Critic: ABC Family's Teen Hit Pretty Little Liars "Eerily Addictive"

Airs: Tuesday, 6/8

Us Rating: ***

Get set for Desperate Housewives: The Teen Years. In a small town, four girls -- sad Aria (Lucy Hale), rebellious Hanna (Ashley Benson), smart Spencer (Troian Bellisario) and sexually confused Emily (Shay Mitchell) -- remain haunted by the disappearance of their bitchiest pal a year earlier. They're even more rattled when they start getting anonymous notes from someone who knows their secrets. Based on a young-adult book series, the drama starts off bland and corny as it struggles to find its tone. But stick with it. Thanks to clever plotting and capable stars (cute guys included), Liars grows eerily addictive. (ABC Family, 8 P.M.)

-- JOHN GRIFFITHS