By Kevin Downey

    The Lifetime network is adding six new original shows to its lineup this year and creating a third network, called Lifetime Real Women.
    Saturday will become the network’s second night of original programming, with a block of reality shows.
    And Lifetime is investing about $700 million in programming and will put about half of that into original series over the next two years. All that, despite the fact that none of its originals come anywhere near the top-rated shows on cable.
   "One of the things about originals is that you create awareness to build an audience," explains Meredith Wagner, executive vice president of communications at Lifetime.
   "You might not have the No. 1 show every week, but you have a number of shows that identify the brand."
    Brad Adgate, senior vice president and corporate research director at Horizon Media, says: "They’ve really struck a successful formula with original programming.
   "A lot of cable networks are doing that and are delivering strong ratings. In previous years, cable had a difficult time making a go at original series. But you have to do that to stand out in the clutter of networks."
   Lifetime became the No. 1 cable network in primetime for the first time ever in the first quarter of this year.
   That had a lot to do with USA’s ratings fall from the top spot after losing the WWF.
    But it also reflects a slew of highly rated movies and, to a lesser degree, Lifetime’s block of original shows on Sunday night.
    The most recently added is "The Division," with Nancy McKeon, which premiered last January. "Any Day Now" is going into its fourth season and "Strong Medicine," which includes Whoopi Goldberg among its producers, is going into its second season.
   While none were among the top-50 cable shows in the first quarter of this year, the three were the top-rated dramas on cable.
   None of Lifetime’s new shows are dramas. Most fall into the realm of reality or unscripted.
   The network will add the reality show "Women Docs" to its Saturday lineup starting this summer. 
   The show profiles female doctors and will be paired with "Beyond Chance," the reality show about unexplained miracles, which is going into its third season.
   Those reality shows will also serve as the launching-off point for Lifetime Real Women. The network, which will include a mix of reality shows with programs about real women, will debut this summer.
    A third reality show will be added to Lifetime’s Saturday lineup sometime in early 2002.
     "One of the things about our reality programming is that it’s not about eating rats," says Wagner. "It’s reality programming in a documentary style. There’s drama and truth and a lot can be learned."
    Lifetime is also adding a magazine show called "Real Lives," which focuses on players from the WNBA, the women’s basketball league that airs on the network.
    Two daytime shows are being added as well. "Lifetime Now" is a talk show, and there is a still-untitled health show.
   And Denise Austin will host two fitness shows.
   The former broadcast network shows, "Mad About You," "Caroline in the City," and "The Nanny," have all been acquired by Lifetime.
    Lifetime also has a number of movies planned for this year.
    Perhaps the most noteworthy is "We Were the Mulvaneys," which is based on the book by Joyce Carole Oates.
    The network had 10 movies in the top-50 cable shows in the first quarter and already has a separate network called the Lifetime Movie Network, which is still relatively small at 14 million homes.
    Pilots in development for the 2002 season include a romantic comedy produced by Michael J. Fox called "Otherwise Engaged;" "Utopia," a drama from Barry Levinson; and "Fiona," which is based on Warren Adler’s mysteries.
    "Trading Places" and "Real Defenders" are two more reality shows in the works for 2002.

April 11, 2001 © 2001 Media Life

-Kevin Downey is a staff writer for Media Life

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