ABC Family Announces Winter Premieres

Although we still have the holiday programming from ABC Family to look forward to, we’ve still missed our favorite regular series’ around here. So it was a welcome site when I received this in my email box this morning. Happy to share the schedule for the winter season, featuring return dates for Pretty Little Liars, Chasing Life, Melissa & Joey and Switched at Birth! And don’t forget the special holiday episodes of “Pretty Little Liars” and “Chasing Life” airing on December 9th.

Press release

Burbank, CA (November 12, 2014) – ABC Family will kick off the New Year with all-new episodes of returning original hit series and fan favorites “Pretty Little Liars,” “Switched At Birth,” “Chasing Life” and “The Fosters,” in addition to comedies “Melissa & Joey” and “Baby Daddy,” all set to premiere in January 2015, with three nights of original programming.

The hit ABC Family original series “Pretty Little Liars” returns on Tuesday, January 6 at 8:00 – 9:00 PM ET/PT with the Liars still reeling from Mona’s death and determined to prove Alison’s guilt. “Pretty Little Liars” won six Teen Choice Awards in 2014, including Choice TV Show, Choice TV Actress Drama – Lucy Hale, Choice TV Actor Drama – Ian Harding, Choice Summer TV Actress – Ashley Benson, Choice Summer TV Actor – Tyler Blackburn and Choice TV Breakout Star: Female – Sasha Pieterse. ABC Family will air a special “Pretty Little Liars” marathon on Tuesday, January 6, from 12:00PM – 8:00PM ET/PT, leading up to the premiere. An all-new special holiday episode of “Pretty Little Liars,” airing during ABC Family’s “25 Days of Christmas,” premieres Tuesday, December 9th at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT.

ABC Family’s Peabody Award-winning drama series, “Switched At Birth,” begins its fourth season on a new night: Tuesday, January 6, 9:00PM – 10:00PM ET/PT. The season picks up right after graduation with the family and Emmett discovering Bay’s impulsive decision — and no one is happy about it. Meanwhile, Daphne is determined to prove herself worthy of her switchster’s sacrifice while also dealing with the challenges of a whole new world of college. Bess Armstrong (“My So-Called Life”) and Max Adler (“Glee”) will recur throughout the season. ABC Family will air a special holiday episode of “Switched At Birth” on Monday, December 8 from 9:00PM – 10:00PM ET/PT.

“Melissa & Joey,” now in its fourth season, will return with all-new episodes on Wednesday, January 14, 8:00PM – 8:30PM ET/PT. At the end of season three, Joe transitioned from Mel’s “manny” to a personal fitness trainer—and from her employee to her husband. Now that they’re married, Mel and Joe struggle to find time for their honeymoon while balancing their careers and raising Joe’s recently-discovered teenage daughter, Dani. To complicate matters, Mel’s niece Lennox is secretly dating Joe’s nephew Marco while still trying to maintain a friendship with her ex, Zander, and Mel’s nephew Ryder makes a life-changing decision when he meets a New Girl. ABC Family will air a mini-marathon of “Melissa & Joey” from 6:00PM – 8:00PM on January 14 leading into the new season. An all-new special holiday episode of “Melissa & Joey,” airing during ABC Family’s “25 Days of Christmas,” premieres Wednesday, December 10th at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Now in its fourth season, “Baby Daddy” will return with all-new episodes on Wednesday, January 14, 8:30PM – 9:00PM ET/PT. After a lot of bumps in the road, the season 3 finale saw Ben and Riley finally commit to their romantic relationship and really be together. But as Danny prepares to move to Paris and start a new life with Georgie, Riley begins to panic about not having him in her life, prompting her to question how she really feels about her best friend. An all-new special holiday episode of “Baby Daddy,” airing during ABC Family’s “25 Days of Christmas,” premieres Wednesday, December 10th at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT.

Winner of 2014’s Television Academy Honors Award and GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Drama Series, “The Fosters” will return with all-new episodes on Monday, January 19, 8:00PM – 9:00PM ET/PT, picking up from the summer cliffhanger. This season Stef and Lena find themselves on the defense when Robert Quinn expresses a sincere interest in having Callie be part of his family. A startling development leaves Callie in a tailspin, resulting in questionable decisions about her future, while Jude tries to manage his friendship with Connor amid their parents’ conflict. Jesus and Mariana are thrown for a loop when a newly sober Ana reveals big news, and Brandon reevaluates his musical aspirations when an unexpected offer comes his way. The season will also see the return of Rosie O’Donnell (“The View”) in a recurring role as Rita Henricks, a tough yet compassionate woman who works in the foster care system. ABC Family will air a special holiday episode of “The Fosters” on Monday, December 8 from 8:00PM – 9:00PM ET/PT.

“Chasing Life” will return to a new night with all-new episodes on Monday, January 19 at 9:00 – 10:00 PM ET/PT. April is in remission and determined to move on with her life. But when a new boss arrives at the newspaper, April’s transition back to work may not be as smooth as she hoped for. Also being back at work means having to come face-to-face with Dominic, adding to an already Awkward situation since April is still dealing with the repercussions of Leo’s decision. Meanwhile, Brenna eagerly anticipates Greer’s return to school, but will she get the happy reunion she’s been waiting for? An all-new special holiday episode of “Chasing Life,” airing during ABC Family’s “25 Days of Christmas,” premieres Tuesday, December 9th at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.