Army Wives, Most-Watched Series Premiere on Lifetime

NEW YORK, June 6: Lifetime
Television's original drama series Army Wives was the most-watched series premiere in the
network's 23-year history, averaging 3.5 million viewers during its debut on
June 3.

The series notched a 2.9
household rating, Lifetime’s highest rating in the Sunday 10 p.m. time period
since December 2006. It was rated number-one among women aged 18-49 versus all
ad-supported cable networks in the Sunday 10 p.m. time period, marking
Lifetime’s highest time period rating since January 2004. Video streams of the
series on LifetimeTV.com rose 94 percent from Sunday to Monday. It had been the
first time Lifetime had ever streamed an entire episode online.

Starring Kim Delaney and
Catherine Bell, Army Wives is
an ensemble drama series about the struggles, dreams and friendships of a
diverse group of women—and one man—living with their spouses and
families on an active army post. The series is produced by ABC Studios. Wendy
Davis (Commander in Chief),
Drew Fuller (Charmed) and
Catherine Bell (JAG), along
with Mark Gordon (Grey's Anatomy,
Criminal Minds) and The Mark Gordon Company's president of
production, Deborah Spera (Criminal Minds) serve as executive producers. Jeff Melvoin (Alias) serves as executive producer and show runner.
Katherine Fugate (The Prince & Me) created the series and also serves as executive
producer and writer. The series is based on the book Under the Sabers:
The Unwritten Code of Army Wives
by Tanya Biank, who serves as a consultant.

Starting the night of
Sunday June 15, Lifetime will also premiere two new drama series, Side Order
of Life and State of Mind. This marks the first time a basic cable network has
ever debuted three dramas for the same night in the same season. From Warner
Horizon Television and Greer Shephard and Michael Robin—the executive
producing team behind Nip/Tuck
and The Closer—State
of Mind stars Lili Taylor (Six
Feet Under) as a brilliant family
therapist whose personal problems rival those of her offbeat patients. From
Academy Award-winning producers Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen (American Beauty) and creator Margaret Nagle (HBO's Warm Springs) Side
Order of Life centers on a young
magazine photographer who suddenly re-evaluates her life and impending nuptials
after receiving a "wake-up call from the universe." The drama
stars Marisa Coughlan (Boston Legal)
and Jason Priestley (Beverly Hills, 90210).

"It's rare to hit the
television trifecta, combining outstanding production values, rave reviews from
national press and a viewer response that sends the ratings through the roof,”
said Susanne Daniels, the president of entertainment for Lifetime Networks. “But
that's what we've accomplished with Army Wives. Here's to our stellar ensemble cast, our
executive producers Mark Gordon, Deb Spera, Katherine Fugate, Jeff Melvoin and
everyone at ABC Studios, and a terrific team of producers, writers and
directors who made this a hit right out of the box.”