The Lying Game in Renewal Limbo
Future Of ABC Family’s ‘The Lying Game’ In Limbo As Cast Options Expire. What About ‘Bunheads’?
It’s been more than a month since The Lying Game aired its second season finale and six months since the series wrapped production. But ABC Family is yet to make a decision on the future of the show based of Sara Shepard’s books. Complicating things is the fact that the options on the cast are up this week. I hear ABC Family asked The Lying Game producer Warner Horizon to extend the options on cast as the cable network wants to see how its summer series launch before making a decision on The Lying Game. That is easier said than done as the extension process involves a slew of actors with virtually no assurances that the extra hold will lead to a renewal. I hear all actors passed on Warner Horizon’s initial offer. I hear the efforts focused on the leads, with Alexandra Chando, now signed, and Blair Redford, who is in negotiations. The rest of the actors are in various stages of talks with the studios. I hear the hold is only until July, so ABC Family will have to make a decision shortly after its new and returning scripted series debut (between May 29 and June 11). Also unknown is the status is of Chuck Pratt who developed The Lying Game as serves as executive producer/showrunner. While the majority of the writers on the show have three-year deals, I hear Pratt’s contract was up at the end of Season 2. “Each of us will have to make some decisions in the event of a pick-up,” Pratt wrote in a email to the show’s crew. “I’m sure our circumstances at that time will affect our decision. Know this, though. We all love this show, and if this is to be its last run, we want to be there. Once again, we wait…”
But as frustrating ABC Family’s silence has been for The Lying Game team, they are not alone. Also anxiously awaiting word on renewal is fellow bubble series Bunheads whose freshman season ended more than two months ago. ABC Family will likely make a decision on both series around the same time. While Amy Sherman Pallandino’s Bunheads has been garnering stronger critical notices, the two series have been on par in total viewers (1.7 million in Live+7), and The Lying Game has done better in the younger demos, 2.2 vs. 1.4 in F12-34 and 1.7 vs. 1.3 in F18-34.
