‘Switched at Birth’ Gets a Third Season Renewal

Cast of 'Switched at Birth'
Lea Thompson, Constance Marie, Vanessa Marano and Katie Leclerc in 'Switched at Birth' - Photo © 2011 Disney Enterprises, Inc

ABC Family’s giving a third season to the drama series Switched at Birth starring Katie Leclerc, Vanessa Marano, Constance Marie, D.W. Moffett, Lea Thompson, Lucas Grabeel, Sean Berdy, and Gilles Marini. The family-friendly network’s also given back-order pick-ups to Twisted and The Fosters.

“ABC Family has always been a home for groundbreaking storytelling with iconic characters and families and we’re thrilled to have The Fosters and Twisted join our line-up as breakout summer hits,” stated Michael Riley, President ABC Family. “We are very proud of the original series we continue to foster, bringing real and relatable characters to life for our viewers and know they are destined to become part of the zeitgeist alongside Switched at Birth and Pretty Little Liars.

“It’s thrilling to count our two freshman series, The Fosters and Twisted among our stable of strong, must-see, must-tweet series,” added Kate Juergens, Executive Vice President, Original Programming and Development and Chief Creative Officer, ABC Family. “Switched at Birth is like no other show on television and we are so proud to have it as part of our family. Adding additional seasons and episodes of our returning series spotlights how well our programming resonates with our audience.”

The Fosters:

The Fosters is a compelling, one-hour drama about a multi-ethnic family mix of foster and biological kids being raised by two moms. Stef Foster, a dedicated police officer, and her partner Lena Adams, a school Vice Principal, have built a close-knit, loving family with Stef’s biological son from a previous marriage, Brandon, and their adopted twins Mariana and Jesus. Their lives are disrupted in unexpected ways when Lena meets Callie, a hardened teen with an abusive past who has spent her life in and out of foster homes. Lena and Stef warily welcome Callie, along with her younger brother Jude, into their home thinking it’s just for a few weeks, until a more permanent placement can be found.

The Fosters stars Teri Polo as Stef Foster, Sherri Saum as Lena Adams, Jake T. Austin as Jesus Foster, Hayden Byerly as Jude, David Lambert as Brandon Foster, Maia Mitchell as Callie, Danny Nucci as Mike Foster and Cierra Ramirez as Mariana Foster.

Switched at Birth:

In Switched at Birth, two families are forever altered when they discover their daughters were switched at birth. Life hasn’t been easy for hard-working, single mom Regina Vasquez, but along with her mother, Adriana, Regina has provided her daughter Daphne, a typical teenager who just happens to be deaf, with a loving and secure home. Although she attends a school for the deaf and hard-of-hearing with best friend Emmett, Daphne’s hearing loss does not prevent her from leading a full life. In sharp contrast to the Vasquezes, Kathryn, a stay-at-home mom and John Kennish, a state senator, lead a seemingly perfect life with their two children, Bay and Toby.

But when the Kennishes’ learn the hospital made a grievous error and Bay is not their biological child, their entire world is turned upside down. Regina, Kathryn and John must learn to co-exist as parents and blend two families into one for the sake of their daughters, despite overwhelming socioeconomic, ethnic, and cultural differences.

Twisted:

Twisted is a one-hour mystery full of twists and turns that follows Danny Desai, a charismatic 16-year-old with a troubled past who returns to his hometown after spending five years in juvenile detention. Immediately branded an outcast, Danny attempts to reconnect with his two childhood best friends, Jo and Lacey, and smooth over tensions with his mother, Karen, whose socialite status plummeted after her son’s imprisonment and the mysterious disappearance of her husband, Danny’s father. When a fellow student is found dead in her home, Danny instantly becomes the prime suspect and the town spirals into a frenzy of suspicion and mystery. Jo and Lacey must decide if their childhood friend is unforgivable, or if he’s really a victim being persecuted for his own twisted secrets.

Twisted stars Avan Jogia as Danny Desai, Maddie Hasson as Jo Masterson, Kylie Bunbury as Lacey Porter, Kimberly Quinn as Tess Masterson, Sam Robards as Kyle Masterson, Ashton Moio as Rico, and Denise Richards as Karen Desai.