SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

ABC Family had its annual Winter Wonderland event in New York earlier this month (Dec. 7) and we were on hand to talk to all of the stars on some scoops from their shows, what they're up to, and of course their plans for the holiday season! ABC Family's upcoming winter premieres start next week (Jan. 6), so it's the perfect time to remind you all of the upcoming returns. We spoke to the following stars: Jean-Luc Bilodeau (Ben), Tahj Mowry (Tucker), Chelsea Kane (Riley), Derek Theler (Danny), Melissa Peterman (Bonnie) of Baby Daddy; Melissa Joan Hart (Mel) of Melissa & Joey; Emily Osment (Gabi) of Young & Hungry; Katie Leclerc (Daphne) of Switched at Birth; Maia Mitchell (Callie), Cierra Ramirez (Mariana), David Lambert (Brandon) of The Fosters; and Italia Ricci (April) of Chasing Life!

Unfortunately, we didn't get to speak to the stars of Pretty Little Liars (Lucy Hale, Shay Mitchell and Tyler Blackburn), but the show is back next Tuesday (Jan. 6) at 8|7c to kick-off the ABC Family winter premieres!

Jean-Luc Bilodeau, Tahj Mowry, & Chelsea Kane (Baby Daddy)

SitcomsOnline.com: We love this show, it is so funny and each character shines. Last season's finale had a lot of cliffhangers, can you guys give us some hints? Is Danny in Paris and are Ben & Riley together?
Chelsea Kane: Aw, thank you! Well it picks-up, right where we left off so Danny just left for Paris and Ben & Riley are really going for it.
Jean-Luc Bilodeau: They're together for the first time, yeah.
Chelsea Kane: Yeah, so your questions will be answered pretty quickly in the first episode where it's going...but not in the Christmas episode. The Christmas episode is stand-alone, which is also really nice, we don't really touch on the drama...
Tahj Mowry: Yeah, it's all about Christmas.
Chelsea Kane: Yeah, and about how much we all need each other.

SitcomsOnline.com: How will Christa B. Allen's (Revenge) character play into the storyline? Is it going to be a quadrangle between Ben/Riley/Danny and her? And I guess Danny's back from Paris (laughs)?
Tahj Mowry: Oh! She plays Danny's love interest in season four.
Chelsea Kane: For a couple episodes. I set them up...and yeah Danny's back from Paris but not right away. So yeah, I set them up and then I decided I wanted to destroy it (laughs) from being together. So, yeah it's fun!

SitcomsOnline.com: Tucker and Bonnie are hilarious when they are together. Any more antics in store for them this season?
Tahj Mowry: Thanks! Oh gosh yeah, they're always up to something. Up to no good, all the time. They kind of love each other secretly, I feel, so they should just hook up and get it over with (laughs). So just get it out the way, but yeah a lot of funny stuff going around with them as always.

SitcomsOnline.com: Tucker's past is finally coming into play, what can we expect from his ex-wife?
Tahj Mowry: (laughs) Oh man, that's a very funny episode. Tucker is a character. Something is always happening to him and I feel like he has a lot of secrets that he just doesn't share.
Chelsea Kane: Deep-rooted issues (laughs)!
Tahj Mowry: Yeah, deep-rooted issues that need to be handled and it's such a funny episode, because no one knows about this ex-wife at all. So, I don't want to give too much away though but it's hilarious.
SitcomsOnline.com: Who knew he was married!
Jean-Luc Bilodeau: Yeah, no one knew!
Chelsea Kane: Me either!
Tahj Mowry: Aisha Dee is amazing and it's a great episode!

SitcomsOnline.com: Jean-Luc, We loved Kyle XY and it was so great seeing some of the stars guesting so far. Are there more stars coming like April Matson, Jamie Alexander?
Jean-Luc Bilodeau: Oh nice!
Tahj Mowry: I did too (laughs)
Jean-Luc Bilodeau: Yeah, it was a great sitcom (laughs). I'm kidding. Honestly, I don't know, Dan our executive producer came up to me and asked if Matt (Dallas) was a great guy and fun to work with and I said yes. Please get him on the show; he's such a sweetheart, so that was really seamless. He came in and did what like 6 or 7 episodes or whatever and had a blast.
Chelsea Kane: Yeah, and so did your dad.
Jean-Luc Bilodeau: Yeah, and Bruce (Thomas) also came for one episode. So honestly like a character pops-up of that same age and that same look, I mean there's no reason...
Chelsea Kane: Yeah, we always try to throw in suggestions, but it's a small a community, too, the acting community, so anytime something comes up, 'oh my friend would be great for this' or we try to surround ourselves and fill the show with people we really love.
SitcomsOnline.com: That's right; Mark Ballas did the show, too right?
Chelsea Kane: No, no, Dmitry (Chaplin) did. I tried to get Mark on there but he wasn't the right look unfortunately, which (laughs) he still has yet to forgive me for (laughs).
SitcomsOnline.com: Maybe in the future (laughs)?
Chelsea Kane: Yeah, exactly of course.

SitcomsOnline.com: I loved the Christmas episode. How was it like taking on a story similar to It's A Wonderful Life?
Chelsea Kane: Aw thanks...um daunting cause it's a classic. I mean it's such a serious storyline for a comedy, so it was kind of hard to navigate so it wasn't super depressing all the time. But I think we pulled it off.
Tahj Mowry: It was all him (points to Jean-Luc) actually.
Chelsea Kane: Yeah, he had...how many lines did you have?
Jean-Luc Bilodeau: Oh I had...typically I have about like 80 lines maybe like on a busy episode. No, no, I usually have like 60-70 lines for a busy episode for me but this one I had like 130-140 lines.
SitcomsOnline.com: You did a great job!
Jean-Luc Bilodeau: Thanks man.
Chelsea Kane: Yeah, it was a big episode for him.
Jean-Luc Bilodeau: Yeah it was fun!
Chelsea Kane: We loved shooting it.

SitcomsOnline.com: What are you all doing for Christmas?
Chelsea Kane: I'm going home to Arizona, so it will be warm.
Jean-Luc Bilodeau: Sun tanning (laughs).
Chelsea Kane: Yeah, I'm going to be tanning on Christmas...and in the pool (laughs).
Jean-Luc Bilodeau: I'm going to go back home to Vancouver and go snowboarding, and hang with the fam and chill out.
Tahj Mowry: I'll be in L.A., sweating. Maybe it'll rain?
Chelsea Kane: I know (laughs)...any sort of weather change in L.A. is nice.

Derek Theler & Melissa Peterman (Baby Daddy)

SitcomsOnline.com: I just talked to these three. We love this show, it is so funny and each character is awesome...can you guys give us some hints on the upcoming season? The love triangle?
Melissa Peterman: You're always so good to us! Like you're always on it, I love it! For the love triangle, there is definite declarations are made. Things are out of the dark, the feelings are said out loud.
Derek Theler: Everyone understands how everyone feels. Danny gets several new girlfriends, as does Bonnie with boyfriends.
Melissa Peterman: Christa B. Allen, we've got great guest stars. Lindsey Gort, Peter Porte is back and is always delightful. Who else have we had this season? We've had a lot. Oh Isaiah Mustafa from Old Spice.
Derek Theler: Old Spice, hello?
Melissa Peterman: Who is just wonderful and smells delicious. And Bonnie is broke in the beginning of the season.
SitcomsOnline: Yeah, she has moved in with these guys, right?
Derek Theler: Yeah, couch-crashing.
Melissa Peterman: If you've watched episodes, she is clearly living beyond her needs for years (laughs) as a divorced woman living in New York, but she's got to definitely to step up her career game. So you know, real estate, I'm back in it, not good at it, but money is an issue, which really doesn't stop her from dressing quite extravagantly and going out a lot.
SitcomsOnline: Is Danny coming back from Paris?
Derek Theler: No, Danny is staying in Paris forever (laughs). Just kidding, he comes back.
SitcomsOnline: Christa B. Allen is in play, so Georgie (the girl he went to Paris with) must be gone then?
Derek Theler: Uhhh, (laughs) yeah that's what it seems like. Yeah, Danny is back in the picture. By the middle of the season, he is back playing for the Rangers and it is fun. It's a lot of fun, it's all high stakes shenanigans.
Melissa Peterman: I think the writers have really upped the game this year for a lot of physical comedy, which we all discovered we love to do. More and a lot of this sort of Noises Off and old school hijinks, that we were in trouble and have to get ourselves out of even crazier situations this season. It's always super fun.
Derek Theler: Stunts, fights, falls!
Melissa Peterman: We have Fleet Week. We recreated it you know in a studio in L.A. but I'd love to experience the real deal here (NY). We have Jon Bon Jovi's apartment...
Derek Theler: Madison Square Garden, a really big hockey set.
Melissa Peterman: Yeah, we've done some big shows, in terms of locale and all that, so we're excited, we're super thrilled.

SitcomsOnline.com: So is Danny jealous of Ben and Riley?
Derek Theler: Yeah, I think he is always dealing with his feelings because his girl, the girl he grew up in being love with his whole life is dating his brother and he has kind of kept those feelings to himself for the most part and it's an interesting moment in the middle of the season when everyone's feelings are out in the open.
Melissa Peterman: There's also a built-in brother rivalry anyway. Brothers are so naturally competitive anyway.
Derek Theler: Danny is used to winning everything. And this one is probably the most important and he's not winning.
Melissa Peterman: Yet. So far...we don't know.
Derek Theler: Yeah, tune in.
Melissa Peterman: Yeah, we pick-up right where we left off last season.
Derek Theler: Yeah, it's a week later.
Melissa Peterman: I love that we don't disappoint. We don't skip ahead; we keep telling them the same story even when we take a break.
Derek Theler: Yeah, we don't fast-forward at all.

SitcomsOnline.com: I just told Tahj that Tucker and Bonnie are hilarious when they are together. Any more antics in store for them?
Melissa Peterman: We have a lot more great moments. He's my comedy soul mate! During Fleet Week, we get ourselves in a little bit of a bind.
Derek Theler: It's a small space.
Melissa Peterman: We share a small bunk together in Fleet Week and as always we antagonize each other and at the same time, we're always on the same team. Like we have the same goal usually, like we always end up helping each other in the worst case scenario. All of us have such good chemistry, which is why this show works so well. I mean obviously it's great writing and all that is the real reason but having chemistry you can see that in the final product, so I feel lucky that we like each other.

SitcomsOnline.com: Melissa, how do you juggle two shows, especially two shows with "Baby" in title? And is there going to be a third season of (game show) Bet On Your Baby?
Melissa Peterman: Well Bet On Your Baby, we just shoot on the off days when I'm not doing this. We only do 8 episodes and it only takes me 10 days. It looks busier on TV. I don't know about a third season, I don't think so but I don't know for sure. I love it too. I love shows with baby in the title...I have had good luck.

SitcomsOnline.com: And finally, what are you two doing for Christmas?
Melissa Peterman:I'm going to Minnesota to be with my family.
Derek Theler: I'm actually going to be in Spain. I'm always at home in Colorado with my family but I'm going to Europe for the first time over Christmas this year.
Melissa Peterman: I think it'll be exciting!
Derek Theler: I'm excited, it's an adventure .

Baby Daddy returns Wednesday, January 14 at 8:30|7:30c on ABC Family! Tune in for all the fun and laughs!

Melissa Joan Hart (Melissa & Joey)

SitcomsOnline.com: Mel and Joe finally got married in last season's finale, any hints on what is in store this season?
Melissa Joan Hart: Yeah! We have this really fabulous Christmas episode coming up this week, which we're so excited about. It's really funny. We had a blast, we were in tears backstage. So for the season premiere itself, it starts off with a kind of failed honeymoon attempts and attempts to consummate the marriage, and his daughter moves in with us and she's pretty much a naughty girl. She succeeds in making Lennox (Taylor Spreitler) feel like an old lady in the house, even though she is only 20. She makes her feel uncool and an old lady. And Lennox has some great storylines going on between Marco, her new current boyfriend who is Joe's nephew, and her ex Zander, played by Sterling Knight. And Nick Robinson's character is off doing AmeriCorps most of the season because he is actually off shooting this big movie The Fifth Wave and the Jurassic Park sequel (Jurassic World), so he's been busy (laughs). He'll come back at the end of the season, but we have great episodes about...there's a lot of sex in this season and a lot of great...like 'what happens in the first year of marriage' and 'what happens when you're in a relationship' and the typical things that go awry. It feels like a much racier version of Everybody Loves Raymond.

SitcomsOnline.com: And how will Joe's daughter play into this season?
Melissa Joan Hart: Just in her naughty behavior and how she gets us in trouble and she pits me against him and that kind of thing. You know, she gets caught drinking and things like that.

SitcomsOnline.com: We loved the Halloween episode! Any more Sabrina references, guests or storylines planned?
Melissa Joan Hart: Oh thank you so much. Well, just the Christmas episode is our one-off special. The rest of them all sort of go in a linear... there is a through line in the stories...those are two that stand-alone, the Halloween and the Christmas, so we sort of ignore the fact that this is the first time you see them as a married couple and that kind of thing, but yeah that was fun, the writers tricked me into doing a little Sabrina reunion. I didn't realize it until later on, but it was fun. It was a blast doing it. It was a lot of work though, I had to direct it.

Melissa & Joey returns Wednesday, January 14 at 8|7c on ABC Family! Tune in for all the fun and laughs!

Emily Osment (Young & Hungry)

SitcomsOnline.com: We loved the first season. So funny! Any idea when the second season will launch and what is in store? Is there any hope for Gabi and Josh? Or is Cooper (Jesse McCartney) in play?
Emily Osment: Oh thank you! Yes, we start back in production tomorrow (Dec. 8) on season two and we're planning on airing in the spring (hopefully around March). Season two picks-off right where we left off in season one, which is great. I love when a show does that. There's been so many times where you have huge cliffhangers in season one and you go back four months later and everything has changed. This (show) really picks-up right where we left off, so happy to say that! There's always hope for Gabi and Josh, whether they know it or not, there is. I think Gabi is the only person that doesn't know that Josh is madly in love with her, which is always fun. And I think this (upcoming) season is kinda about protecting her heart and her friends are trying to decide what's best for her because she has no idea, and all she wants to do is cook. And yes Cooper is back in season two and he definitely is playing a catalyst in the relationship and she is definitely torn between the two people.

SitcomsOnline.com: Are you like Gabi in the sense that you know a lot about food? Will you be doing any cooking this Christmas?
Emily Osment: I cooked a lot for Thanksgiving, but for Christmas my family usually goes out to eat on Christmas Eve, so I'll probably be doing a little bit more baking, which is in my forte and more of my style. And I'm like Gabi in the sense that I'm manic in the kitchen...everything is a mess. If you're making a huge mess, usually what you have at the end is pretty delicious.

SitcomsOnline.com: How is it like working on a sitcom again and with this cast? Rex Lee and Kym Whitley are sitcom vets and are hilarious!
Emily Osment: Yes, yes definitely. Actually this is Rex Lee's first (traditional) sitcom. It's very very fun to watch everybody struggle with trying to adapt to the new style of shooting because it is its own world. Single camera and four-camera is very different and we have a live audience, which helps a lot because every Friday nights it's like a party.

SitcomsOnline.com: Any upcoming guest stars that we can look forward to? Perhaps some of your former co-stars like Miley Cyrus or maybe your brother (Haley Joel Osment)? Ashley Tisdale and Jessica Lowndes were great last season.
Emily Osment: Um, I don’t know if you watch Mystery Girls but we have Miguel Pinzon of Mystery Girls who is playing Rex Lee's love interest this year. So, that will be very fun because we love him.

Young & Hungry returns Spring 2015 on ABC Family! Stay tuned for a premiere date!

Katie Leclerc (Switched at Birth)

SitcomsOnline.com: Congrats, by the way on the wedding! What is like being a newlywed?
Katie Leclerc: Thank you so much! It's been amazing; it has been like three months and not a whole lot has changed, not a whole lot feels different, but it feels like that's how it should be.

SitcomsOnline.com: The Christmas episode looks great. It looks like a Freaky Friday type of episode, with the switch that never happened? Can you share some info from the episode?
Katie Leclerc: It's one of those one-off episodes, because it doesn't really have anything to do with the big storyline of the show. There's Santa Claus, there's a twinkle in the eye, like the Christmas magic and that's what I really liked about that episode. All of the family kind of gets spread out but in the end we all come together and you're reminded what the season really is and the values of who is important in your life and focusing on that.

SitcomsOnline.com: What's in store for the return in January for Daphne and the gang after Bay's shocking decision?
Katie Leclerc: Oh Bay (laughs)! She made a really hard choice, so the season picks-up as soon as that (decision) happens and then we kind of fast-forward like ten weeks and we get to see the characters in dealing with the choices that everybody has made now. She really saved Daphne, Bay did, and I think Daphne owes her for that so she has a lot of guilt and she's trying to make it up to her. This season though, we're all off to college and we're dealing with like kids making adult decisions. There's one topic that we bring up and it's very...it has the potential to be uncomfortable, but we bring it up because it's an important conversation to parents to have with their children and it's real life and it is something that happens every day. So when we're talking about the really heavy issues, I appreciate our show because we don't hold back and we show real consequences of things that really happen and I really appreciate that from our writers.

SitcomsOnline.com: You guys are moving to a new night and time for season four? Excited or nervous about that?
Katie Leclerc: Yeah, I'm excited for Tuesdays. Pretty Little Liars is one of ABC Family's strongest shows and I think it is really great to be paired up with them. So Tuesday nights is a big hitting night. And Chasing Life and The Fosters are also great shows and I love the cast of those shows as well, so I don't know I feel like we're at a really great place now.

SitcomsOnline.com: How is it like working with such a great cast? Vanessa Marano, Constance Marie and Lea Thompson?
Katie Leclerc: We have the best cast in the world. I am so thankful that my breakout, my first like big role, was with a group of people who I really see as my family. Even like Lucas (Grabeel) and D.W. (Moffett), the entire cast was at my wedding. I mean like every single person was at my wedding and being silly, like the highlight of my extended family was like Lea Thompson and Constance Marie had a dance battle! And they really danced their butts off...it was awesome! We're silly and we're like dumb and fun and I love our cast, we're so lucky!

SitcomsOnline.com: Can you share some of your Christmas plans to our readers?
Katie Leclerc : My family is in San Antonio and my husband's family is in San Antonio also, so we get to like switch back in forth between the two families and there's lots of chaos in the best way and kids running around and it's great!

Switched at Birth returns on a new night & time on Tuesday, January 6 at 9|8c on ABC Family!

Maia Mitchell, Cierra Ramirez and David Lambert (The Fosters)

SitcomsOnline.com: Congrats on the show, it is really good TV. It really fits ABC Family well, with the new kind of family theme. Can you guys tell us what is coming up on the new episodes in January? Any good guests?
Maia Mitchell: Thank you! I think so, too! First, we have a Christmas episode coming up tomorrow (Dec. 8); basically it is kind of a stand-alone episode. It picks-up where the season finale ended where Callie and Brandon are making out and they're kind of are dealing with the repercussions of that and figuring out whether they are going to move forward with it. You also are taken back in time with one of the characters' flashbacks and you're experiencing Callie and Jude's first with Christmas with the Fosters. And I think like any family Christmas, there's a lot of stuff that you know maybe dynamics and issues that get swept under the rug but come out at Christmas when everyone is together, so you really see the family working through that. And I come out of the other end of it much stronger and much more unified.
David Lambert: In terms of the season that is coming up, Brandon sort of I guess faces a decision with music. He's kind of playing around with a band right now and then he gets an opportunity from possibility a school that wants to look at him for classical music, so he has to sort of figure out what he wants to do in terms of that. As far as guest stars, Ana Gutierrez might be showing back up in some ways. We are actually almost done in production for season two...we finish shooting Dec. 19.
Cierra Ramirez: You can definitely look forward to Rosie O'Donnell coming back.

SitcomsOnline.com: Callie and Jude are celebrating their first Christmas with the Fosters. What can fans expect on this Christmas episode?
Cierra Ramirez: It's all about bringing the family close together and Jesus is decorating the house and he enters a competition to win the best decorated house in the neighborhood. And Marianna is kind of dragged into it. She loves being in charge anyway, so I'm sure she loved it but it's really interesting she makes a comment about giving terrible gifts but she kind of realizes that's not what it's about, it's about the gifts she is giving and all about the family.

SitcomsOnline.com: Ratings are very good. You guys are going to be leading off Monday nights now in January. How exciting is that and what do you think about the move to 8?
Maia Mitchell: I don't know, I don't really pay much attention to ratings and stuff like that. But I heard it's doing well and that's good and we keep working and putting the show on television then I'm happy (laughs).

SitcomsOnline.com: How often do you guys see executive producer, Jennifer Lopez?
Maia Mitchell: I've seen her a few times. She is really really cool, she's always very personable. I went to her Halloween party, which was fun. She's really fun...she's sweet and really smart obviously and a smart businesswoman.

SitcomsOnline.com: There are three types of children on this show. Biological, adopted, and a foster child. Who has it best on the show you think?
David Lambert: I don't know, they're all really equal in the house.
Cierra Ramirez: I mean my favorite line from the show that I have taken is definitely "DNA doesn't make a family, love does." So I don't know, I think they all have it pretty good, even though Callie has had her issues with being adopted and whatnot, you can still tell how loved she is and how wanted she is, so I don't know, I don't think it really even matters like legally if she is a Foster cause she is in their eyes.

SitcomsOnline.com: Annie Potts is back and in the Christmas episode. How is it like working with her?
Maia Mitchell: I love Annie. She's I mean such a kind of inspiration to me, she's so strong and so smart and so talented. She's a really cool lady and dignified. She's a legend...she's Annie Potts. She's been incredible to our group, she always has really good advice, not just about acting but how to carry yourself in this industry and she is definitely a role model of mine.

SitcomsOnline.com: What are you all doing for Christmas?
Maia Mitchell: I'm going home for the holidays to Australia. So I'll be home for a month, so I'm very excited!
Cierra Ramirez: I'm going back home to Texas cause that's where I'm from, so I'm going to see all my family and friends...get my Texas fix, hit up all of the restaurants I love, so excited.
David Lambert: My family is all in California right now so we're all there, we'll just be together, hanging out and enjoying it together.

The Fosters returns Monday, January 19 at a new time 8|7c on ABC Family!

Italia Ricci (Chasing Life)

SitcomsOnline.com: You're amazing on this show. It's such a unique show with a storyline many people can somehow relate with. Did you do any research prior in getting the role on cancer or leukemia?
Italia Ricci: Thank you! That's so kind of you. At first I wanted to learn everything I could about cancer and become like an expert so I knew what to expect but then I realized that my character didn't know everything about cancer so I didn't want to anticipate anything with my performance, so I learned as I was going along. So when she went for the bone marrow biopsy, I leaned what that was like and did my research and watched videos. When she was in chemo I talked to survivors about what it physically feels like and all of those sorts of things, but at the same time, no two people deal with cancer the same way so it was sort of liberating to know that I could make a bunch of different choices and it could all still work because everybody reacts differently to it.

SitcomsOnline.com: What's in store for the new season? Last we saw Dominic broke up with April because of the Leo situation, will they get back together? Will we find out right away about Leo and the voicemail?
Italia Ricci: Maybe! Well there forced to be together again because of work so you get to see the tension there. And yes it will pick-up directly with that phone call during the Christmas episode.

SitcomsOnline.com: In the upcoming Christmas episode, your grandparents come to visit, played by the legendary Ed Asner and Marion Ross. How was it like working with them? Were you a fan of their sitcoms?
Italia Ricci: Oh my gosh, it was insane. They're so funny and gracious and down-to-earth and humble, you know for being such legends you know just talking to them in between scenes is like they're just regular people but they're so cool... it was such an honor. I was never a crazy fan of their sitcoms, but of course I was familiar with them.

SitcomsOnline.com: Congrats on the engagement by the way, any idea yet of when the big day is going to be? And any other upcoming projects coming up on the horizon?
Italia Ricci: Thank you! Not for another couple years (on the big day). As for other projects, nothing that I'm allowed to talk about yet (laughs).

SitcomsOnline.com: So, what will you be doing this Christmas?
Italia Ricci: We'll be going back home to Toronto and hanging with families and doing all the freezing-cold Christmas stuff.

Chasing Life returns on a new night Monday, January 19 at 9|8c on ABC Family!

That's a wrap for the 2014 ABC Family Winter Wonderland. Be sure to watch your favorites return this January and hopefully you learned some tidbits for Baby Daddy, Melissa & Joey and the rest of the shows! Follow us on Instagram for more pictures from this event. We'll once again cover this event next year. Happy Holidays everyone and have a safe 2015!