ABC Family will be greenlighting its fifth original scripted series this year.
Jane by Design, formerly known as What Would Jane Do, is nearing a series pickup at the younger-skewing cable network, according to a source close to production.
Jane, from April Blair, centers on a 16-year-old girl (The Lake‘s Erica Dasher) who juggles life as a teenager and a demanding new job as a full-time assistant for a design company. Gavin Polone (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Gilmore Girls) will executive produce.
The hourlong drama will join State of Georgia, The Nine Lives of Chloe King, Switched at Birth and The Lying Game, which were all given series orders.
ABC Family, with ratings successes like Pretty Little Liars and The Secret Life of the American Teenager on its growing slate, announced in early March that it would begin launching new series throughout the year, rather than relying exclusively in the summer as a launching pad.
Ratings have also been on the uptick; the net drew 580,000 viewers in the 12-34 demo last year, up almost 50 percent from five years earlier.
UPDATED: ABC Family officially announced the pickup of Jane by Design, also with Andie MacDowell starring as a fashion executive, early Wednesday and also unveiled the series launch dates for a slew of its new series. Jane is set to premiere early next year.
Switched at Birth premieres Monday, June 6 at 9 p.m., The Nine Lives of Chloe King debuts Tuesday, June 14 at 9 p.m., State of Georgia launches Wednesday, June 29 at 8:30 p.m. and The Lying Game will premiere Monday, August 15 at 9 p.m.
