For over two decades, Lifetime has been known as the network that carves “melodramatic” movies of women that are either in peril or in search of love and personal fulfillment. The cable network has had modest success with original shows The Division, Missing, and cult fave Blood Ties.
But none of them may not had the success that Army Wives is having. Since its debut last summer, it has become the highest-rated series in the history of Lifetime. Now its second season, it has already been renewed for a third season. But see why there’s so much buzz with critics and audiences with Army Wives‘ freshman season, now available on DVD.
The series follows the trials and tribulations of five women with a code of their own in the military:
Claudia Joy (Kim Delaney, NYPD Blue) is the leader of this group. But she is also the wife of a general and the mother of two teenage daughters.
Denise (Catherine Bell, JAG) is a nurse whose husband has called to service, as she has her hands full raising an troubled yet abusive teenage son.
Pamela (Brigid Brannagh, Angel) is raising two little children and is becoming a surrogate mother for twins, while her husband trains for the Delta Force.
Roland is (Sterling K. Brown, Supernatural) the only male in the club — a doctor whose wife, Joan, is very ambitious to climb up to the ranks of the military.
Roxy, a fire cracking young woman, married idealistic young soldier Trevor (Drew Fuller, Charmed) on an impulse at a bar. New to the group, this mother of two little boys must learn to adjust life on the military.
Though different in backgrounds and personalities, none of these women may not have nothing in common — if they weren’t friends who were also Army Wives.
The DVD features all season one 13 episodes with exclusive audio commentaries, bloopers, deleted scenes, an inside look of the real Army Wives, and much more.
The series is a role reversal of CBS’ The Unit. While The Unit chronicles an elite unit on covert missions for the U.S. government, Army Wives focus on military life from the wives’ perspectives.
The series follows these characters striving to maintain a semblance of normalcy in their lives while their loved ones are called to protect and serve Uncle Sam. There was no glamorizing or romanticizing, as the writers continue to make these characters three-dimensional and multi-layered — doing Army Wives well with such class and humility.
Catch Army Wives Sunday nights at 10pm on Lifetime, and get season one on DVD right now.
