Teenage hearts broke and tissue boxes were emptied all over the world when Freeform’s mega-popular series ‘Pretty Little Liars’ ended back in June.
If you’re anything like me, your Tuesday nights now feel empty without the thrill of getting closer and closer to discovering A and A.D.’s true identities (even if it was dragged out for seven…long…seasons). And you’re nostalgic for the good old days of plopping down on the couch with a bag of chips and crying over all of the dramatic, unrealistic things that happened to the girls of Rosewood.
Well, PLL fans, mourn no more, because three actresses from the original show are returning to the small screen to star in two upcoming series.
According to an announcement from Freeform, one of the shows is titled ‘Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists’ and it’s based on The Perfectionists book series by Sara Shepard, author of the Pretty Little Liars books, and actresses Sasha Pieterse and Janel Parrish will reprise their roles of Alison DiLaurentis and Mona Vanderwaal.
‘The Perfectionists’ is set to take place in the seemingly idyllic college town of Beacon Heights, where a series of dark events leads to murder. I. Marlene King, the executive producer and showrunner of ‘Pretty Little Liars,’ will also return to the network to produce the show.
“Guess the news is out…so happy to continue this @prettylittleliars adventure with my love @sashapieterse27 and @imarleneking,” Parrish said in a post on Instagram.
For fans of the original series, ‘The Perfectionists’ will not only pick up where the show left off, but it will also take things in a different direction.
So, what do Temple University students think about the new shows?
“I’m pretty excited about ‘The Perfectionists’ because I’m super curious [about] how they’re going to tie in the ‘PLL’ [series] ending with it,” said Bridget McKnight, a senior middle grades education major. “I’m hoping it will be as mysterious as ‘PLL’ always was.”
“I was drawn into Pretty Little Liars because it was the murder-mystery show that everyone was talking about in high school,” added Maria Antoni, a sophomore marketing major. “I’m really excited for this new show just because I want to see how Freeform develops these characters further and what different approaches they are going to have.”
If one show isn’t enough to satisfy your craving for PLL–style drama, get ready, there’s more.
The Hollywood Reporter recently announced that Shay Mitchell, who starred as Emily Fields on ‘Pretty Little Liars,’ will move to ABC to star in ‘The Heiresses.’
Based on another Sara Shepard book and set to be produced by King, the show centers on two estranged cousins who are heiresses to the diamond empire of the Saybrook family and come together to figure out who wants the family dead.
Mitchell posted on her Facebook account to celebrate the announcement.
With Marlene King at the head of both shows, they are sure to bring the familiar intensity that fans have come to know and love, but hopefully with unique storylines and plot twists.
Do you think you’ll tune in to watch ‘The Perfectionists’ or ‘The Heiresses’? Can they duplicate the overwhelming success that ‘Pretty Little Liars’ achieved in its seven years on the air? Only time will tell.