Freeform at SDCC 2017: Shadowhunters and Stitchers Make Comic-Con Debuts

Freeform (formerly ABC Family, formerly the Family Channel) made its Comic-Con debut with beloved fan favorites Shadowhunters and Stitchers. Each show held a panel chock-full of stars and sneak peeks as well as a cast signing. Here’s hoping they make the trip again next year!

As a resident of New York City and an annual attendee of New York Comic Con, Freeform is one of the convention’s mainstays. Shadowhunters comes every year, at least, but I didn’t start watching the show until March, so I’m glad that they went to SDCC this year! Stitchers and Shadowhunters held back-to-back panels in the Hilton Bayfront’s Indigo Ballroom, the third largest panel room at the convention. Stitchers brought stars Emma Ishta, Kyle Harris, Ritesh Rajan, and Damon Dayoub, as well as executive producer Jeffrey Alan Schechter. Shadowhunters, meanwhile, brought just about everyone – all seven main cast members (Kat McNamara, Dominic Sherwood, Alberto Rosende, Emeraude Toubia, Matthew Daddario, Harry Shum, Jr, and Isaiah Mustafa) as well as three executive producers (Todd Slavkin, Darren Swimmer, and Matt Hastings).

Both panels had an impressive showing. Stitchers kicked it off with a preview of the first 10 minutes of the next episode, while Shadowhunters gave everyone a sneak peek of Sarah Hyland’s guest spot as the Seelie Queen. Both panels featured plenty of cast camaraderie (seriously, every question at the Shadowhunters panel descended into chaos within seconds), behind-the-scenes stories and tidbits (did you hear about the time Damon Dayoub split his pants?), and fan questions. The only let down was the lack of swag. Even before I was a fan of the show, I appreciated the awesome Shadowhunters panel swag!

But the best part was getting to go from the panel to the press room and meet all of these fabulous cast members in person! I got to briefly interact with the Shadowhunters cast last year at their NYCC signing, but let me tell you, it’s much better when security isn’t hustling you through the line. I don’t want to play favorites, but Freeform was definitely my favorite press room of the convention. Everyone was just so lovely, and I really enjoyed every single one of my interviews.

I can only hope that Freeform a) has a presence at New York Comic Con again and b) returns to San Diego! (Maybe with some swag?) It was an absolutely enjoyable experience, and I’m so grateful that it was on Thursday, so that I could kick off my con on a high note.

Shadowhunters and Stitchers air Mondays on Freeform starting at 8pm.

Author: Jamie Sugah

Jamie has a BA in English with a focus in creative writing from The Ohio State University. She self-published her first novel, The Perils of Long Hair on a Windy Day, which is available through Amazon. She is currently an archivist and lives in New York City with her demon ninja vampire cat. She covers television, books, movies, anime, and conventions in the NYC area.

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