sorry for the double post..but didn't want to add to the last one cuz its kinda long...but this is really important...
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) -
Lifetime Television has green-lighted a second season of its hit drama "Army Wives."
The network has ordered 13 episodes of the series for Season 2, which will begin in the spring.
"Wives" has become a breakout hit under Lifetime Networks entertainment president Susanne Daniels, who joined the network in September 2005. It ranks as the highest-rated series in Lifetime's 23-year history, averaging 3.6 million total viewers at 10 p.m. Sundays. The show -- which debuted June 3 to 3.5 million viewers, the most ever for a Lifetime series premiere -- also stands as the top new cable drama of the year among the female demographic age groups of 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54.
"Wives" is just one of three scripted series that Lifetime is debuting this summer as part of an ambitious original programming strategy. The other two -- "Side Order of Life" and "State of Mind"-- are receiving a good deal of attention as they head into their premieres at 8 and 9 p.m. Sunday, respectively, which will give Lifetime a three-hour block of original programming that night.
"It couldn't have happened better that 'Army Wives' created a platform of viewers and momentum for 'Side Order' and 'State of Mind,"' said Daniels, who is expected to make the announcement about the "Wives" pickup on Thursday (July 12) during the network's portion of the Television Critics Assn. summer press tour at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. "We were just lucky to have a new show hit so fast."
For Daniels, the performance of "Wives" is a nice reward to cap off "two years of really hard work" since she joined the network. The first two scripted shows she green-lighted to air -- the comedy "Lovespring International" and the drama "Angela's Eyes" -- didn't make it to a second season.
"There was a lot of thinking that went into 'Army Wives' with the hope of it being a success," Daniels said, praising the production team, production values and cast, among other elements. "We felt that the show represented a point of view that wasn't on the air right now, and we thought that was what Lifetime should be doing (to make itself) distinct."
The series, which features an ensemble cast including Kim Delaney and Catherine Bell, is based on the book "Under the Sabers: The Unwritten Code of Army Wives," by Tanya Biank, who serves as a consultant.
Year to date, Lifetime is tied for third among all basic cable networks in primetime household ratings. In June, it was up 33 percent in women 18-34 and 13 percent in women 18-49 over a year ago.
ON a side note, there are pics of a bunch of cast members arriving back in LA yesterday..but sadly none of Drew...so unless he is taking a vacation..he should be back now...
by lildrew on Mon Jul 09, 2007 8:39 am
