LOWDOWN ON THE UPFRONT: Lifetime Boasts Of Multiple-Genre Upfront Slate
Lineup Includes Return Of ‘Army Wives,’ ‘Project Runway And New Dramas, Comedies
By Linda Moss -- Multichannel News, 4/14/2008 12:22:00 PM
New York—Lifetime Television Monday boasted that it has hit shows in every programming genre for women, unveiling an upfront slate anchored by its reality acquisition Project Runway and the scripted hit drama Army Wives.
Andrea Wong, Lifetime Networks president and CEO, in an upfront presentation for the press in Manhattan touted Lifetime as the destination for women in terms of “entertainment, escape and empowerment.” The network then talked about its diverse development slate, which includes original comedies, reality shows, movies and dramas.
“Lifetime’s schedule has unique and incredible strength in all genres of programming,” said Susanne Daniels, Lifetime’s president of entertainment.
In addition to season six of Project Runway debuting on Lifetime in November, season two of the Carson Kressley self-esteem makeover show How to Look GoodNaked will premiere in July and be expanded to a full hour.
The second season of Lifetime’s biggest hit ever, Army Wives, will return for its second season June 8.
Lifetime is also in the primetime comedy business, developing a new half-hour series to join the top-rated Reba this fall.
Basic cable’s highest-rated original movies among women 25-to-54 are also being upgraded, with more high profile Red Carpet Lifetime Original Movie Events and a talent roster that includes Kelly Preston, Heather Locklear, Shirley MacLaine and Tatum O’Neal.
Daniels said Lifetime is doing pilots on two scripted shows. Mistresses, based on a BBC series, is about how the bonds of college friendships continue to grow among a group of women as they experience life’s unexpected twists and turns.
Drop Dead Diva, from executive producer/creator Josh Berman , is about Deb Dobkins, a gorgeous, 20-something aspiring actress who is very used to getting her way. When she meets her untimely accidental death and finds herself in Heaven, she is infuriated and demands to return to her perfect body and life. But she ends up in the body of Jane Bingum, a 30-something, brilliant, successful but unpolished attorney.
Lifetime also has several comedies in development, according to Daniels.
Rita Rocks is about an overworked wife and mother who is trying to maintain romance with her husband, juggling the demands of her 9-year-old daughter and disciplining her defiant, teenage daughter.
Libertyville is about a divorced mother trying to re-enter the dating pool, a tough task when she’s sharing her house in Libertyville, Ohio, with her 24-year-old daughter and cantankerous father, who continuously invade her privacy.
And Burnt Toast, adapted from Teri Hatcher’s book of the same name, focuses on a 40- something single mom who is eager to learn from her past foibles and achievements, and empower her young daughter to make choices that will lead to happiness.
Lifetime also has several reality series in development. In The Big Match, 100 single men vie for the affection of one woman in a modern day “dating game.”
In Cook Yourself Thin, a team of four female chefs/food stylists teach one woman a week how to cook the food they love in a healthy way.
The weekly docu-soap Salsa and the City follows the lives of a talented group of salsa dancers in Los Angeles. Celebrity/actor/host Mario Lopez will be featured in each episode as our dancers find themselves at the salsa club owned by the talented Dancing with the Stars alum.
In Total Knockout, hosted by former supermodel Roshumba Williams, a group of three challengers with a pre-existing relationship take on a recurring group of celebrity stylists in makeover competitions. The cast includes: designer to the stars Randolph Duke as the resident judge; Blowout’s Jonathan Antin asguest judge; fashion/beauty correspondent David Evangelista as color commentator and celebrity stylist Sam Saboura; celebrity hairstylist Clyde Haygood and celebrity make-up artist Jeanie Mai as recurring members of the celebrity team.
For the 2008-2009 season, Lifetime Movie Network is increasing both the quantity and quality of its original-movie productions, with a record 18 new films planned.
For more coverage on Madison Avenue's upfront selling season, click here.
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