ABC Family Greenlights Three Drama Pilots

ABC Family will add three new drama pilots to its slate of original series, the network announced Monday.

The new series include Alice in Arabia, which follows a rebellious American teenage girl who, after tragedy befalls her parents, is unknowingly kidnapped by her extended Saudi Arabian family; Recovery Road, which focuses on a teenage girl dealing with addiction; and Unstrung, which explores the world tour of tennis through the eyes of a brother and sister poised to move up the ranks, according to network officials.

The series will join other dramas in the ABC Family portfolio including Pretty Little Liars, The Fosters, Switched At Birth and Twisted.

In addition, the network announced it has given the greenlight to all-new seasons of its hit comedy series, Melissa & Joey and “Baby Daddy (pictured), said network officials.

ABC Family is going into the upfront season with a February average of 1.1 million primetime viewers, flat from the same period last year.

“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 Tom Ascheim, President of ABC Family in a statement. “We’re also delighted to produce more episodes of Melissa & Joeyand Baby Daddy, two series that together have helped ABC Family establish a strong comedy block that continues to make our audience laugh out loud.”

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.