ABC FAMILY GREENLIGHTS THE ONE-HOUR SCRIPTED DRAMA, "BUNHEADS" FROM EXECUTIVE PRODUCER AMY SHERMAN-PALLADINO STARRING TONY AWARD(R) WINNING ACTOR SUTTON FOSTER

BURBANK, CA (February 8, 2012) - ABC Family, the Millennial-skewing network, continues to expand its original programming slate, giving the greenlight to the new drama series "Bunheads" (working title), it was announced today by Michael Riley, president, ABC Family.

Executive-produced by Amy Sherman-Palladino ("Gilmore Girls") and headlined by Tony Award(R)-winning actor Sutton Foster, "Bunheads" is the tale of a Las Vegas showgirl who impulsively marries a man, moves to his sleepy coastal town, and takes an uneasy role at her new mother-in-law's dance school. "Bunheads" joins ABC Family's recently announced new original series, "Baby Daddy" and "Beverly Hills Nannies." All three series will begin production in Spring 2012.

Kate Juergens, executive vice president, Original Programming and Development, ABC Family added, "Amy and I had a great collaboration on 'Gilmore Girls,' which continues to find new fans here on ABC Family, and I look forward to this new partnership being just as successful. Her vision for 'Bunheads' aligns beautifully with our brand and is a wonderful addition to ABC Family's original programming slate. I know our Millennial audience is going to fall in love with Sutton Foster the same way Broadway has."

Part of the Disney/ABC Television Group, ABC Family is distributed in over 97 million homes. ABC Family features programming reflecting today's families, entertaining and connecting with adults through relatable programming about today's relationships - told with a mix of diversity, passion, humor and heart. ABC Family's programming is a combination of network defining original series and original movies, quality acquired series and blockbuster theatricals. Emmy(R) Award-winning ABCFamily.com provides a variety of interactive entertainment and community features, from rich, fan-centric programming - including blogs, viewing parties, webisodes, full episodes of the network's hit programming, along with sneak peek exclusive previews and behind-the-scenes clips. 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.