ABC Family has picked up three pilots, giving 10-episode orders to 10 Things I Hate About You, Ruby and the Rockits and Perfect 10.
“ABC Family is coming off its best year ever, including the summer breakout hit The Secret Life of the American Teenager,” says ABC Family president Paul Lee. “We’re thrilled to be adding three new original series, drama and comedy, all of them the sort of great optimistic Millennial storytelling that ABC Family does best.”
10 Things I Hate About You is a half-hour, single-camera series based on the 1999 film of the same name starring the late Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Although the film was an updated take on Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, it appears the series will focus more on sisters Kate and Bianca Stratford (Meaghan Jette Martin, Lindsey Shaw).
Both girls attend Padua High and must juggle their social lives, boys and their over-protective dad (Larry Miller reprising his film role), but approach life differently. Kat is impatient to make a difference in the world, is strong-willed and a feminist, while Bianca is more concerned with her looks and popularity. Ethan Peck, grandson of acting legend Gregory Peck, will play Kat’s love interest Patrick.
Ruby and the Rockits is a half-hour, multi-camera comedy starring Alexa Vega (Spy Kids) as Ruby, the teenage daughter of David Callahan (David Cassidy) and niece of Patrick Callahan (Patrick Cassidy), brothers and former teen idols in the band The Rockits. Since David continues to tour and pursue a life in music, he turns to Patrick to help raise Ruby, who joins the Callahan clan consisting of Patrick, his wife and two sons.
Ruby was written by former teen idol Shaun Cassidy (Patrick’s brother and David’s half-brother) and Ed Yeager. Ted Wass directs the pilot, which is executive produced by Shaun Cassidy and Marsh McCall. Austin Butler of Zoey 101 co-stars.
Perfect 10 is a one-hour scripted drama revolving around the world of competitive gymnastics and follows a group of teen Olympic hopefuls. There’s newcomer Emily Kmetko (Chelsea Hobbs), top gymnast Payson Keeler (Ayla Kell), her mom Kim (Frasier star Peri Gilpin), the beautiful Kaylie Cruz (Josie Loren) and the gym’s resident hottie Carter Anderson (Zachary Burr Abel).
Also coming up is the franchise installment Au Pair 3: Adventure in Paradise, set to premiere in March. A month later marks the premiere of the untitled romantic comedy starring Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence as two strangers who fake a relationship, engagement and wedding in order to con gifts and cash from their friends. Unsurprisingly, they fall for each other.
In addition, Greek and Lincoln Heights will return this summer with 20 episodes and 10 episodes, respectively.
Source: Zap2It
