PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, THE: PALEYFEST NY 2015: PRETTY LITTLE LIARS {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in a series of evenings and special screenings presented as part of The Paley Center for Media's PaleyFest New York 2015. This evening celebrates "Pretty Little Liars," the drama-thriller series about the mysterious lives of a clique of young women in Rosewood, Pennsylvania, loosely based on the books by Sara Shepard. Host Rebecca Paller (curator, The Paley Center for Media) brings moderator Andy Swift (senior editor, TVLine.com) to the stage, and Swift introduces a deleted scene from the mid-season finale episode, "Game Over, Charles," followed by a four-minute preview of the upcoming premiere, "Of Late I Think Of Rosewood," which is set five years after the events of the finale and is set to air on January 12, 2016.
After the clips, Swift introduces the panelists: executive producers Joseph Dougherty, Oliver Goldstick and I. Marlene King; and cast members Troian Bellisario (Spencer Hastings), Ashley Benson (Hanna Marin), Lucy Hale (Aria Montgomery) and Sasha Pieterse (Alison DiLaurentis).
The conversation touches on such topics as: the recent reveal of the show's biggest mystery, the true identity of the antagonistic "A"; the actors' longtime curiosity and excitement upon reading the scripts; why Hale is "constantly confused" by the show's twists and turns; the surprising challenges of the girls' iconic "shushing" gesture, as seen in the opening titles and promotional images; the writers' initial ideas for certain long-term plot points, some of which have changed over time; their picks for the show's biggest surprises, including the reveal of CeCe Drake (Vanessa Ray) as "A" and her complex relationship with her brother Jason (Drew Van Acker); Pieterse's memories of her challenging burial scene; the upcoming "lighter" second half of season six and plans for a new mystery, now that "A" has been unmasked; the characters' graduation from high school, despite frequently being too consumed with the mystery to realistically attend classes; their favorite hang-out spots on set; the semi-presence of the characters' parents and the local police, who "never solved a case intentionally"; Bellisario's feeling of sadness at the destruction of her longtime bedroom set, now that Spencer has aged and lives elsewhere; changes to the characters' personal styles to reflect the time jump, including Spencer's controversial new haircut; hints about their adult lives, including jobs and new romances; the ongoing importance of the relationship between Alison and Emily (Shay Mitchell); Aria and Ezra's (Ian Harding) new relationship as peers, following their illicit teacher-student affair; Spencer's life in Washington D.C. and her mother's Senatorial aspirations; Hanna's engagement to a mysterious new man; the time-jump as a suitable place for new viewers to begin watching the show; Benson as the actor most likely to laugh during scenes; the awkward experience of filming love scenes; the traits that they most admire in their characters, including their strength in the face of repeated peril; their favorite departed characters, including Hardy, played by Bellisario's fiancé Patrick J. Adams; ideas for crossovers with other shows, including "Girls" and "House of Cards"; speculation that the seventh season will be the last and King's definitive ideas about the final mystery and its reveal; the close friendships between the cast members; their hopes to "steal" certain props from the set; the upcoming return of Lucas (Brendan Robinson); their fond memories of the pilot episode, despite filming it in exceptionally cold weather; their first awareness of the show's considerable success with fans around the world; and the advice that they would give to their past selves.
Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics, among others: their sense of pride in "opening communication" between parents and kids about the sensitive topics depicted on the show; Bellisario's appreciation for the "sophisticated storytelling" and old-Hollywood references in the script; ideas from fans for t-shirts celebrating their favorite characters and relationships; Hale and Pieterse's musical careers; Hale's favorite scene with Harding; funny feedback about Pieterse's mean character from her family members in South Africa; and Bellisario's enjoyment of Spencer's stay in Radley Hospital after suffering a mental breakdown, suggested by the actress as a realistic reaction to the character's harrowing experiences.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: November 30, 1999 6:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:24:25
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 124193
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Rebecca Paller … Host
- Andy Swift … Moderator
- Troian Bellisario … Panelist
- Ashley Benson … Panelist
- Lucy Hale … Panelist
- Sasha Pieterse … Panelist
- Joseph Dougherty … Panelist
- Oliver Goldstick … Panelist
- I. Marlene King … Panelist
- Patrick J. Adams
- Ian Harding
- Shay Mitchell
- Vanessa Ray
- Brendan Robinson
- Drew Van Acker