ABC FAMILY ANNOUNCES PICK-UP OF "SWITCHED AT BIRTH," "THE NINE LIVES OF CHLOE KING" AND "THE GREAT STATE OF GEORGIA"

Burbank, CA (Monday, January 31, 2011) - Michael Riley, President, ABC Family, announced today the pick-up of two one-hour dramas, "Switched at Birth" and "The Nine Lives of Chloe King," and the half-hour multi-cam comedy series, "The Great State of Georgia." The three original series will debut on the network later this year.

"We continue to offer our Millennial viewers a rich and diverse mix of authentic, optimistic and heartfelt programming," said Riley. "We're excited about these new series and believe they will be great additions to an already strong slate that, at its core, is filled with engaging, strong, funny and relatable characters."

"Switched at Birth," a one-hour scripted drama, tells the story of two teenage girls who discover they were accidentally switched as newborns in the hospital. Bay Kennish grew up in a wealthy family with two parents and a brother, while Daphne Vasquez, who lost her hearing at an early age due to a case of meningitis, grew up with a single mother in a poor neighborhood. Things come to a dramatic head when both families meet and struggle to learn how to live together for the sake of the girls. Lizzy Weiss ("Blue Crush," "Cashmere Mafia"), Paul Stupin ("Make It or Break It") and John Ziffren ("Melissa & Joey," "Make It or Break It") serve as executive producers. "Switched at Birth" stars newcomer Katie Leclerc as Daphne Vasquez; Vanessa Marano ("Gilmore Girls") as Bay Kennish; Constance Marie ("George Lopez") as Regina Vasquez; D.W. Moffett ("Friday Night Lights") as John Kennish; Lea Thompson ("Back to the Future," "Caroline in the City") as Kathryn Kennish; and Lucas Grabeel ("High School Muisical") as Toby Kennish.

In the one-hour scripted drama "The Nine Lives of Chloe King," Chloe King is looking forward to celebrating her birthday with her friends and single mother, just like every other year... that is until she starts developing heightened abilities and discovers she's being pursued by a mysterious figure. Chloe soon learns she's part of an ancient race which has been hunted by human assassins for millennia - and that she may be their only hope for ultimate survival. "The Nine Lives of Chloe King" will be executive-produced by Dan Berendsen ("Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam," "Sabrina the Teenage Witch," "Hannah Montana: The Movie") and John Ziffren ("Melissa & Joey," "Make It or Break It") with Alloy Entertainment's Leslie Morgenstein ("Pretty Little Liars," "Gossip Girl," "The Vampire Diaries") and Gina Girolamo. The drama is based on the book series The Nine Lives of Chloe King by Celia Thomson. The series will star Skyler Samuels ("The Gates") as Chloe King; Amy Pietz ("The Office," "Caroline in the City") as Meredith King; Grey Damon ("True Blood," "Friday Night Lights") as Brian; newcomer Grace Phipps as Amy; Benjamin Stone ("10 Things I Hate About You") as Alek; Alyssa Diaz ("Southland") as Jasmine; and Ki Hong Lee ("The Secret Life of the American Teenager") as Paul.

"The Great State of Georgia," an ABC Studios Production, is a half-hour multi-cam comedy series starring Raven-Symon� as Georgia, an aspiring actress with a larger than life personality, and her science geek best friend, who try to make headway in New York City. "The Great State of Georgia" will be executive-produced by Kirk J. Rudell and Jennifer Weiner, author of the best-selling novels Good in Bed and In Her Shoes (Cameron Diaz and Toni Collette starred in the feature film version by the same name). Majandra Delfino ("Roswell") also stars, as Jo and Meagen Fay ("According to Jim") as Aunt Honey.

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 relevant stories about today's relationships, all told with diversity, passion, humor and heart.

ABC Family's programming is a mix 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.