NEW YORK — Susanne Daniels had a singular goal in mind as she was developing a slate of original programs to debut on Lifetime Television this summer.
"I was looking for hit shows," Daniels, president of entertainment for Lifetime Entertainment Services, said wryly.
It may be an obvious aim, but it's an achievement that has recently eluded the women-oriented channel. Once the predominant cable network among all viewers, Lifetime lost ground in the last several years as it clung to a fare of sitcom reruns and passe women-in-peril movies while its cable competitors hit pay dirt with original series such as "Monk" and "The Closer." The network now ranks below general interest channels such as USA and TBS, even among its core 18- to 49-year-old female demographic.
"We are proactively trying to change our image," Daniels said, adding that she hopes viewers will see "that we're more contemporary, that our shows are really relevant and will resonate with their lives."
Amanda Lotz, assistant professor of communication at the University of Michigan, said Lifetime stumbled by failing to refine its identity as broadcast shows such as "Grey's Anatomy" and smaller cable networks like SOAPnet and Home & Garden Television chipped away at its female base.
"The world really changed around them," said Lotz, author of "Redesigning Women," a book that examines the recent rise of female-oriented television programming. "I don't think they have adjusted very well. The cable players that have succeeded have shows that garner a lot of attention, like TNT with 'The Closer' or the FX dramas. Lifetime has consistently turned out these bland, retread programs."
The network's original offerings last year -- including the dating agency comedy "Lovespring International" and the crime procedural "Angela's Eyes" -- largely fizzled.
So Lifetime is hoping to jettison its image as the purveyor of colorless programming this summer by launching a trio of new dramas, starting Sunday with "Army Wives."
From executive producer Mark Gordon ("Grey's Anatomy"), the series examines the lives of five military spouses at an Army base, their complicated relationships and the intricate code that governs their lives. The drama, starring Kim Delaney and Catherine Bell, will be joined on July 15 by two other new programs, "Side Order of Life" and "State of Mind," to create a Sunday night block the network dubbed "Me Time."
