Lifetime Hits New High with 'Army Wives' Return

By John Eggerton
( Broadcasting & Cable )
published

The second-season return of Army Wives marched into the Lifetime record books as the highest-rated original drama telecast ever on the network in households and all key female demos.

The Sunday night 10 p.m. registered a 3.7 household rating, which translates to 4.5 million viewers, or a 28% increase over its premiere last season.

In the women 18-49 demo, the show averaged a 3.5 rating, which was up 67% from its premiere. Also in the record books was a 2.9 rating in women 18-34 and a 3.65 in women 25-54.

It probably didn't hurt that presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama cut promos for the show, as well as for the channel's effort to help military families.

John Eggerton
John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.