ABC Spark Announces Summer 2014 Schedule Including Premiere Dates For New Series Chasing Life, Young & Hungry and Mystery Girls

Three can't-miss nights of programming to include new episodes of returning hit series, Switched at Birth and The Fosters beginning in June

TORONTO, March 11, 2014 /CNW/ - ABC Spark announced today the summer premieres of three highly-anticipated new series, including the riveting drama Chasing Life and hilarious comedies Young & Hungry, starring Emily Osment, and Mystery Girls, starring and executive produced by Tori Spelling and Jennie Garth. Fan favourites Switched at Birth and The Fosters also return in June with brand-new episodes.

Chasing Life premieres Tuesday, June 10 at 9 p.m. ET. The new one-hour drama stars Richmond Hill, Ontario native Italia Ricci as April. Her character is a smart, twenty-something, aspiring journalist who tries to balance her ambitious career with her family, which includes her widowed mom, Sara (Mary Page Keller), rebellious little sister, Brenna (Haley Ramm), and her grandmother, Emma (Rebecca Schull). We meet April at a pivotal moment in her life: she's landed a fantastic opportunity to impress her hard-nosed Boston newspaper editor and an office romance with her super-sexy co-worker Dominic (Richard Brancatisano) is just beginning to blossom. In an unexpected twist of fate, April lands in the hospital where her estranged uncle George (Steven Weber) works as an oncologist, and she learns the devastating news that she has cancer. The series follows April through her journey in the face of this daunting revelation, during a time in her life when the challenges of finding love and success would be enough to keep any girl occupied. But April is determined to fight and refuses to give up her dreams and goals. Along the way, she'll find new reserves of strength and passion within and discover that facing death may really be the only way to truly live.

Young & Hungry, executive produced by Ashley Tisdale (High School Musical), premieres Wednesday June 25 at 8 p.m. ET. Two worlds collide when Josh (Jonathan Sadowski), a wealthy young tech entrepreneur, meets Gabi (Emily Osment), a feisty young food blogger, looking to be his personal chef. Gabi is desperate for the job and must prove herself, mostly to Josh's aide, Elliot (Rex Lee), who prefers a famous chef for the job. When Josh enlists Gabi to prepare a romantic meal for him and his girlfriend, the dinner goes awry and Gabi finds herself in a very awkward position. With the help of her best friend Sofia (Aimee Carrero) and Josh's housekeeper Yolanda (Kym Whitley), Gabi turns a difficult situation into an opportunity for employment and maybe even love.

Mystery Girls starring Tori Spelling and Jennie Garth, premieres Wednesday, June 25 at 8:30 p.m. ET. The comedy series follows two former detective TV show starlets brought back together by a real-life mystery. Charlie Contour (Garth) is a suburban housewife and mother, while Holly Hamilton (Spelling) longs for her glory days in the 90's when she was on television. Both of their lives are disrupted when Nick (Miguel Pinzon), a witness to a crime and a Mystery Girls fanatic, will only speak to the infamous duo, and the former friends must reunite and put their TV crime-solving skills to the test. The series is also executive produced by Spelling and Garth.

Switched at Birth premieres with all-new episodes on Monday, June 16 at 8 p.m. ET.  The award winning series returns to complete its third season by picking up the day after the winter finale, as our characters deal with the consequences of decisions made the night before. Kathryn deals with the reality of being a herotica novelist, Regina is torn between the pull of her old neighborhood and her new life, and the girls need to summon courage to face a moment of truth they never anticipated. 

The Fosters returns for its second season on Monday, June 16 at 9 p.m. ET. The critically-acclaimed series centers on biracial lesbian couple Stef and Lena Foster, who are raising a multi-ethnic family mix of foster and biological kids. The second season will continue to explore the growing Fosters clan, with all the triumphs and travails, twists and turns, that fans of the series have come to expect. Callie and Jude will try to adjust to their new roles in the family, and everyone will deal with the fallout from their previous actions. Past mistakes will come home to roost, consequences will be handed out, and victories will be hard fought, and ultimately well-won. Their deep bonds will grow, enabling America's most modern family to face the future head on, with love in their hearts.

SUMMARY:

Tuesday, June 10 at 9 p.m. ET – Series premiere of Chasing Life

Monday, June 16 at 8 p.m.  ET – Season premiere of Switched at Birth

Monday, June 16 at 9 p.m. ET – Season premiere of The Fosters

Wednesday, June 25 at 8 p.m. ET – Series premiere of Young & Hungry

Wednesday, June 25 at 8:30 p.m. ET – Series premiere of Mystery Girls

ABC Spark is available in Canada through a license agreement between Corus Entertainment and Disney/ABC Television Group. Built on the foundation of the successful U.S. brand ABC Family, ABC Spark is a multiplatform offering featuring original series and movies, as well as general entertainment programming. The 24-hour channel has the same values, look, tone, essence and feel of ABC Family in the U.S. www.abcspark.ca

Corus Entertainment Inc.
Corus Entertainment Inc. is a Canadian-based media and entertainment company that creates, broadcasts and licenses content across a variety of platforms for audiences around the world. The Company's portfolio of multimedia offerings encompasses specialty television and radio with additional assets in pay television, television broadcasting, children's book publishing, children's animation and animation software. Corus' brands include YTV, TELETOON, ABC Spark, W Network, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network (Canada), HBO Canada, Historia and Séries+, as well as Nelvana, Kids Can Press, Toon Boom and 39 radio stations including CKNW AM 980, 99.3 The FOX, Country 105, 630 CHED, Fresh FM London, Q107 and 102.1 the Edge. A publicly traded company, Corus is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (CJR.B). Experience Corus on the web at corusent.com.

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SOURCE: ABC Spark

images or screeners, please contact: Netta Rondinelli, 416-479-6443, [email protected]; Kate Calder, 416-479-6319, [email protected]