Lifetime Networks unveiled its 2009-10 program slate, headlined by the sixth season of Project Runway, from The Weinstein Company and Bunim-Murray Productions. The presentation was made by Andrea Wong, CEO and JoAnn Alfano, EVP/Entertainment, who’s marking her first Upfront season since taking the programming helm last September.
Project Runway, featuring host Heidi Klum, mentor Tim Gunn and judges Michael Kors and Nina Garcia, is set to make its long-awaited return to television on Thursday, August 20, at 10:00 PM (ET/PT) with 14 hour-long episodes.
Lifetime’s drama series Army Wives, 2008’s number one original drama on cable among W18-49, returns for its third season at 10:00 PM (ET/PT) on Sunday, June 7.
Joining Army Wives this summer will be Drop Dead Diva, the spirited new comedic drama, starring newcomer Brooke Elliott (Hairspray, Wicked) and Margaret Cho (17 Again). Debuting at 9:00 PM (ET/PT) on Sunday, July 12, this uniquely compelling twist on the age-old battle between brains and beauty tells the story of a shallow model-in-training who dies in a sudden accident, only to find her soul resurfacing in the body of a brilliant, thoughtful and plus-size attorney.
Last year, Lifetime launched Rita Rocks, its first original comedy in a decade. The family comedy, which stars Nicole Sullivan as an overworked wife and mother trying to find time for herself, will return for its second season in the fall.
Rounding out Lifetime’s current unscripted series are the new shows Cook Yourself Thin, which will debut on May 4 at 5:00 PM (ET/PT), and DietTribe, scheduled to return for its second season later this year.
In September, Lifetime will begin stripping the hit off-net comedy How I Met Your Mother, which currently fills one hour of the net’s schedule per week. This fall, Lifetime will begin airing two high-profile, off-net properties nightly, the dramas Grey’s Anatomy and Medium. They join a schedule that already features Wife Swap, Desperate Housewives, Reba, Will & Grace and Frasier.
