ABC Family is continuing to set its course under new development head Karey Burke.
The Disney-owned cable network has renewed scripted drama The Fosters for a third season and adding unscripted entry Job or No Job.
During its summer run, The Fosters averaged 2.6 million total viewers and 1.3 million the key advertiser-coveted adults 18-49 demographic when factoring in seven days of delayed viewing. The show ranked as the No. 1 scripted cable TV series in its time period in the target demos, including viewers 12-34. The recent holiday episodes delivered near one-year highs in total viewers and adults 18-34.
The Fosters, which is produced in-house, is executive produced by Jennifer Lopez and created by Bradley Bredeweg and Peter Paige (Queer as Folk). It won a TV Academy honor and a GLAAD Media Award for its depiction of a same-sex family.
Meanwhile, Job or No Job hails from Undercover Boss producers Studio Lambert andAll3Media America. The series follows one adult per episode on their journey to land a first job. Each individual featured on the series will go on three interviews, with viewers watching to see if they land any, all or none of the positions. Stephen Lambert, Eli Holzman, Greg Goldman and Sara Quick executive produce.
Job or No Job comes as ABC Family continues to push into the unscripted arena under network topper Tom Ascheim, who in June picked up hidden-camera prank series Freak Out as one of his first orders of business and recently added a transgenderdocuseries from EP Ryan Seacrest. The move is part of a larger push to age-up the network, which is mulling a complete rebranding that could include a new name for the network. Ascheim’s plan is to shift ABC Family’s viewership from teens to 20-somethings and their families.
The Fosters, meanwhile, joins a roster of scripted originals including Baby Daddy, Chasing Life, Melissa & Joey, Switched at Birth, Young & Hungry, Stitchers, Pretty Little Liars and Recovery Road. The network, under development topper Burke, recently picked up its first two pilots — single-camera entries Tough Cookie and Kevin From Work.
Email: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
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