The Walt Disney Company has been a powerful source of TV content for decades now. Not only do they own ABC and Disney Channel, they also made the decision to purchase a basic cable channel in 2001 and named it ABC Family. For 15 years, ABC Family churned out content that appealed to families and young adults that didn't fit on their other networks. Thus, hit shows life Greek, Kyle XY, and The Secret Life of an American Teenager were born and flourished.
As the media landscape began to change, The Walt Disney Company set their eyes on rebranding ABC Family to appeal to a not often reached demographic -- young adults. In 2016, the rebranding was complete and Freeform was officially launched. With the slogan "A Little Forward," Freeform aims to produce forward-thinking content that challenges viewers to think critically and pushes for diversity in all areas.
With over two decades of original content, Freeform and the former ABC Family have put out a wide range of shows that fans loved to watch or loved to hate.
20 Ravenswood Was An Unnecessary Spin-Off
Pretty Little Liars became such a hit for Freeform that they figured they could spin it off into more shows, multiple times. Unfortunately, none of the spin-offs ever took off in the same way that Pretty Little Liars did. Fans weren't keen on Ravenswood primarily because it meant Caleb Rivers (Tyler Blackburn) would be away from Hanna (Ashley Benson) and the rest of the PLL cast and action.
19 The Secret Life Of An American Teenager Handled Serious Material But Fell Flat
When it first aired, The Secret Life of an American Teenager had the highest viewership numbers ever for a Freeform original series. While it's true the show did have a massive following and viewers did tune in week after week, it quickly became a show audiences "hate-watched." The problems with the series were not necessarily the content but rather the juvenile dialogue. Not to mention the finale did not fare well with longtime fans of the series.
18 Young And Hungry Tried To Be Adult But Still Felt Childish
In her first big TV role since starring as Lily in Hannah Montana, Emily Osment plays Gabi Diamond, a young chef who takes a job as a personal chef for a young tech entrepreneur (Josh Kaminski). While the show aimed at reaching young adult audiences, it still felt like a tween Disney Channel series.
17 10 Things I Hate About You Couldn't Live Up To The Film's Hype
Inspired by the film of the same name, 10 Things I Hate About You follows the Stratford sisters who have just moved to California. While the series did stay true to the film's characters, the truth of the matter is that the film did not need a TV series. And for many fans, it felt weird watching 10 Things I Hate About You without Julia Stiles (Kat) and Heath Ledger (Patrick).
16 Baby Daddy Relies Too Much On Its Cliche Premise
Inspired by the film Three Men and a Baby, Baby Daddy flipped the switch on single parenting by having Ben Wheeler (Jean-Luc Bilodeau) discover he's a father after his daughter is left on his doorstep. The only issue is that that's about as progressive as the show gets. Ben spends much of the serious pawning his parenting duties off to his roommate and his mother instead of actually stepping up to his fatherly duties.
15 Grown-ish's Ensemble Cast Is More Entertaining Than The Main Character
With Gen-Z growing up, it only seems fit that Freeform start catering to their demographic. Grown-ish is their first attempt to grab those viewers. The show follows Zoey Johnson (Yara Shahidi), from ABC's Blackish, as she moves out of her parents' home and begins her college adventures at Cal-U. While Zoey is the main character of the show, many fans find themselves rolling their eyes whenever she's on-screen because they're more invested in her friends' journeys.
14 Bunheads Failed To Find An Audience Despite Amazing Writing
Created by the great Amy Sherman-Palladino, Bunheads starred Sutton Foster as a former Vegas showgirl who is now working as a ballet instructor alongside her mother-in-law. Critics praised the show for its smart dialogue but it failed to find a steady audience during the summer it premiered, leading to its cancellation after one season.
13 Greek Got People Talking Regardless Of Their Opinion On The Show
Greek premiered in 2007 and aimed to tell the story of greek life at the fictional Cyprus-Rhodes University. While the show was purely fictional, many viewers thought its portrayal of Greek life was accurate. This lead to controversy in which the show was banned from filming on USC's sorority row because of the show's need to portray Greek life as a constant party.
12 Shadowhunters' Lackluster Plot Holds It Back From Greatness
Freeform has always been interested in telling supernatural stories and it's only furthered that interest in recent years. Unfortunately, not all shows can be hits. Shadowhunters is one of those supernatural shows that falls short of greatness. While the idea of a human-angel hybrid who has to hunt down demons is interesting, it gets predictable quickly.
11 Make It Or Break It Was Ahead Of Its Time
Given the recent controversy surrounding elite gymnastics, we can't help but think that Make It Or Break It might have fared better if it aired today rather than at the beginning of the 2010s. The show explored the fictional world of elite gymnastics and dealt with topics such as eating disorders, injuries, steroid use, and even pregnancy.
