Army Wives by Fred Norris/Lifetime
Army Wives creator Katherine Fugate has been relieved of duty. "Army Wives is a fantastic tribute to the real life heroes serving in our armed forces and I'm so happy to have been a part of it," Fugate said in a statement. "With the show such an established hit, now seems like a logical time for me to step away and focus on developing new projects."As first reported by Michael Ausiello for EW, Fugate's exit from the Lifetime show may have resulted, in part, from rumored tension between Fugate and Wives' corporate partners, Lifetime and ABC. In its two seasons, the show has been through three show-runners. Rumors aside, ABC issued a diplomatic statement of its own in the wake of Fugate's departure: "Katherine is incredibly talented and we're grateful for her work in creating Army Wives. We are very happy to have had the opportunity to work with her."Will Fugate's discharge affect the show? — Anna Dimond
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Tawny Cypress courtesy Lifetime
Brenda we hardly knew you Pamelas journalist pal concludes her two-episode tour of duty with Lifetimes Army Wives Sundays at 10 pmET but that doesnt necessarily mean weve seen the last of Tawny Cypress The [writers] have left it open-ended she reports Well see what the audience thinks of the character and well take it from there One thing is certain opinions are likely to be strong after tonights unexpected turn of events Megan Walsh-Boyle TV Guide Talk about landing the role of BrendaTawny Cypress It was one audition and then a phone call that theyd like to use me which was really fantastic because its a part I havent done before onscreen Shes an intelligent girlshes a reporter for the post newspaper and she starts up a friendship with Pamela [Brigid Brannagh] Things get a little dicey for them [Laughs] without giving away too much Im not going to get into the details of it because you guys are just going to have to watch i
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Army Wives by Alfeo Dixon/Lifetime Television
A mere five weeks into its sophomore run, Army Wives has been enlisted for a third season, Lifetimes announced at Friday's TCA sessions."Since premiering last year, Army Wives has become a game-changer for Lifetime," said cabler president and CEO Andrea Wong "Announcing this early renewal is a testament to the enormous faith and confidence we have in this show."This season the Wives are No.1 with Lifetime's target demo of women 18-49, as well as women 25-54, among all ad-supported basic cable series. Plus they are nice to look at. — Matt MitovichRelated:• Exclusive: Army Wives Says Hello to Goodbye Girl Marsha Mason • Army Wives' Kim Delaney Salutes the Real "Heroes"• Exclusive: Heroes Alumna Befriends an Army Wife
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Marsha Mason by Jim Spellman/WireImage.com
Kim Delaney's Army Wife is getting a visit from Mom — and neither lady will be welcomed with "Happy to See Me."For a pair of episodes of the hit Lifetime drama, four-time Oscar nominee Marsha Mason has been enlisted to fill the plum role of Charlotte Meade, Claudia Joy's upper-crust and always-distant mother who shows up in South Carolina expectedly — and harboring a somewhat urgent, unsaid agenda. (Um, anyone else here take Reading Between the Lines 101? I audited the class myself.) Mason's episodes will air in mid-August. — Matt Mitovich
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Kim Delaney courtesy Lifetime
NYPD Blue vet Kim Delaney commands attention as a smart and sexy colonels wife on Lifetimes Army Wives Sundays at 10 pmET We asked her to report on Season 2 Megan Walsh-Boyle TV Guide No sophomore slump for Army WivesKim Delaney Were beating ourselves [in the ratings] its crazy TV Guide What do you think is the shows appealDelaney I think its the writing and the characters With Claudia Joy theres this great love story between her and Michael even though theyve been married for years TV Guide What kind of reaction have you received from real military wives Delaney Amazing I run into so many military wives who are happy were showing their side [Theyre] unsung heroes TV Guide Season 2 opened with the death of Amanda that was quite a shockDelaney If youre going to end with a bomb you have to do something drastic [The writers] didnt want to tease the audience and not give them something But thats whats good ab
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Tawny Cypress by Mark Sullivan/ WireImage.com, Brigid Brannagh in Army Wives courtesy Lifetime Television
Thanks to her increasingly popular radio show on the post, Army Wife Pamela (Brigid Brannagh) is about to get just a little bit famous. And helping her get there will be a local newspaper reporter played by Tawny Cypress.Cypress, who last was seen getting accidentally (and fatally) shot by her artist-beau, Isaac, on NBC's Heroes, has been booked for a multi-episode Army Wives arc (kicking off Aug. 3) as a journo who gives Pamela some ink. In working on the story, the two ladies form a "close friendship," I am told. Now, being a guy, I did the whole raised-eyebrow, "Close friendship, eh?" thing, but the Lifetime rep assures me that no, we're not going there. (Had to ask, though, right?) — Matt MitovichRelated:• Army Wives' Resident Tomboy Brigid Brannagh Dishes• Killed-off Heroes Star Maintains a "Super" Attitude
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Brigid Brannagh courtesy Lifetime
Pamela Moran may have been a bit rough-around-the edges to start last season on Army Wives Sundays at 10 pmET Lifetime but now that shes got a radio show and a solid group of gal pals shes all about speaking her piece We caught up with Brigid Brannagh the actress behind Pamela to see what she had to say about her outspoken character Gina DiNunnoTVGuide Pamelas character seems to have lightened up a bit more this season Why do you think that happened Brannagh I think Pamela started out a little more cranky and dry but has softened as a byproduct of her friendship with the other women Her radio show has given her a voice as well She went from being a very independent person to devoting herself to this life on the base and I think she was just surviving it before Now with her radio show she has an identity again outside of the army as a social commentator Its her outlet to express her opinions and it gives her a true sense that shes helping
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Question: I wanted to ask your thoughts about the Army Wives second season opener. I've just finished watching it, and I can't stop crying. I'm not usually a crier with television shows, but for some reason this show just gets to me. I'm not an Army wife or girlfriend, but I just love a compelling show that's excellently written and acted, and AW is just that. It was such a shock to find out in the end of the episode that it was all a dream that Claudia Joy was having and that her daughter Amanda was the beloved one that had died. (I thought it was going to be Betty or Marilyn Polarski.) I wasn't expecting that at all, especially since I truly thought that Claudia Joy had taken Amanda off to college, but I soon realized that it wasn't at all what they wanted the viewers to believe. I want to applaud the writers on the riveting scene between ghost Amanda and Claudia Joy in the end where's she's telling her mom to let go before she walks into that big white heavenly glow. It was ...
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Catherine Bell by Fred Norris/Lifetime
Not many TV shows earn promotional shout-outs from both John McCain and Barack Obama But endorsing Army Wives A political no-brainer The hit Lifetime drama Sundays at 10 pmET after all depicts with sensitivity and soap-operatic flourish the lives of American military families The candidates high-profile tributes were the latest signs of success for the networks most popular show which scored record ratings for its second-season opener as well as an official thumbs-up from the US Department of DefenseThe upshot of that seal of approval permission to film inside an actual C-17 transport plane at Charleston Air Force Base in South Carolina near the set used as the shows fictional Army post The DoD also provided a medical evacuation crew to reenact their duties nursing wounded soldiers We want to help the show portray the military not only in a good light but in a realistic light says Air Force public affairs officer Capt Wayne Capps The series als
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Ana Ortiz by Alexandra Wyman/ WireImage.com
While the rest of Ugly Betty cast makes the move to New York City for Season 3, Ana Ortiz will be making a pit stop in Charleston, S.C. There, the increasingly in-demand actress will film a plum guest-star gig on Army Wives. On Lifetime's sizzling summer series, Ortiz will play Sandi, a litigious waitress who gets mixed up with Roxy (Sally Pressman) and Trevor (Drew Fuller). Speaking of Betty's cross-country move, I'll answer a burning question on the mind of many readers in this Tuesday's Mega Minute vodcast. — Matt Mitovich
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