The Watchful Eye

Did You Know?

• The series simulcasted its two-episode premiere on ABC Spark in Canada on January 30, 2023.
• The series was removed from Hulu on July 1, 2023.

Production

Freeform ordered a pilot for the series on September 13, 2021, and picked it up to series on June 30, 2022. Julie Durk created the series; executive producers include Emily Fox, Ryan Seacrest, Nina Wass, Andrea Shay, and Jeffrey Reiner, with Fox also serving as showrunner. Reiner directed the pilot. Ryan Seacrest Productions and ABC Signature produced the series. René G. Boscio was hired as composer on July 15, 2022. Filming ran from April 26, 2022 to September 1, 2022 in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. The cast initially included Andrea Londo, but Mariel Molino replaced her in the lead role by June 30, 2022. Freeform cancelled the series after one season on June 30, 2023.

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds a 67% approval rating with an average rating of 5.5/10 based on 6 critic reviews. Metacritic assigned a score of 57 out of 100 based on 4 critics, indicating mixed or average reviews. Judy Berman of Time described it as a solidly built thriller with a brisk pace and a lack of pretense. Anna Govert of Paste gave the show an 8.4 out of 10, calling it instantly addictive with an unending swath of secrets. The series won Best Drama/Action Poster for a TV/Streaming Series at the 2023 Golden Trailer Awards.