'Pretty Little Liars' Return Date Set by ABC Family

ABC Family has set the premiere date for “Pretty Little Liars,” the network announced Friday.

The hit series starring Troian Bellisario, Ashley Benson, Lucy Hale, Shay Mitchell and Sasha Pieterse will return for the second half of Season 6 on January 12, 2016. A one-hour behind-the-scenes special will air ahead of the premiere on Nov. 24, and will give a sneak peek of the series upcoming five-year time jump.

“Pretty Little Liars” also debuted its new opening sequence on Thursday, which kept many of the original elements, but added series regular Pieterse.

Also read: 'Pretty Little Liars' Unveils New Opening Sequence (Video)

The series is produced by Alloy Entertainment in association with Warner Horizon Television and is executive produced by I. Marlene King, Oliver Goldstick, Leslie Morgenstein and Joseph Dougherty. Tyler Blackburn, Ian Harding, Laura Leighton and Janel Parrish also star.

ABC Family recently announced that it will be renamed Freeform in January. The network’s senior vice president of marketing, creative and branding, Nigel Cox-Hagan told TheWrap on Tuesday that the relaunch of “Pretty Little Liars” would have “a lot of Freeform messaging associated with it.”

The Evolution of ABC Family: From '700 Club' to 'Pretty Little Liars' Powerhouse (Photos)

"The 700 Club" (1977 - )

The Christian talk show was one of the first on ABC Family -- back when it was known as the Christian Broadcasting Network. It premiered in April 1966 and moved to the network in 1977.
ABC Family
"State of Grace" (2001-2002)

This dramedy about two friends in 1960s North Carolina ran for two seasons on ABC Family when the network was known as Fox Family.
ABC Family
"Kyle XY" (2006-2009)

ABC Family relaunched in 2001, adopted a new slogan in 2006 ("A New Kind of Family") and incorporated shows targeted at young adults. Among the first: "Kyle XY," a sci-fi drama about a belly-button-less boy with no memory of his past.
ABC Family
"Greek" (2007-2011)

This dramedy follows Cyprus-Rhodes University students who are members of the school's Greek system.
ABC Family
"The Secret Life of the American Teenager" (2008-2013)

The show, about a high school teenager (Shailene Woodley) who gets pregnant and keeps her baby, is a stark contrast to material from the old days of CBN.
ABC Family
"Make It or Break It" (2009-2012)

In an effort to be more female-friendly, ABC Family launched this series about teen gymnasts who are working toward competing in the Olympic Games.
ABC Family
"Pretty Little Liars" (2010- )

One of the top shows in ABC Family's history, "Pretty Little Liars" boasts a solid fan base on social media.
ABC Family
"Melissa & Joey" (2010 - )

ABC Family is ending "Melissa & Joey" after four seasons, and announced the series finale will air on Aug. 5.
ABC Family
"The Lying Game" (2011-2013)

"The Lying Game" -- based on novels by "Pretty Little Liars" author Sara Shepard -- didn't receive the same love as the latter. The teen drama was canceled after two seasons.
ABC Family
"Switched At Birth" (2011- )

"Switched at Birth" follows two teenage girls who were handed off to the wrong parents at birth and raised in two different worlds. The series has four seasons to its name.
ABC Family
"Baby Daddy" (2012 - )

Like "Secret Life," "Baby Daddy" features a controversial storyline -- a man in his twenties is handed a baby by a one-night stand and becomes a single father.
ABC Family
"Bunheads" (2012-2013)

Before it was canceled after only one season, "Bunheads" followed a Las Vegas showgirl who spontaneously marries and becomes a teacher at her mother-in-law's ballet school.
ABC Family
"The Fosters" (2013 - )

The Foster family is comprised of an interracial lesbian couple who are raising adopted and foster children, along with their own.
ABC Family
"Chasing Life" (2014 - )

"Chasing Life" was adapted from the Spanish-language Mexican series "Terminales."
ABC Family
"Young & Hungry" (2014 - )

"Young & Hungry," which features Emily Osment as an up-and-coming chef, premiered its second season in March 2015.
ABC Family
"Becoming Us" (2015 - )

The Ryan Seacrest-produced reality series centers on the Lehwald family, whose father has become a transgender woman.
ABC Family

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Launched as Christian Broadcasting Network in 1977, the network has transformed itself over the years

"The 700 Club" (1977 - )

The Christian talk show was one of the first on ABC Family -- back when it was known as the Christian Broadcasting Network. It premiered in April 1966 and moved to the network in 1977.

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The Evolution of ABC Family: From '700 Club' to 'Pretty Little Liars' Powerhouse (Photos)

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