ABC Family’s serious about its original programming, so serious that the network’s just greenlit three new dramatic pilots. And while they’re at it, they’ve given renewal orders to comedies Melissa & Joey and Baby Daddy. Alice in Arabia, Recovery Road, and Unstrung will be joining ABC Family’s family, according to Tom Ascheim, President, ABC Family, and Kate Juergens, Chief Creative Officer and Executive Vice President, Original Content, ABC Family.
 
“These three powerful new dramas are a great fit with ABC Family’s brand of original programming known for diverse stories that challenge as well as entertain our viewers,” said Ascheim. “We’re also delighted to produce more episodes of Melissa & Joey and Baby Daddy, two series that together have helped ABC Family establish a strong comedy block that continues to make our audience laugh out loud.”
 
“Innovative and authentic is the promise we make to our audience,” added Juergens. These new projects deliver on that promise with emotional and entertaining storylines, intriguing, multi-faceted characters and complex relationships. We’re excited for what the future holds for these stories, and the fascinating worlds to which they’ll take us.”
 
Details on the New Dramatic Pilots:
 
Alice in Arabia is a high-stakes drama series about a rebellious American teenage girl who, after tragedy befalls her parents, is unknowingly kidnapped by her extended family, who are Saudi Arabian. Alice finds herself a stranger in a new world but is intrigued by its offerings and people, whom she finds surprisingly diverse in their views on the world and her situation. Now a virtual prisoner in her grandfather’s royal compound, Alice must count on her independent spirit and wit to find a way to return home while surviving life behind the veil. The pilot was written by Brooke Eikmeier, who previously served in the US Army as a Cryptologic Linguist in the Arabic language, trained to support NSA missions in the Middle East. She left service in September 2013 as a rank E-4 Specialist.

Based on the popular young adult novel by Blake Nelson, Recovery Road focuses on a teenage girl dealing with addiction. Maddie has a reputation as a party girl who doesn’t think she has a problem, until she’s confronted one day by her school guidance counselor and forced to choose between expulsion and rehab. Trying to save face, Maddie chooses to spend her nights living with other recovering addicts at a rehab facility, and her days pretending everything is perfectly normal among her high school classmates and her closest friends. The pilot was written by Bert V. Royal (Easy A) and Karen DiConcetto (Ruby & The Rockits). Beth Miller and Craig Piligian from Pilgrim Studios and Danielle VonZerneck will serve as executive producers.
 
Unstrung explores the sexy, cutthroat, and emotional stakes of the professional world tour of tennis as brother and sister Luke and Ellie Holt compete to move up the ranks. The Holts may seem to have it all in a world where success is not only determined by prowess on the court, but by looks, charm and the ability to hide your faults under pressure from fans, critics, opponents, and even your closest allies. But a major family secret threatens to turn their lives, and their hard-earned family “brand,” upside down. Emily Whitesell (Life Unexpected) will executive produce.
 
Source: ABC Family
 
-Posted by Rebecca Murray

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