After an initial order of 10 episodes, ABC Family ordered an additional 12 episodes on June 28, 2010. The ratings success of the first 10 episodes prompted the book series to be extended beyond the initial eight novels.[3] The series premiered to mixed reviews from critics, but garnered positive reception from critics during subsequent seasons, with the acting and tone garnering particular praise, while the series'plot holes were scrutinized. It was a worldwide viewership success, garnering a largefandom. Theseries finale was viewed by an estimated 1.41 million viewers. It had the second-highest rating of any cable television series that aired that night but received a lukewarm reception from both critics and audiences.[4]
Aria Montgomery,Emily Fields,Hanna Marin andSpencer Hastings are four former best friends who reunite one year after the disappearance of their clique leader,Alison DiLaurentis, and begin receiving threatening messages from a mysterious person who identifies themself as "A" and is aware of the mistakes, lies and secrets they have collected before and after their clique fell apart. Throughout the series' course, several elements from the night Alison disappeared are revealed, which help the protagonists understand what happened to their friend and how "A" came up. Moving forward, after the original "A" is revealed five years later the identity is taken over by other antagonists, prompting new storylines and challenges.
Chad Lowe asByron Montgomery (seasons 1–3; recurring, seasons 4 and 6; guest, seasons 5 and 7) - Aria's father who is an English university lecturer
Shay Mitchell asEmily Fields - the heart of the group, who comes out as gay in series one, she is a competitive swimmer in school and later is a coach
Nia Peeples asPam Fields (season 1; recurring, seasons 2–4 and 6; guest, seasons 5 and 7) - Emily's mother
Sasha Pieterse asAlison DiLaurentis - the focus mystery of the show, who goes missing a year before the series begins, she is known for her bullying and manipulative tendencies
Tyler Blackburn asCaleb Rivers (seasons 3–7; recurring, seasons 1–2) - Hannah's, and briefly Spencer's, love interest, and later Hannah's husband, who is adept at computers and cyber hacking
Janel Parrish asMona Vanderwaal (seasons 3–7; recurring, seasons 1–2) - Hannah's best friend who used to be bullied by Alison before her disappearance, she is very smart
Andrea Parker asMary Drake - Alison's aunt (season 7; guest, seasons 4 and 6) andJessica DiLaurentis - Alison's mother (guest, season 2; recurring, seasons 4–7) - they are identical twins
ThePretty Little Liars series of novels was first published in October 2006 and comprises 18 books, divided into four arcs and companion stories.[14] The project was given to authorSara Shepard bybook packaging companyAlloy Entertainment following the conception of the idea of a "Desperate Housewives for teens". Shepard was chosen due to her having grown up in a town similar to the fictional Rosewood, where the series take place, and her online presence.[15] The television adaptation was first planned forThe WB until the network shut down in 2006.[16][better source needed] Apilot forABC Family was announced in June 2008,[15] withI. Marlene King serving as the series' developer andshowrunner. The viewership success of the first 10 episodes prompted ABC Family to order 12 additional episodes, finishing thefirst season with 22 installments.[17] It also led Alloy Entertainment to extend the novel series beyond its original foreseen count of eight books.[18]
Asecond season was unveiled by ABC Family on January 10, 2011.[19] In June, the network announced that its13 Nights of Halloween lineup would include aHalloween-themedPretty Little Liarsflashback episode, bringing the second-season episode count from 24 to 25.[20] In December of that year, it was announced that the identity of "A" would be revealed in the second season's finale, which took place on March 19, 2012.[21][22] The series'third season was confirmed in November 2011[23] and broadcast between June 5, 2012 and March 19, 2013, consisting of 24 episodes.
The series was renewed for afourth season in October 2012.[24] It was broadcast between June 11, 2013, and March 18, 2014. Thefifth season was commissioned in March 2013, alongside the announcement of the spin-off seriesRavenswood,[25] and consisted of 25 episodes, including aChristmas-themed one.[26][27] The special episode aired as part of the network's25 Days of Christmas annual event.[28] The season also included the series'100th episode, which was celebrated by cast and crew in a private party on June 2, 2015.[29] Before the season premiered, ABC Family renewed the series for two additional seasons of 20 episodes each, making it the network's longest running original series.[30][31][32]
Thesixth season was broadcast between June 2, 2015, and March 15, 2016. It did not include a holiday-themed episode and introduced a new opening sequence for the series.[33][34] Theseventh and final season was broadcast between June 21, 2016, and June 27, 2017. It marked the return ofCharlie Craig, who worked on the second season, as executive producer and co-showrunner.[35] The series' ending was confirmed by I. Marlene King and the main cast in August 2016, with the series finale being a two-hour event followed by a tell-all special with cast and crew.[36][37][38]
Casting forPretty Little Liars began in October 2009,[16] with Gayle Pillsbury and Bonnie Zane as casting directors.Lucy Hale,Troian Bellisario andIan Harding were respectively cast as Aria Montgomery, Spencer Hastings and Ezra Fitz in November.[39] The following month, the cast addedAshley Benson as Hanna Marin,Shay Mitchell as Emily Fields,Laura Leighton as Ashley Marin,Nia Peeples as Pam Fields,Roark Critchlow as Tom Marin,Bianca Lawson as Maya,Alexis Denisof as Byron Montgomery andJean Louisa Kelly as a mother, withTorrey DeVitto andSasha Pieterse in undisclosed recurring roles.[40][41] Mitchell originally auditioned for the role of Spencer, but was suggested by the production crew to try Emily out, to whom she felt more connected.[42] Louisa Kelly's appearance in the series did not materialize.[43] In January 2010, Alloy Entertainment's website confirmed that Pieterse would portray Alison DiLaurentis and DeVitto would portray Melissa Hastings, and announced the casting ofJanel Parrish as Mona Vanderwaal and Igor Hudacek as Mike Montgomery;[44][45]Cody Christian later replaced Hudacek. In April,Chad Lowe replaced Denisof in the role of Byron,[46] whileHolly Marie Combs joined the cast as Aria's mother, Ella.[47]
Two actors were replaced following the pilot episode:Keegan Allen replaced James Neate as Toby Cavanaugh andRyan Merriman replaced Carlo Marks as Ian Thomas. After the first season was broadcast, three other roles received new actors:Andrea Parker took over Jessica DiLaurentis fromAnne Marie DeLuise,Drew Van Acker took over Jason DiLaurentis from Parker Bagley, andNatalie Hall took over Kate Randall from Natalie Floyd. Parker's casting for the second season was announced in April 2011.[48] That month,Annabeth Gish joined the cast as Anne Sullivan, a therapist hired by the girls' parents to help them.[49] Also during the second season, Lawson had a minor starring role, being only credited in the episodes she appeared in. For the third season,Tyler Blackburn and Parrish were promoted to the series' starring cast following their recurring appearances.[50][51] Blackburn left the cast in the fourteenth episode of the fourth season to star inRavenswood and returned in the fifth episode of the fifth season.[52][53]
The series' pilot was filmed inVancouver in December 2009.[1] Filming for the series moved toLos Angeles from the second episode onward.[54] TheWarner Bros. studio and backlot inBurbank, near Los Angeles, were also used.[55] Filming for the second season wrapped on December 16, 2011.[56] In June 2012, the series was among projects selected for a Californiatax credit.[57] Filming for the fourth season wrapped on November 2, 2013.[58] The fifth season was filmed between March 24 and November 20, 2014.[59][60] Filming for the sixth season began on March 24, 2015.[61] Production for the seventh season commenced on February 1, 2016,[62][63] while filming took place between March and October 2016.[64]
To promote the series' third and fifth seasons respectively, American singerZZ Ward releasedPretty Little Liars-themed music videos for her songs "Til the Casket Drops" and "Last Love Song", included on debut studio album,Til the Casket Drops (2012).[69][70]
Pretty Little Liars premiered on June 8, 2010, in the United States, becoming ABC Family's highest-rated series debut on record across the network's targetdemographics.[93] It ranked number one in key 12–34 demos and teens, becoming the number-one scripted show in Women 18–34, and Women 18–49. The premiere was number two in the hour for total viewers, which generated 2.47 million unique viewers, and was ABC Family's best delivery in the time slot since the premiere ofThe Secret Life of the American Teenager.[citation needed]
The second episode retained 100% of its premiere audience with 2.48 million viewers, despite the usual downward trend following a premiere of a show, and built on its premiere audience. It was the dominant number one of its time slot in Adults 18–49, and the number one show in female teens.[94] Subsequent episodes fluctuated between 2.09 and 2.74 million viewers.[95][96] The August 10, 2010, "Summer Finale" episode drew an impressive 3.07 million viewers.
On June 28, 2010, ABC Family ordered 12 more episodes of the show, bringing its total first-season order to 22.[97] On January 10, 2011, ABC Family picked the show up for a second season that premiered on June 14, 2011. During the summer of 2011,Pretty Little Liars was basic cable's top scripted series in women aged 18–34 and viewers 12–34.[98][99] The second half of season 2 aired on Mondays at 8/7c, beginning on January 2, 2012.[100]
On November 29, 2011, ABC Family renewed the show for a third season, which consisted of 24 episodes.[101][102] On October 4, 2012, ABC Family announced that the show was renewed for a fourth season, again comprising 24 episodes.[103] The second half of the third season began airing on January 8, 2013, and finished on March 19, 2013.Pretty Little Liars returned for Season 4 on June 11, 2013. On March 26, 2013, it was again announced thatPretty Little Liars had been renewed for a fifth season scheduled for a 2014 air date and a new spin off show entitledRavenswood would begin airing after the season four annual Halloween special in October 2013.[104] The second half of season four premiered on January 7, 2014.[105] It was announced on June 10, 2014, thatPretty Little Liars was renewed for two seasons, making the show ABC Family's longest running original hit series.[106] On August 29, 2016, I. Marlene King announced thatPretty Little Liars would be ending after the seventh season had aired. The second half of the seventh season began airing in April compared to January in the previous season.[36]
Pretty Little Liars was called one of the most spectacular new shows of summer 2010 thanks to heavy promotion by ABC Family, including "spicy promos and hot posters".[107] ABC Family encouraged fans to host a "Pretty Little Premiere Party" for the show by sending the first respondents a fan kit,[108] and selected applicants to become part of an interactive "Secret Keeper Game" played withiPhones provided by the network.[109] The show's officialFacebook andTwitter accounts also promoted special fan features, including a "Pretty Little Lie Detector".[110] Los Angeles department storeKitson showcased the show in their shop window.[111]
Atie-in edition featuring the Season 1 poster and logo of the 2006 first novel in thePretty Little Liars series was released on the date of the show's premiere,[112] as was the final book of the original book series, "Wanted".[113] "Wanted" later decidedly became the eighth book of the series, as Shepard later confirmed she would extend the series. A TV tie-in of the second book "Flawless" featuring an altered Season 3 poster was released on December 28, 2012. Another book titledThe Amateurs (2016), was written by Shepard is appeared in a local book store scene from the seventh season episode "The Talented Mr. Rollins", was aired on July 5, 2016.[114]
Janel Parrish received widespread critical acclaim and accolades for her performance as Mona Vanderwaal, with critics noting her ability to navigate her character's complex psyche and pathos.
Pretty Little Liars opened with mixed reviews.Metacritic gave the pilot episode 54 out of 100, based upon 14 critical reviews.[123] The New YorkDaily News gave the show a positive review, commenting that it "makes most popular vampire romances look anemic", while concluding, "Pretty Little Liars could go in several directions, including mundane teen clichés. It's got an equally good shot at making us care about these imperfect pretty girls."[124] A writer on Terror Hook has stated that " 'Pretty Little Liars' gets off to a very promising start. Great production all around, the writing keeps the viewer on their toes, and the acting just reinforces it. The overall mystery of the show in the end is dark and unpredictable, even stepping into the slasher film realm."[125] TheNew York Post gave the show three out of five stars, stating, "OK, so we've established that there is no socially redeeming value in this series and that your kids shouldn't watch it if they are too young and impressionable. But if you can distract them enough to miss the first 15 minutes, the show isn't half-bad. Actually, it is half-good, if that makes sense."[126] TheLos Angeles Times wrote that the series is "one of those shows that manages to mildly, and perhaps unintentionally, spoof its genre while fully participating in it, and that's not a bad thing at all."[127]
Entertainment Weekly had a less favorable review, giving the show a letter grade of "D−", saying, "Imagine the pitch forLiars: It'sI Know What You Did Last Summer meetsGossip Girl, but like not so subtle." It went on to say that the plot "hits everyracy teen entertainment mark so hard (everyone's hair is so full—of secrets!) that it feels like the only thing missing is a visit from the ghosts ofJennifer Love Hewitt andFreddie Prinze, Jr."[128]The Hollywood Reporter compared the show to those onThe CW and noted, "Sure, there's a lot here that sustains more eye-rolling than interested stares, but a little patience might be warranted."[129]
Subsequent seasons attracted positive reception, with the third and fourth seasons in particular receiving critical acclaim. The series has received criticism for its plot lines, which are often cited as overly complicated and full of plot holes. The identity of the final "A" has received harsh criticism from critics and fans, who found the reveal disappointing and nonsensical. The performances of theensemble cast, particularly Bellisario, Benson, Hale, Mitchell, Parrish and Pieterse, received widespread critical acclaim.
Since the series premiere,Pretty Little Liars has remained popular. In 2016, aNew York Times study of the 50 TV shows with the mostFacebook Likes found that the show's "popularity is tilted toward women more than any other show in the data — over 94 percent of 'likes' come from women".[130]
The series earned its highest rated episode with 4.20 million total viewers, ranking among ABC Family's top 5 telecasts in adult viewers 18–34, total viewers and women viewers.[131] The highest rated episodes include season one's finale, with 3.64 million, and season two's premiere and finale episodes, each yielding nearly 3.7 million viewers.[132][133][134] The show stands as the most watched series onABC Family, maintaining a steady viewership of over 2.5 million and currently standing as the only show to yield an average of over 2 million viewers.
Viewership and ratings per season ofPretty Little Liars
Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists is acrime thrillermysterydrama series, based on the novelThe Perfectionists by Sara Shepard, which serves as astand-alone sequel to the original series. In a town of Beacon Heights, Washington, where everything seems perfect, from their top-tier college to their overachieving residents and the stress of needing to be perfect leads to the town's first murder. Sasha Pieterse and Janel Parrish returned for their roles as Alison DiLaurentis and Mona Vanderwaal, respectively. The series also starsSofia Carson,Sydney Park,Eli Brown,Hayley Erin, Graeme Thomas King andKelly Rutherford.[184]
On September 2, 2020, it was announced that a new series is in development atWarner Bros., withRiverdale creatorRoberto Aguirre-Sacasa taking over as showrunner from I. Marlene King. Although called the series a "reboot", but was later confirmed to be taking place within the existing universe of the franchise and will introduce new characters and storylines. The series was set in a new town where the main characters will pay for their parents' sin nearly 20 years ago.[185][186] On September 24, 2020,HBO Max gave the spin-off series order and was namedPretty Little Liars: Original Sin, as Aguirre-Sacasa teamup with Lindsay Calhoon Bring to create the series.[7] The series will consist of 10 episodes.[187] In July 2021,Chandler Kinney,Maia Reficco, andBailee Madison were cast in lead roles, joined by Zaria andMalia Pyles the following month.[188][189][190]
Pretty Dirty Secrets is a web series, which taking place between the events of the third-season episodes "The Lady Killer" and "This Is a Dark Ride". Set in the Rosewood Halloween Spooktacular Store, as the visitors of Rosewood prepared forHalloween.[191]
On May 15, 2020, through a Looped app,TV Guide author Damian Holbrook aired a virtual cast reunion for the series' 10th anniversary and a charity fundraising effort during theCOVID-19 pandemic, with thePretty Little Liars reunion supportingFeeding America. All of the original cast participated, with the event dedicated to those who were affected with the pandemic. In addition to the cast,Ian Harding and Tyler Blackburn and the series' creator I. Marlene King were also present.[192] A second virtual reunion premiered on May 29, 2020, as a part of Wizard World Virtual Experiences, hosted by Mike Gregorek. This edition which includes more cast members from the series including appearances by Pieterse and Parrish. As they discuss behind the scenes moments of the series.[193]
Pretty Little Liars is an Indonesiandramamysterystreaming television series produced byWarner Bros International Television Production in collaboration with Asian streaming serviceViu. Serving as an adaption of the original series of the same name, it starsYuki Kato,Anya Geraldine, Eyka Farhana/Caitlin Halderman, Valerie Thomas, and Shindy Huang as college students whose clique once falls apart after their leader goes mysteriously missing the night of their high school graduation in the fictional town of Amerta,Bali.[196] The series premiered on April 22, 2020, with 10 episodes on 17 countries in Asia and Africa.[197][198]
A Philippine adaptation of the series was reported fromTV5 was set to be released in 2014.[199][200] However, the network later announced the series was shelved indefinitely.[201]
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