‘Pretty Little Liars’ Reveals ‘Dirty Secrets’ in Weekly Web Series

Since debuting in 2010, ABC Family’s Pretty Little Liars has been a big hit, especially among the female 18-34 demo, for whom it was last summer’s #1 ranked scripted show on basic cable. The program is based on a book series of the same name, with author Sara Shepard capitalizing on her franchise’s success by releasing (at least) four more books than she initially anticipated.

But Shepard isn’t the only one capitalizing on Pretty Little Liars’ unique gossipy, gothic appeal. ABC Family is releasing a new web series, Pretty Dirty Secrets

, with one minisode airing each week between the show’s finale (which occurred on August 28) and the special Halloween episode that will air on October 23.

The first two installments of Pretty Dirty Secrets are up, and substance-wise, they’re a little thin. But that appears to be by design. The intention of the series (which is revealed on this blog post) is not to outrightly reveal information, but to only give us “pretty little clues,” keeping the buzz up as fans try to guess at the truth behind the murder mystery that is central to the show’s plot. There’s also plenty of setup for the next full television installment, with the reveal of a new character who works at the Halloween store.

At the same time, an official blog on ABC Family’s website will take viewers behind each episode of the web series, along with cast interviews  and a ridiculously transparent shill for sponsor TresEmme disguised as “hairstyle tips.” The web series-related posts only serve to further tease viewers, asking them, “Did you catch all the clues?”

It’s difficult to imagine Pretty Little Liars attracting even more viewers that it does right now, but the web series will surely give its pretty little fans more opportunities to interact with the show and its advertisers. If you want to be at the top of your sleuthing game when Halloween rolls around, you should give Pretty Dirty Secrets a look.