Cable channel ABC Family is understandably very happy with the performance of their new drama, Pretty Little Liars. They’ve just given the hit show an order for a dozen additional episodes to round out season one.

Pretty Little Liars revolves around a group of girls whose leader, Alison, turns up dead a year after she disappeared. They start receiving messages from someone who threatens to expose long hidden secrets that only Alison knew. The series features Ashley Benson, Bianca Lawson, Chad Lowe, Holly Marie Combs, Ian Harding, Laura Leighton, Lucy Hale, Sasha Pieterse, Shay Mitchell, and Troian Bellisario.

Here’s ABC Family’s official announcement…

ABC FAMILY ORDERS ADDITIONAL EPISODES OF “PRETTY LITTLE LIARS”
The Original One-Hour Scripted Drama, Which Launched as the Highest-Rated Original Series Debut in the Network’s History in Early June, Continues to Grow In Ratings Throughout Its First Three Episodes

Burbank, CA (June 28, 2010) – ABC Family has ordered 12 additional episodes of the network’s hit one-hour series, “Pretty Little Liars,” announced Kate Juergens, Executive Vice President, Original Programming & Development. The order will bring the show’s first season to a total of 22 episodes.

“‘Pretty Little Liars’ is a break-out hit for the network,” said Juergens. “We’re thrilled that our Millennial viewers have responded so strongly to the show. It’s a perfect fit with the network’s strong slate of original scripted dramas, including ‘The Secret Life of the American Teenager’ and ‘Make It or Break It.'”

One of cable’s biggest breakout hits of summer, “Pretty Little Liars” launched as ABC Family’s No. 1 series debut ever in Adults 18-34 (837,000), Women 18-34 (657,000), Viewers 12-34 (1.7 million), Females 12-34 (1.5 million), Teens (904,000) and Female Teens (853,000). “Pretty Little Liars” posted its most-watched episode yet last week (June 22) in Total Viewers (2.7 million), and delivered series highs in key targets, including core 18-49, 18-34 and 12-34 demos. Three episodes in, “Pretty Little Liars” is already Tuesday’s No. 1 TV program in Females Teens (803,000) and Tuesday’s No. 1 cable program in Teens (883,000), Viewers 12-34 (1.7 million) and Females 12-34 (1.5 million). It is easily the top cable program in Tuesday’s 8 o’clock hour among core 18-49, 18-34, 12-34 demos, Teens and Female Teens, besting runner-up USA by 43% in Adults 18-49 (1.2 million vs. 837,000) and by 90% in Adults 18-34 (843,000 vs. 444,000).

Based on the bestselling Harper Teen novels by Sara Shepard and produced by Alloy Entertainment in association with Warner Horizon Television, the scripted hour-long series stars Troian Bellisario, Ashley Benson, Holly Marie Combs, Lucy Hale, Ian Harding, Bianca Lawson, Laura Leighton, Chad Lowe, Shay Mitchell and Sasha Pieterse.

Set one year after the disappearance of Alison (Pieterse), the manipulative and vindictive queen bee of the group, the series revolves around four 16-year-old girlfriends — Aria (Hale), Spencer (Bellisario), Hanna (Benson), and Emily (Mitchell) — who have lost touch with one another until each begins to receive mysterious messages suggesting that Alison is watching them. Linked by their former bond and the panic and confusion the enigmatic messages cause, the friends are suddenly reunited, though each girl has her own secrets – secrets she wants no one else to know.

“Pretty Little Liars” is executive-produced by I. Marlene King (“Just My Luck,” “If These Walls Could Talk”), Oliver Goldstick (“Lipstick Jungle,” “Ugly Betty”) and Leslie Morgenstein (“Gossip Girl,” “The Vampire Diaries”).

Part of the Disney/ABC Television Group, ABC Family is distributed in over 98 million homes. ABC Family features programming reflecting today’s families, entertaining and connecting with adults through relatable programming about today’s relationships – told with a mix of diversity, dysfunction, passion, humor and heart. ABC Family’s programming is a combination of network defining original series and original movies, quality acquired series and blockbuster theatricals. ABC Family is also the destination for annual Holiday events with “13 Nights of Halloween” and “25 Days of Christmas!” ABC Family. A New Kind of Family.

About Warner Horizon Television
Warner Horizon Television (WHTV) is one of the entertainment industry’s fastest-growing television companies, specializing in the creation of scripted series for the cable marketplace, and primetime reality series for both network and cable. Founded in 2006, this second production entity allows the Warner Bros. Television Group to expand its programming offerings and explore creative options made possible under a new business model. For summer 2010 and the 2010-2011 seasons, WHTV is producing more than a dozen series. WHTV’s unscripted series are “The Bachelor,” “The Bachelorette,” “Bachelor Pad” and “True Beauty” for ABC, “School Pride” for NBC, “High School Reunion” for TV Land and “Randy Jackson Presents America’s Best Dance Crew” for MTV. Scripted programs from WHTV are “Dark Blue,” “Memphis Beat” and “Rizzoli & Isles” for TNT, “Pretty Little Liars” for ABC Family, “Rubicon” for AMC and “Unnatural History” for Cartoon Network.

Source: Nielsen Media Research (National Ratings, 6/8/10-6/22/10, Live + SD).

What do you think? Are you glad to hear that the young ladies from Rosewood will be around for awhile?

Image courtesy ABC Family.