Watch Pretty Little Liars Online - Full Episodes

Pretty Little Liars is a teenage drama that is loosely based on the novels of the same name by author Sara Shepard. The novels have become more popular since the debut of the series. The series is created by I. Marlene King, who also serves as an executive producer with Bob Levy, Leslie Morganstein, and Oliver Goldstick. The series is produced by Lisa Cochran-Neilan. The series follows a single-camera format with Dana Gonzales serving as the primary cinematographer. Upon initial airing, the series was so successful that it was picked up for a full run and is currently in its third season of production. The show is just one of several popular teen dramas currently in production on ABC Family.

The mystery-thriller follows the lives of four school-age girls whose lives take a dramatic turn upon the sudden disappearance of the "queen bee" leader of their popular highschool clique. The series is set in the fictional American town of Rosewood, a suburb in Pennsylvania. The story is set one year later, when each member of the clique begins receiving mysterious text messages from an elusive unknown character named "A" who threatens to expose the group's secrets. Initially, the members think that the messages are coming from Allison herself, but she is found dead and the girls realize that someone else is privy to the long-hidden secrets that they thought only Allison knew.

The group is made up of Aria Montgomery, the artist of the group, who has moved back to Rosewood after living for one year in Iceland. Spencer Hastings is the intelligent one who tries to please her well-to-do parents. Hanna Marin is the popular "It" girl who secretly suffers from self-image issues and bulimia. Emily Fields is the jock girl of the clique and was in love with Allison. As the story line progresses, the audience learns that Allison was a very charismatic and manipulative young woman. Hated by most, Allison was known for her conniving ways and use of blackmail to get what she wanted.

Casting for the show began in the fall of 2009, with the pilot episode being shot in Vancouver and then principal production moving to Los Angeles, CA. The show is produced by Warner Horizon Television and Alloy Entertainment and distributed by Warner Bros. Television. The show was heavily promoted by ABC Family, including a series of racy promotional posters and television advertisements. Popular music is heavily used within the series, with the theme song Secret being performed by the all female folk-rock band The Pierces. The show has used music from bands like The Fray, Colbie Caillat, Ben's Brother, Florence + The Machine, Selena Gomez and McFly. An official soundtrack was released on February 15, 2011.

The series debuted with mixed critical reviews. Reviewers from the New York Times and the LA Times were positive, praising the series' camp factor and its ability to be self-aware. Entertainment Weekly was less favorable, commenting that the story lines were cliched and uninspired.

Despite a mixed bag of critical reviews, Pretty Little Liars premiered to high ratings on June 8th 2010. It became the highest rated series debut for ABC Family. The debut episode was seen by 2.47 million viewers and the show continues to attract a high number of viewers in the much coveted 12-34 demographic. In the summer of 2010 the season finale drew in 3.07 million viewers. The series has already been renewed for a fourth season. The show is broadcast internationally in a number of countries including the UK, South Africa, Spain, Poland and Croatia just to name a few.

In the United States, the show has been nominated for and won awards with several popular award shows. The Gay and Lesbian Critics Association has nominated the series with Outstanding Drama Series for three consecutive seasons. The Teen Choice Awards recognized actors Ian Harding and Lucy Hale for Choice Summer TV Star: Male and Female respectively.