buyers how much pull the series has over viewers.
Leading up to the event, the network announced it had renewed comedies "Melissa & Joey" and "Baby Daddy" and greenlit three new drama pilots: "Alice in Arabia," about a rebellious American teenage girl who, after tragedy befalls her parents, is unknowingly kidnapped by her Saudi Arabian extended family; "Recovery Road," based on the young adult novel by Blake Nelson about a teenage girl dealing with addiction; and "Unstrung," which explores the competitive world of professional tennis.
ABC Family already picked up additional seasons of "Pretty Little Liars," "Twisted" and "The Fosters."