Unfortunately for Jane By Design fans, the news isn’t so rosy. After an 18 episode first season managed only 1.3 million viewers on average, the network has decided against bringing back the dramatic series starring Erica Dasher and Andie MacDowell.
“Two years ago we embarked on a bold strategy to grow the breadth and scope of original programming and create a Wednesday night summer comedy destination,” said Michael Riley, President of ABC Family. “The new series have resonated with our viewers, and the combination of drama, comedy and reality brings great depth to our lineup. Our stable of strong series continues to grow, and I’m thrilled with the strength of our schedule.”
Details on ABC Family’s Shows:
Baby Daddy
Baby Daddy follows Ben (Jean-Luc Bilodeau), a young man in his early 20s living the life of a bachelor as a bartender in New York City with his buddy, Tucker (Tahj Mowry), and his brother, Danny (Derek Theler), a professional hockey player. Their lives are turned upside down when they come home one day to find a baby girl left on the doorstep by an ex-girlfriend of Ben’s. After much deliberation, Ben decides to raise the baby with the help of his friends and his protective and sometimes over-bearing mother, Bonnie (Melissa Peterman), and his close female friend, Riley (Chelsea Kane), who has had a secret crush on him since childhood. Riley is hopeful that Ben will finally take notice, but she doesn’t realize that Ben’s brother, Danny, is harboring a secret crush on her.
Bunheads
Bunheads is the tale of a Las Vegas showgirl who impulsively marries a man, moves to his sleepy coastal town, and takes an uneasy role at her new mother-in-law’s dance school.
Michelle Simms (Sutton Foster) had a promising career as a classically trained professional dancer, but was drawn to the lights of Las Vegas. Now, with a dead-end job as a 30-something showgirl, she’s found the excitement of Sin City has lost its appeal, and her persistent suitor, Hubbell Flowers, is gaining it. With promises of a cushy life in his coastal town of Paradise, CA, Hubbell convinces Michelle to marry him and move away. Once in Paradise, Michelle discovers that Hubbell forgot to mention that he lives with his mother, the strong-headed, imperious Fanny Flowers, who is not pleased that Hubbell has run off and married a stranger.
A former dancer herself, Fanny runs the local dance studio, which Michelle comes upon and ends up bonding with some of Fanny’s dance students — sweet “Boo,” who would give anything to be a “bunhead” but struggles against her body type; rebellious Sasha, who possesses the classic ballet dancer’s body and talent but — distracted by family issues at home — doesn’t seem to have her heart in dancing; shapely Ginny, who is not yet comfortable in her own skin; and fun-loving Melanie, who is ready for whatever life throws at her. Michelle’s budding relationship with these girls helps her adapt to small town living and her uneasy role as a new daughter-in-law.
Melissa & Joey
In the hit ABC Family original comedy series Melissa & Joey, Mel (Melissa Joan Hart) is the former wild child of a political family who is now a successful councilwoman in Toledo. Thanks to a financial scheme gone horribly wrong, Mel’s sister ends up in prison and sends her brother-in-law on the run from the law, leaving Mel as the legal guardian for her teenaged niece, Lennox, and nephew Ryder. Spread too thin to manage by herself, Melissa gets help in the unlikely form of Joe (Joey Lawrence) who, desperate for a job, agrees to move in and becomes the family’s “manny.” Together Mel, Joe, Lennox and Ryder form an unlikely family as they navigate the comedic twists and turns of life.
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 16-year-old 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 retired professional athlete, lead a seemingly perfect life with their two children, Bay and Toby. But when the Kennishes learn the hospital made a grievous error and that 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 to blend two families into one for the sake of their daughters, despite overwhelming socio-economic, ethnic and cultural differences.
Source: ABC Family
