The network’s executives would much rather cater to folks they call Becomers, a.k.a. young Millennials coveted by advertisers.
As such, the network is launching a bevy of reality shows and introducing programs with a sexy, supernatural bent: One show (“Stitchers”) will feature a young woman who taps into dead people’s memories. Another (“Shadowhunter”) focuses on an 18-year-old angel-human hybrid demon hunter, and on June 8, ABC Family will debut an unscripted show called “Becoming Us” about a teen boy growing up with his father…who’s transitioning into a woman.
As Variety‘s Brian Steinberg puts it, “ABC Family wants to make sure advertisers understand its programming isn’t the sort that might be watched by, well, the unit that is part of its name.” (Variety)