A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
| Pretty Little Liars | |
|---|---|
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| Genre | |
| Based on | Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard |
| Developed by | I. Marlene King |
| Starring | |
| Opening theme | "Secret" by the Pierces |
| Composer | Michael Suby |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 7 |
| No. of episodes | 160 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
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| Producers |
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| Production locations | |
| Cinematography |
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| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 40–45 minutes |
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| Original release | |
| Network | Freeform[b] |
| Release | June 8, 2010 – June 27, 2017 |
| Related | |
Pretty Little Liars is an American mystery teen drama television series created by I. Marlene King, which aired on Freeform[b] from June 8, 2010 to June 27, 2017, based on the novel series of the same name written by Sara Shepard, lasting 160 episodes over seven seasons. Set in the fictional Rosewood, Pennsylvania, the plot follows five best friends whose secrets are consistently threatened by the anonymous "A", who begins harassing them after the disappearance of their clique leader. Troian Bellisario, Ashley Benson, Lucy Hale, Shay Mitchell, Sasha Pieterse, and Janel Parrish lead the ensemble cast, alongside Holly Marie Combs, Ian Harding, Bianca Lawson, Laura Leighton, Chad Lowe, Nia Peeples, Tyler Blackburn, and Andrea Parker.
After an initial order of 10 episodes, ABC Family ordered an additional 12 episodes on June 28, 2010. The ratings success of the first 10 episodes prompted the book series to be extended beyond the initial eight novels.[3] Since its debut, the series has received mixed reviews from television critics, but remained a relative success for the network, garnering a large fandom. The series finale was viewed by an estimated 1.41 million viewers. It had the second-highest rating of any cable TV series that aired that night but received a lukewarm reception from both critics and audiences.[4]
It is the first series in the Pretty Little Liars franchise, with the series having two spin-offs: Ravenswood and Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists, both of which were cancelled after one season.[5][6] A fourth series titled Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin premiered on HBO Max in 2022, which focuses on a new cast of characters in a different setting.[7]
Premise
Aria Montgomery, Emily Fields, Hanna Marin and Spencer Hastings are four former best friends who reunite one year after the disappearance of their clique leader, Alison DiLaurentis, and begin receiving threatening messages from a mysterious person who identifies themself as "A" and is aware of the mistakes, lies and secrets they have collected before and after their clique fell apart. Throughout the series' course, several elements from the night Alison disappeared are revealed, which help the protagonists understand what happened to their friend and how "A" came up. Moving forward, after the original "A" is revealed five years later the identity is taken over by other antagonists, prompting new storylines and challenges.
Episodes
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | Viewers (in millions) | Adults (18-49) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||||
| 1 | 22 | June 8, 2010 | March 21, 2011 | 2.87 | 1.0 | |
| 2 | 25 | June 14, 2011 | March 19, 2012 | 2.68 | 1.0 | |
| 3 | 24 | June 5, 2012 | March 19, 2013 | 2.59[8] | 1.1[8] | |
| 4 | 24 | June 11, 2013 | March 18, 2014 | 2.53[9] | 1.1[9] | |
| 5 | 25 | June 10, 2014 | March 24, 2015 | 2.01[10] | 0.9[10] | |
| 6 | 20 | June 2, 2015 | March 15, 2016 | 1.72[11] | 0.8[11] | |
| 7 | 20 | June 21, 2016 | June 27, 2017 | 1.10[12] | 0.6[12] | |
Cast and characters
- Troian Bellisario as Spencer Hastings and Alex Drake
- Ashley Benson as Hanna Marin
- Holly Marie Combs as Ella Montgomery (seasons 1–3; recurring, seasons 4–6; guest, season 7)
- Lucy Hale as Aria Montgomery
- Ian Harding as Ezra Fitz
- Bianca Lawson as Maya St. Germain (seasons 1–2; recurring, season 3)
- Laura Leighton as Ashley Marin
- Chad Lowe as Byron Montgomery (seasons 1–3; recurring, seasons 4 and 6; guest, seasons 5 and 7)
- Shay Mitchell as Emily Fields
- Nia Peeples as Pam Fields (season 1; recurring, seasons 2–4 and 6; guest, seasons 5 and 7)
- Sasha Pieterse as Alison DiLaurentis
- Tyler Blackburn as Caleb Rivers (seasons 3–7; recurring, seasons 1–2)
- Janel Parrish as Mona Vanderwaal (seasons 3–7; recurring, seasons 1–2)
- Andrea Parker as Mary Drake (season 7; guest, seasons 4 and 6) and Jessica DiLaurentis (guest, season 2; recurring, seasons 4–7)
Production
Development
The Pretty Little Liars series of novels was first published in October 2006 and comprises 18 books, divided into four arcs and companion stories.[13] The project was given to author Sara Shepard by book packaging company Alloy Entertainment following the conception of the idea of a "Desperate Housewives for teens". Shepard was chosen due to her having grown up in a town similar to the fictional Rosewood, where the series take place, and her online presence.[14] The television adaptation was first planned for The WB until the network shut down in 2006.[15][better source needed] A pilot for ABC Family was announced in June 2008,[14] with I. Marlene King serving as the series' developer and showrunner. The viewership success of the first 10 episodes prompted ABC Family to order 12 additional episodes, finishing the first season with 22 installments.[16] It also led Alloy Entertainment to extend the novel series beyond its original foreseen count of eight books.[17]
A second season was unveiled by ABC Family on January 10, 2011.[18] In June, the network announced that its 13 Nights of Halloween lineup would include a Halloween-themed Pretty Little Liars flashback episode, bringing the second-season episode count from 24 to 25.[19] In December of that year, it was announced that the identity of "A" would be revealed in the second season's finale, which took place on March 19, 2012.[20][21] The series' third season was confirmed in November 2011[22] and broadcast between June 5, 2012 and March 19, 2013, consisting of 24 episodes.
The series was renewed for a fourth season in October 2012.[23] It was broadcast between June 11, 2013, and March 18, 2014. The fifth season was commissioned in March 2013, alongside the announcement of the spin-off series Ravenswood,[24] and consisted of 25 episodes, including a Christmas-themed one.[25][26] The special episode aired as part of the network's 25 Days of Christmas annual event.[27] The season also included the series' 100th episode, which was celebrated by cast and crew in a private party on June 2, 2015.[28] Before the season premiered, ABC Family renewed the series for two additional seasons of 20 episodes each, making it the network's longest running original series.[29][30][31]
The sixth season was broadcast between June 2, 2015, and March 15, 2016. It did not include a holiday-themed episode and introduced a new opening sequence for the series.[32][33] The seventh and final season was broadcast between June 21, 2016, and June 27, 2017. It marked the return of Charlie Craig, who worked on the second season, as executive producer and co-showrunner.[34] The series' ending was confirmed by I. Marlene King and the main cast in August 2016, with the series finale being a two-hour event followed by a tell-all special with cast and crew.[35][36][37]
Casting
Casting for Pretty Little Liars began in October 2009,[15] with Gayle Pillsbury and Bonnie Zane as casting directors. Lucy Hale, Troian Bellisario and Ian Harding were respectively cast as Aria Montgomery, Spencer Hastings and Ezra Fitz in November.[38] The following month, the cast added Ashley Benson as Hanna Marin, Shay Mitchell as Emily Fields, Laura Leighton as Ashley Marin, Nia Peeples as Pam Fields, Roark Critchlow as Tom Marin, Bianca Lawson as Maya, Alexis Denisof as Byron Montgomery and Jean Louisa Kelly as a mother, with Torrey DeVitto and Sasha Pieterse in undisclosed recurring roles.[39][40] Mitchell originally auditioned for the role of Spencer, but was suggested by the production crew to try Emily out, to whom she felt more connected.[41] Louisa Kelly's appearance in the series did not materialize.[42] In January 2010, Alloy Entertainment's website confirmed that Pieterse would portray Alison DiLaurentis and DeVitto would portray Melissa Hastings, and announced the casting of Janel Parrish as Mona Vanderwaal and Igor Hudacek as Mike Montgomery;[43][44] Cody Christian later replaced Hudacek. In April, Chad Lowe replaced Denisof in the role of Byron,[45] while Holly Marie Combs joined the cast as Aria's mother, Ella.[46]
Two actors were replaced following the pilot episode: Keegan Allen replaced James Neate as Toby Cavanaugh and Ryan Merriman replaced Carlo Marks as Ian Thomas. After the first season was broadcast, three other roles received new actors: Andrea Parker took over Jessica DiLaurentis from Anne Marie DeLuise, Drew Van Acker took over Jason DiLaurentis from Parker Bagley, and Natalie Hall took over Kate Randall from Natalie Floyd. Parker's casting for the second season was announced in April 2011.[47] That month, Annabeth Gish joined the cast as Anne Sullivan, a therapist hired by the girls' parents to help them.[48] Also during the second season, Lawson had a minor starring role, being only credited in the episodes she appeared in. For the third season, Tyler Blackburn and Parrish were promoted to the series' starring cast following their recurring appearances.[49][50] Blackburn left the cast in the fourteenth episode of the fourth season to star in Ravenswood and returned in the fifth episode of the fifth season.[51][52]
Filming
The series' pilot was filmed in Vancouver in December 2009.[1] Filming for the series moved to Los Angeles from the second episode onward.[53] The Warner Bros. studio and backlot in Burbank, near Los Angeles, were also used.[54] Filming for the second season wrapped on December 16, 2011.[55] In June 2012, the series was among projects selected for a California tax credit.[56] Filming for the fourth season wrapped on November 2, 2013.[57] The fifth season was filmed between March 24 and November 20, 2014.[58][59] Filming for the sixth season began on March 24, 2015.[60] Production for the seventh season commenced on February 1, 2016,[61][62] while filming took place between March and October 2016.[63]
Music
Michael Suby worked as the series' score composer since its inception.[64] American duo The Pierces' 2007 song "Secret" was used as the series' opening theme, which was suggested by Ashley Benson.[65] WaterTower Music released a soundtrack album titled Pretty Little Liars: Television Soundtrack on February 15, 2011; the release features songs by The Fray, Ben's Brother, MoZella, Katie Herzig and Colbie Caillat, among others.[66]
To promote the series' third and fifth seasons respectively, American singer ZZ Ward released Pretty Little Liars-themed music videos for her songs "Til the Casket Drops" and "Last Love Song", included on debut studio album, Til the Casket Drops (2012).[67][68]
Release
| Season | DVD and Blu-ray release dates | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | ||
| 1 | June 7, 2011[69] | September 24, 2012[70] | November 2, 2011[71] | |
| 2 | June 5, 2012[72] | November 11, 2013[73] | October 3, 2012[74] | |
| 3 | June 4, 2013[75] | April 21, 2014[76] | June 19, 2013[77] | |
| 4 | June 3, 2014[78] | September 29, 2014[79] | July 9, 2014[80] | |
| 5 | June 2, 2015[81] | July 15, 2015[82] | July 8, 2015[83] | |
| 6 | April 19, 2016[84] | April 18, 2016[85] | April 20, 2016[86] | |
| 7 | July 25, 2017[87] | TBA | July 26, 2017[88] | |
| All seasons | July 25, 2017[87] | July 24, 2017[89] | July 26, 2017[90] | |
Broadcast
Pretty Little Liars premiered on June 8, 2010, in the United States, becoming ABC Family's highest-rated series debut on record across the network's target demographics.[91] It ranked number one in key 12–34 demos and teens, becoming the number-one scripted show in Women 18–34, and Women 18–49. The premiere was number two in the hour for total viewers, which generated 2.47 million unique viewers, and was ABC Family's best delivery in the time slot since the premiere of The Secret Life of the American Teenager.[citation needed]
The second episode retained 100% of its premiere audience with 2.48 million viewers, despite the usual downward trend following a premiere of a show, and built on its premiere audience. It was the dominant number one of its time slot in Adults 18–49, and the number one show in female teens.[92] Subsequent episodes fluctuated between 2.09 and 2.74 million viewers.[93][94] The August 10, 2010, "Summer Finale" episode drew an impressive 3.07 million viewers.
On June 28, 2010, ABC Family ordered 12 more episodes of the show, bringing its total first-season order to 22.[95] On January 10, 2011, ABC Family picked the show up for a second season that premiered on June 14, 2011. During the summer of 2011, Pretty Little Liars was basic cable's top scripted series in women aged 18–34 and viewers 12–34.[96][97] The second half of season 2 aired on Mondays at 8/7c, beginning on January 2, 2012.[98]
On November 29, 2011, ABC Family renewed the show for a third season, which consisted of 24 episodes.[99][100] On October 4, 2012, ABC Family announced that the show was renewed for a fourth season, again comprising 24 episodes.[101] The second half of the third season began airing on January 8, 2013, and finished on March 19, 2013. Pretty Little Liars returned for Season 4 on June 11, 2013. On March 26, 2013, it was again announced that Pretty Little Liars had been renewed for a fifth season scheduled for a 2014 air date and a new spin off show entitled Ravenswood would begin airing after the season four annual Halloween special in October 2013.[102] The second half of season four premiered on January 7, 2014.[103] It was announced on June 10, 2014, that Pretty Little Liars was renewed for two seasons, making the show ABC Family's longest running original hit series.[104] On August 29, 2016, I. Marlene King announced that Pretty Little Liars would be ending after the seventh season had aired. The second half of the seventh season began airing in April compared to January in the previous season.[35]
Marketing
Pretty Little Liars was called one of the most spectacular new shows of summer 2010 thanks to heavy promotion by ABC Family, including "spicy promos and hot posters".[105] ABC Family encouraged fans to host a "Pretty Little Premiere Party" for the show by sending the first respondents a fan kit,[106] and selected applicants to become part of an interactive "Secret Keeper Game" played with iPhones provided by the network.[107] The show's official Facebook and Twitter accounts also promoted special fan features, including a "Pretty Little Lie Detector".[108] Los Angeles department store Kitson showcased the show in their shop window.[109]
A tie-in edition featuring the Season 1 poster and logo of the 2006 first novel in the Pretty Little Liars series was released on the date of the show's premiere,[110] as was the final book of the original book series, "Wanted".[111] "Wanted" later decidedly became the eighth book of the series, as Shepard later confirmed she would extend the series. A TV tie-in of the second book "Flawless" featuring an altered Season 3 poster was released on December 28, 2012. Another book titled The Amateurs (2016), was written by Shepard is appeared in a local book store scene from the seventh season episode "The Talented Mr. Rollins", was aired on July 5, 2016.[112]
Reception
Critical response
| Season | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 69% (13 reviews)[113] | 54 (14 reviews)[114] |
| 2 | 80% (5 reviews)[115] | — |
| 3 | 83% (6 reviews)[116] | — |
| 4 | 100% (8 reviews)[117] | — |
| 5 | 80% (5 reviews)[118] | — |
| 6 | 80% (5 reviews)[119] | — |
| 7 | 78% (9 reviews)[120] | — |
Pretty Little Liars opened with mixed reviews. Metacritic gave the pilot episode 54 out of 100, based upon 14 critical reviews.[121] The New York Daily News gave the show a positive review, commenting that it "makes most popular vampire romances look anemic", while concluding, "Pretty Little Liars could go in several directions, including mundane teen clichés. It's got an equally good shot at making us care about these imperfect pretty girls."[122] A writer on Terror Hook has stated that " 'Pretty Little Liars' gets off to a very promising start. Great production all around, the writing keeps the viewer on their toes, and the acting just reinforces it. The overall mystery of the show in the end is dark and unpredictable, even stepping into the slasher film realm."[123] The New York Post gave the show three out of five stars, stating, "OK, so we've established that there is no socially redeeming value in this series and that your kids shouldn't watch it if they are too young and impressionable. But if you can distract them enough to miss the first 15 minutes, the show isn't half-bad. Actually, it is half-good, if that makes sense."[124] The Los Angeles Times wrote that the series is "one of those shows that manages to mildly, and perhaps unintentionally, spoof its genre while fully participating in it, and that's not a bad thing at all."[125]
Entertainment Weekly had a less favorable review, giving the show a letter grade of "D−", saying, "Imagine the pitch for Liars: It's I Know What You Did Last Summer meets Gossip Girl, but like not so subtle." It went on to say that the plot "hits every racy teen entertainment mark so hard (everyone's hair is so full—of secrets!) that it feels like the only thing missing is a visit from the ghosts of Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze, Jr."[126] The Hollywood Reporter compared the show to those on The CW and noted, "Sure, there's a lot here that sustains more eye-rolling than interested stares, but a little patience might be warranted."[127]
Subsequent seasons attracted positive reception, with the third and fourth seasons in particular receiving critical acclaim. The series has received criticism for its plot lines, which are often cited as overly complicated and full of plot holes. The identity of the final "A" has received harsh criticism from critics and fans, who found the reveal disappointing and nonsensical.
The performances have also received positive reviews. In particular, Bellisario and Parrish (who play Spencer and Mona, respectively) have received widespread critical and popular acclaim, while the performances of Benson, Hale, and Pieterse (who play Hannah, Aria, and Alison, respectively) have also been lauded.
Ratings
Since the series premiere, Pretty Little Liars has remained popular. In 2016, a New York Times study of the 50 TV shows with the most Facebook Likes found that the show's "popularity is tilted toward women more than any other show in the data — over 94 percent of 'likes' come from women".[128]
The series earned its highest rated episode with 4.20 million total viewers, ranking among ABC Family's top 5 telecasts in adult viewers 18–34, total viewers and women viewers.[129] The highest rated episodes include season one's finale, with 3.64 million, and season two's premiere and finale episodes, each yielding nearly 3.7 million viewers.[130][131][132] The show stands as the most watched series on ABC Family, maintaining a steady viewership of over 2.5 million and currently standing as the only show to yield an average of over 2 million viewers.
| Season | Timeslot (ET) | Episodes | First aired | Last aired | Avg. viewers (millions) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Viewers (millions) |
Date | Viewers (millions) | ||||
| 1 | Tuesday 8:00 pm (first set) Monday 8:00pm (second set) |
22 | June 8, 2010 | 2.47[133] | March 21, 2011 | 3.64[130] | 2.87[citation needed] |
| 2 | 25 | June 14, 2011 | 3.68[131] | March 19, 2012 | 3.69[132] | 2.68[citation needed] | |
| 3 | Tuesday 8:00pm | 24 | June 5, 2012 | 2.93[134] | March 19, 2013 | 2.87[135] | 2.59[136] |
| 4 | 24 | June 11, 2013 | 2.97[137] | March 18, 2014 | 3.12[138] | 2.53[139] | |
| 5 | 25 | June 10, 2014 | 2.72[140] | March 24, 2015 | 2.65[141] | 2.01[142] | |
| 6 | 20 | June 2, 2015 | 2.38[143] | March 15, 2016 | 1.19[144] | 1.72[145] | |
| 7 | 20 | June 21, 2016 | 1.43[146] | June 27, 2017 | 1.41[147] | 1.11[148] | |
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | |||||
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice Summer TV Show | Pretty Little Liars | Won | [149] | |
| Choice Summer TV Star: Male | Ian Harding | Won | |||
| Choice Summer TV Star: Female | Lucy Hale | Won | |||
| 2011 | |||||
| NewNowNext Awards | TV You Betta Watch | Pretty Little Liars | Won | [150] | |
| People's Choice Awards | Favorite TV Obsession | Nominated | [151] | ||
| GLAAD Media Awards | Outstanding Drama Series | Nominated | [152] | ||
| Young Hollywood Awards | Cast To Watch | Troian Bellisario, Ashley Benson, Lucy Hale, and Shay Mitchell | Won | [153] | |
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice Summer TV Show | Pretty Little Liars | Won | [154] | |
| Choice Summer TV Star: Female | Lucy Hale | Won | |||
| Troian Bellisario | Nominated | ||||
| Choice Summer TV Star: Male | Ian Harding | Won | |||
| Keegan Allen | Nominated | ||||
| Banff Television Festival | Best Continuing Series | I. Marlene King, Lesli Linka Glatter and Lisa Cochran-Neilan | Won | [citation needed] | |
| Capricho Awards | Best TV Series | Pretty Little Liars | Nominated | [155] | |
| Best International Actress | Lucy Hale | Nominated | |||
| Best International Actor | Ian Harding | Nominated | |||
| 2012 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite Cable TV Drama | Pretty Little Liars | Won | [156] |
| GLAAD Media Awards | Outstanding Drama Series | Nominated | [157] | ||
| TV Guide Awards | Favorite Guilty Pleasure | Nominated | [158] | ||
| Capricho Awards | Best TV Series | Nominated | [159] | ||
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Show: Drama | Won | [160] | ||
| Choice TV Actor | Ian Harding | Zdroj:https://en.wikipedia.org?pojem=Pretty_Little_Liars_(TV_series)