• by Fern Siegel , April 21, 2009

Andrea Wong, president and CEO of Lifetime Networks, says it arrived "fashionably late." Now that the legal battles between the Weinstein Co. and NBCU are history, "Project Runway," the No. 1 competitive reality series, has a new home. And it headlines Lifetime's 2009-'10 slate, which the network unveiled Tuesday. "Runway" premieres August 20.

Wong says Lifetime is ramping up its comedy lineup and expanding its dramas with the July 12 launch of "Drop Dead Diva." It also has five unscripted projects and six dramas in development.

The ambitious schedule, says JoAnn Alfano, executive vice president, entertainment, Lifetime, is to "celebrate, entertain and support women as we grow our brand." She credits the brand's resonance and the net's program strength for securing its status as the No. 1 network for women across all demographics.

"With the No. 1 and No. 2 (Lifetime Movie Network) for women, and an ever-expanding digital presence," adds Wong, "we will continue to inject [Lifetime] with even greater energy and relevance." She points to the dramatic success of "Army Wives," which follows a group of women and one man on an active army post. Currently filming its third season, the network is so confident of its long-term appeal that it has scheduled a fourth season.

The next big drama push, "Drop Dead Diva," starring Brooke Elliott and Margaret Cho, concerns a narcissistic model who dies in an accident and has her spirit returned to a plus-size lawyer's body. Wong calls "Diva" a "breakthrough show that will broaden the brand."

Other upcoming drama series in development include "The Fallen," based on the best-selling mystery of the same name; "Mona Lisa Smile," an adaptation of the film about college-educated women in the 1950s; and "Murder in Suburbia," an American revamp of the popular British series.

On the comedy front, "Rita Rocks" returns for a second season this fall. In addition, several comedy pilots featuring well-known TV stars are on board. "Sherri" is loosely based on comedienne Sherry Shepherd ("The View"), "The Valerie Bertinelli Project" and "Alligator Point," which stars Cybill Shepherd and an eccentric group of Floridians.

Unscripted series include the May 4 debut of "Cook Yourself Thin," in which three trained chefs turn favorite foods into healthy meals, and "Models of the Runway," a new behind-the-scenes companion series that follows "Project Runway." Also, "Diet Tribe" returns for a second season. Plus, there are five unscripted shows in development, including "Camping With the In-Laws" and "Deadbeat Dads," anchored by Jim Durham, founder of National Child Support.

Alfano is equally enthusiastic about Lifetime Net's original movies, including the new miniseries "Maneater," which premieres May 30, and "Georgia O'Keeffe," which airs in September and stars Jeremy Irons and Joan Allen as famed art impresario Alfred Steiglitz and Georgia O'Keeffe, respectively.

Finally, Lifetime Movie Network, its executives say, has exceeded ratings for Oxygen, Bravo, Discovery and Hallmark channels. The fastest-growing basic cable network, it now reaches 70 million subscribers in the U.S. and is set to hit 77 million by year's-end. This June, the net will premiere two installments of "Crimes of Fashion," starring Maggie Lawson of "Psych," and "Everything She Ever Wanted" in August, based on the Ann Rule crime novel.

In 2010, Lifetime will begin stripping the off-net hit "How I Met Your Mother." This fall, it will begin airing "Grey's Anatomy" and "Medium."