ABC Family gives 'Liars' 12 more episodes

By Anthony Crupi, Mediaweek

Three episodes into its premiere run, "Pretty Little Liars" has earned itself a 12-episode extension, bringing its total first-season order to 22 hours.

ABC Family had positioned "Liars" as the centerpiece of its spring upfront presentations, and the network’s confidence in the series appears to have paid off. Per Nielsen, the latest installment (June 22) of the show delivered 2.74 million viewers, an improvement of 11 percent from the 2.47 million viewers who tuned in for the premiere.

"Liars" also has built on its already significant demos, averaging 1.33 million viewers 18-49 last Tuesday, topping its debut delivery by 20 percent. The younger set also continues to flock to the series, as ABC Family set a high-water mark with episode No. 3, drawing 1.84 million viewers 12-34 (up 6 percent from the June 8 premiere) and 1.58 million females 12-34 (up 5 percent).

“'Pretty Little Liars' is a breakout hit for the network,” said Kate Juergens, executive vp, original programming & development, ABC Family, by way of announcing the order. “We’re thrilled that our Millennial viewers have responded so strongly to the show. It’s a perfect fit with the network’s strong slate of original scripted dramas.”

Based on a series of bestselling young-adult novels, "Pretty Little Liars" stars Lucy Hale, Troian Bellisario, Ashley Benson and Shay Mitchell.