Army Wives

Infobox Television
bgcolour = green
show_name = Army Wives


caption =
format = Drama
picture_format = 480i (SDTV),
720p (HDTV)
runtime = 60 minutes (including commercials)
creator = Katherine Fugate
starring = Kim Delaney
Sally Pressman
Brigid Brannagh
Catherine Bell
Brian McNamara
Sterling K. Brown
Wendy Davis
Drew Fuller
theme_music_composer = Marc Fantini Steffan Fantini
country = USA
network = Lifetime Television
first_aired = June 3, 2007
last_aired = present
num_episodes = 27
list_episodes = List of Army Wives episodes
website = http://www.lifetimetv.com/shows/armywives/index.php
tv_com_id = 66943
imdb_id = 0859592

"Army Wives" is a US television drama series that follows the lives of four army wives, their families and an "army husband" whose wife is in the army. [Reuters [http://www.reuters.com/article/televisionNews/idUSN0626629620070606 Television News] ] The series premiered on Lifetime Television on June 3, 2007. The show had the largest series premiere in Lifetime's 23 year history, and the largest viewership in the 10:00PM to 11:00PM time slot since December for Lifetime.

The show is based on the non-fiction book—originally titled "Under the Sabers: The Unwritten Code of Army Wives" by Tanya Biank. "Army Wives" has been picked up for a second season. The second season, premiering on Lifetime in the United States on Sunday, June 8, 2008, will have 19 episodes.cite web |url=http://www.eonline.com/gossip/kristin/detail/index.jsp?uuid=e4886ce3-580b-4da5-ad54-319c2d58a59b&utm_campaign=xxltfp&utm_source=xjljqfejb&utm_medium=link|title= Army Wives Boss Dishes on New Season|accessdate=2008-04-03|last=Dos Santos|first=Kristin|coauthors=Jennifer Godwin|date=April 3, 2008|publisher=Watch with Kristin] The series began airing in Ireland on Monday, October 15, 2007 on TG4 (in English) and in New Zealand on Thursday, June 19, 2008 on TV2.

On March 14, 2008, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment announced a DVD release. "Army Wives: The Complete First Season" — a three-disc set including all 13 original episodes and exclusive bonus features including an un-aired storyline, deleted scenes, outtakes,cast interviews and more was released June 10, 2008. [http://news.tvonmedia.com/tvom_news_by_show/Army-Wives-Complete-1st-Season.shtml]

Plot

In the pilot episode of "Army Wives", "A Tribe is Born," Roxy impetuously decides to marry PFC Trevor LeBlanc and moves with her two kids to his Army post, fictitious Fort Marshall in Charleston, South Carolina. Floundering in her new life as an Army wife, she takes a job bartending at a local joint known for being a Jody bar (where civilian men go to hit on enlisted men's wives). While on the post, Roxy meets Claudia Joy Holden, who believes that her husband COL Michael Holden's promotion didn't come through because of base politics. Another Army wife, Pamela Moran, is heavily pregnant with twins - she's secretly acting as a surrogate to get her family out of debt. Meanwhile, psychiatrist Roland Burton is trying to reconnect with his wife, LTC Joan Burton, who has just returned from Afghanistan. Then there's Denise Sherwood, who is dealing with her son Jeremy's anger-management issues as her strict husband, MAJ Frank Sherwood, is about to be deployed. The unlikely group bonds when Pamela unexpectedly goes into labor at Claudia Joy's wives' tea party and subsequently gives birth on the pool table in the bar where Roxy works. Not wanting everyone to know her family's dire financial situation, Pamela relies on these new friends to keep her surrogacy from being exposed.

As the 1st season progresses, the four women and Roland all become great friends. They go on to face things such as deployments, abuse, hostage situations, adultery and the vicious rumors that surround them.

It should be noted that though the show is based on the book of the same name, and some of the characters echo their real-life counterparts, significant differences are in place.

This includes such matters as who was killed on the show as compared to who died in real life. For instance, Claudia Joy's oldest daughter Amanda died on the show in the second season opener. The real-life counterpart of Claudia Joy lost her husband in a plane crash during a mission to find the remains of soldiers in Vietnam.

Amanda died in an explosion caused by a jealous husband. In reality, a jealous husband did kill his wife, but in a murder/suicide involving the real-life counterpart of one of the main wives on the show. In real life, this same army wife did become a surrogate for another couple, but not in secret or primarily for money.

Episodes

" main|List of Army Wives episodes"

Cast and Crew

Main Cast

* Kim Delaney as Claudia Joy Holden
* Brian McNamara as Brigadier General Michael Holden
* Catherine Bell as Denise Sherwood
* Terry Serpico as Major Frank Sherwood
* Sally Pressman as Roxy LeBlanc
* Drew Fuller as Specialist Trevor LeBlanc
* Brigid Brannagh as Pamela Moran
* Jeremy Davidson as Staff Sergeant Chase Moran
* Sterling K. Brown as Doctor Roland Burton
* Wendy Davis as Lieutenant Colonel Joan Burton

Recurring Cast

* Chloe J. Taylor as Katie Moran
* Melissa Ponzio as Angie
* Kim Allen as Amanda Joy Holden (Deceased)
* Richard Bryant as Private Jeremy Sherwood
* John White, Jr. as Finn
* Katelyn Pippy as Emmalin Holden
* Patricia French as Betty Camden
* Rhoda Griffis as Lenore Baker
* Kate Kneeland as Marilyn Polarski (Deceased)
* Gigi Rice as Marda Brooks

Main Crew

* Ben Younger - director
* Katherine Fugate - executive producer, creator and writer
* Mark Gordon - executive producer
* Deborah Spera - executive producer
* Jeff Melvoin - executive producer
* Harry Bring - co-executive producer

Directors & Writers
*Joanna Kerns
*Rob Spera
*Perry Lang
*Patrick Norris
*Tanya Biank
*Dee Johnson
*Rama Laurie Stagner

oundtrack

" main|Songs heard on Army wives"

DVD release

"Army Wives: The Complete First Season" was released on Region 1 DVD on June 10, 2008. The three-disc collection will include all 13 episodes from the First Season. [ [http://news.tvonmedia.com/tvom_news_by_show/Army-Wives-Complete-1st-Season.shtml Army Wives - Walt Disney Studios to Release 1st Season (DVD) ] ]

References

* [http://news.tvonmedia.com/tvom_news_by_show/Army-Wives-Complete-1st-Season.shtml]

External links

*imdb title|id=0859592|title=Army Wives
*tv.com show|id=66943|title=Army Wives
* [http://www.lifetimetv.com/shows/armywives/index.php Official website]
* [http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117933797.html?categoryid=32&cs=1 Army Wives Review] at "Variety.com"
* [http://video.movies.go.com/tvondvdhits/armywives_s1/index.html Army Wives on DVD]