FREEFORM ANNOUNCES THE CAST OF SCRIPTED DRAMA PILOT 'ISSUES' AS PRODUCTION BEGINS

The Series is Inspired by the Life of Joanna Coles, Editor in Chief of Cosmopolitan

Freeform announces the cast of scripted drama pilot "Issues," as production kicked off last week in Toronto. Freeform is the new name for ABC Family.

Inspired by the life of Joanna Coles, editor in chief of Cosmopolitan, the scripted show is a glimpse into the outrageous lives and loves of those responsible for a global women's magazine. Their struggles are about finding your identity, managing friendships and getting your heart broken, all while wearing the perfect jeans to flatter any body type.

Katie Stevens ("Faking It") will star as Jane, who has just been promoted to her dream job as a writer for Scarlet Magazine. Equal parts passion and determination, she is sometimes a little overwhelmed by life in New York. Aisha Dee ("Chasing Life") portrays Kat, also recently promoted at Scarlet to social media director; she is bold, fearless and not intimidated by anyone. Meghann Fahy ("Political Animals") rounds out the trio as Sutton, the last of her friends to be an assistant at Scarlet. Sutton is humble and dependable, but her workload comes at two speeds - crushing or overwhelming. Furthermore, Sutton is keeping a secret from her friends.

These three friends work for Jacqueline, played by Melora Hardin ("Transparent"), the editor in chief of Scarlet Magazine. The quietly tough and confident Jacqueline can intimidate without saying a word, but she also has a strong nurturing side and encourages Jane to find her voice as a writer. Sam Page ("House of Cards") stars as Richard, the lawyer for the publishing group, and a man with money, social connections and sophistication. Matt Ward ("Remedy") rounds out the cast as Alex, a fellow writer at Scarlet who is smitten with Jane and joined the magazine as a last resort after losing a dream job.

Sarah Watson ("Parenthood"), David Bernad ("Superstore"), Joanna Coles and Ruben Fleischer ("Superstore," "Zombieland") will serve as executive producers. Holly Whidden is a co-executive producer. The series is a Universal Television and The District production.

About Freeform (the new name for ABC Family)

Part of the Disney|ABC Television Group, Freeform is distributed in 94 million homes. The network connects to audiences and goes beyond entertainment with bold original programming and immersive social engagement. The network delivers a unique mix of quality original and acquired series, plus fan favorite movies and the holiday events "13 Nights of Halloween" and "25 Days of Christmas." The Freeform app is a service that allows viewers with participating TV subscription services access to 24/7 live viewing of the network, as well as continued on-demand access via a wide array of devices.