full size Marlene King at the TCAs
Credit: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Today is Pretty Little Liars executive producer and showrunner Marlene King's birthday! To celebrate, we've collected five of the reasons Marlene is one of our favorite TV bigwigs.

1. She loves to interact with fans. If you aren't following Marlene on Twitter @imarleneking, you're missing out. From chatting about upcoming episodes to dishing smart life advice, Marlene is always ready and willing to interact with her fans. How cool is that? With a role model like Marlene, it's no wonder PLL has one of the most active fan bases in the world on Twitter.

2. She dishes tons of spoilers. Speaking of Twitter, Marlene is always good for a juicy spoiler or five. She's mastered the art of the tease, always giving us just enough to make us eager to know more.

3. She's as invested in the show as we are: Obviously, every showrunner is going to be invested in the show they help create. But Marlene seems to understand the specific way that fans love TV. She gets shipping. She adores her characters. She gushes over the actors. We can relate to her.

4. She wrote Now and Then. Forget PLL for a second: Marlene is also the scribe behind one of our favorite movies, the classic coming-of-age story Now and Then. We've been a fan of her work since long before we even knew who she was!

5. She brought us Pretty Little Liars. Duh! While the entire cast and crew are an important part of the PLL team, Marlene is the woman who makes the whole PLL machine work, and for that, we'll be forever grateful.

Why do you love Marlene? Let us know in the comments below!

Catch an all-new Pretty Little Liars when Season 3 premieres on Tuesday, June 5 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC Family.

Rebecca Martin is an editor at Wetpaint Entertainment. Follow her on Twitter @BeccaMartin47.

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