Army Wives gets drafted at Lifetime

Lifetime has enlisted Army Wives with a series pickup.

The women's cable network has ordered 13 episodes of the ensemble drama starring Kim Delaney and Catherine Bell for a March premiere.

The series, filmed on location in Charleston, South Carolina, centers on a diverse group of women--and one man--living with their families on an active Army post and the pressures on those left behind while their partners serve their country.

"It's not about the war itself, it's not a political statement," said Susanne Daniels, Lifetime Networks president of entertainment.

The series is based on the book Under the Sabers: The Unwritten Code of Army Wives by Tanya Biank, who serves as a consultant.

Army Wives was one of four drama pilots in contention for a series pickup at Lifetime. Daniels said there's still no decision on the other three--State of Mind, Side Order of Life, and Conspiracy--which are in various stages of production. Daniels' plan is to greenlight another series for a June premiere and a third for a fall debut.

In other Lifetime news, the network has decided not to pick up a second season of the drama Angela's Eyes or the comedy Lovespring International. Angela's, which debuted July 16, averaged 1.7 million total viewers per episode, while Lovespring, which premiered June 5, averaged 839,000 viewers.