US television drama 'Army Wives' gets new lease of life

Washington, July 12 : Hit US TV drama Army Wives has been renewed by Lifetime for an 18-episode third season to begin in 2009.

The renewal of the show, which got record-setting ratings, took place just five weeks after season two got off to a tear jerking start.

Andrea Wong, president and CEO of Lifetime Networks, stated on July 11 during the cabler's panel at the Television Critics Association press tour, that the drama has boosted Lifetime's performance ratings.

"Since premiering last year, Army Wives has become a game-changer for Lifetime," E!online quoted Wong as saying.

"Announcing this early renewal is a testament to the enormous faith and confidence we have in this show and its incredibly talented cast and production team," she added.

The present-day drama about the members of military families who remain on the home front, is currently the top show on all of ad-supported basic cable with women ages 18-49 and 25-54, according to Lifetime.

"The show's strong cast and storylines relevant to current culture resonate with viewers," ABC Studios President Mark Pedowitz said.

"We expect the momentum to continue, and look forward to working with our partners at Lifetime on another exciting season," he added.

Kim Delaney, Sally Pressman, Sterling K. Brown, Catherine Bell, Brigid Brannagh and Wendy Davis star in the series.

The drama is based on the non-fiction account 'Under the Sabers: The Unwritten Code of Army Wives', by Tanya Biank.

ANI