ABSTRACT
TV development can take as little as 9–12 months from pitch to series on the air. Some shows take much longer. This chapter takes a close-up look at the origins of Pretty Little Liars, which was developed at three different networks with three different writers who wrote three completely distinct pilot scripts over the course of five years, before ABC Family finally got it right and the show became the network’s highest-rated series. The chapter also considers the show’s initial ideation. Pretty Little Liars answered the creative question: What is teen Desperate Housewives? That question spawned an 18-book New York Times bestselling novel series and a TV show that lasted seven seasons and 160 episodes.
