Lifetime Television is taking the upcoming May sweeps period head-on.
The women's-targeted cable network is reaching into its handbag and will pull out a new movie each night next month to combat the broadcasters as they air an array of season and series finales and specials as a means to boost ratings and advertising ratings for their affiliate stations.
Lifetime's 31-film lineup will encompass original movies and a number of acquisitions that will be making their worldwide or U.S. television premieres at 9 p.m. (EST/PST), as well as other telefilms that will air on the network for the first time, Mondays-Saturdays and at 5 p.m. Sundays
Hosted by singer Martina McBride, Lifetime's "New Movie Every Day in May" will feature such notables as Jennifer Love Hewitt, Nicollette Sheridan, Marcia Cross, Connie Nielsen, Mia Kirschner, Kelly Rowan and Anne Archer.
The women's service -- which will premiere Lifetime Original Movie Murder on Pleasant Drive, starring Kelly Williams, Adam Arkin and Amy Madigan, May 8 -- will kick off its movie marathon with Ties That Bind, starring Nicole de Boer and Brian Krause. The film makes its U.S. debut Monday, May 1.
Other films making their U.S. TV premieres during the stunt include: Honeymoon with Mom (Shelly Long, Jack Scalia and Virginia Williams) May 14 at 5 p.m.; Cradle of Lies (Shannon Sturges, Dylan Neal) May 15; and Between (Poppy Montgomery, Adam Kaufman, Daniel Pino and Jose Yenque) May 29.
The network will also be home to the world TV premieres of Gone But Not Forgotten (Brooke Shields, Lou Diamond Phillips and Scott Glenn) and Arthur Hailey's Detective (Cybill Shepherd and Annabeth Gish) May 7 and 28, respectively, at 5 p.m.
