Ann Margret - Army wives Season 4
"Army Wives" returns for its fourth season on Sunday, April 11 and Ann-Margret will be enlisting for two episodes of the Lifetime TV series.
The Academy Award nominated actress will play Aunt Edie, who shows up unexpectedly on the base to visit her nephew Major General Michael James Holden (Brian McNamara) and his wife Claudia Joy (Kim Delaney).
The fourth season of "Army Wives" will continue the drama of life at Fort Holden with Claudia Joy competing with her arch rival for an important award given only to Army wives, Roxy's (Sally Pressman) pregnancy, Pamela's (Brigid Brannagh) marriage in jeopardy, Joan's (Wendy Davis) possibly life-changing war injuries, and Denise's (Catherine Bell) son's suicide attempt.
Ann-Margret's first episode airs on Mother's Day, May 9, at 10 p.m. on Lifetime TV. Posted March 25, 2010 4:12:00 PM
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Catherine Bell says viewers relates to family stories on Lifetime's 'Army Wives'
Thursday, Apr. 08, 2010
By DAVID MARTINDALE
Special to dfw.com
Catherine Bell isn't sure how military spouses do it.
The star of Lifetime's Army Wives is an absolute mess when separated from her family for even a few days. "I can only imagine how challenging it is to be apart for whole months at a time or even longer," she says.
When Bell is "deployed" to South Carolina to film Army Wives (which begins its fourth season at 9 p.m. Sunday), her husband of 15 years and their daughter, age 6, accompany her. Their presence keeps her sane.
Bell marvels at the strength of her real-life counterparts, who endure their long separations knowing that their soldier husbands might not make it back alive. The stakes don't get any higher than that.
"I think that's why people connect with our show," says Bell, who plays Denise Sherwood, a character whose husband and son are soldiers. "We stay away from the politics and instead focus on universal themes of love and marriage and children and the ups and downs of life's relationships."
We chatted with Bell last week about the show and the new season.
The season opens with a new crisis in Denise's life: Her son, back from a tour of duty, tried to kill himself. Not exactly the feel-good episode of the year. Then again, if everything were smiles and giggles, it wouldn't be true to the reality of what a military wife's life is like, would it?
That's true. Hopefully it's not all tears all the time. But certainly we tackle those issues that they're dealing with on a regular basis. That's something I love about our show. But I cried an awful lot during those first two episodes. It does turn around for Denise at some point, so hang in there. I certainly was very happy when I could stop crying.
What kind of feedback do you get from real-life Army wives? Do they approve of how they're being depicted, even when Denise had an affair while her husband was overseas?
Well, the wives weren't too happy about that story line. But it does happen. Certainly not for all of them, but there are some that unfortunately, on both sides, the men and the women, have trouble keeping that fidelity during so many months apart. Actually, I fought against doing that story line. I really didn't want Denise, of all the characters, to have an affair. But again, it happens. Besides, now it's all good. They're back together and working it out.
After starring for nearly a decade as a Marine colonel in JAG, did you have any misgivings about doing another military-themed show?
Once I got past the word 'Army' in the title, I had a good feeling about it. But my first reaction was to say, 'There's no chance in hell that I'm going to do another show about the military.' But once I got past that and I saw who was involved and I saw the story lines, I thought, 'Oh, man, this is going to be good.' The fact that people responded and we've had the success that we've had has been just wonderful.
Maybe your next TV series can showcase still another branch of the military.
You're joking, but don't think it's impossible. Even now I get scripts in my off time to play some Air Force pilot. I'm like, 'No, no, no.' I love doing the military shows, but I don't want to only do those.
Is it a blow to your vanity that a 25-year-old actor plays your son? Or do you choose to view it the other way, which is to say that, for a woman whose son is a grown man, you look great?
When I first met Richard Bryant, who plays my son, and I found out how old he was, it was a bit of a shock. I went, 'Now wait a minute. Wait one minute! Do I look that old?' But once I got past that, I realized that at my age (now 41) I could easily have a 19-year-old son. His character is 19 now. Still, it's a bit strange for me, because I have an almost-7-year-old daughter. But I think he looks young, which is a saving grace. What's funny is that, on set, Richard and I always joke and I make him blush heavily. I'm always like, 'Come to Momma! Come here!' And I make him put his head on my shoulder and I tease him. And he's like, 'Momma, Momma! Stop it! This is weird!' But I can't help myself. It's too funny.
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OK Magazine - Semaine du 19 Avril 2010 People Magazine - Semaine du 19 Avril 2010
Week of April 19th Week of April 19th
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Army Wives Season 4 Episode 1:Season Premiere Collateral Damage S04E01
Terry Reth | Apr 12, 2010
Army Wives Season 4 Episode 1:Season Premiere Collateral Damage S04E01 – So many of us having been following Army Wives since its beginning and finally after what seemed like well over a year, it has made its return back to Lifetime. The show basically started right where we were left off with before. I think that’s great because you know you didn’t miss a beat, but for others you might find this a little discouraging. A gunshot took the season off to a great start, like always it was packed with drama and excitement. Jeremy tried to kill himself but to our enlightenment it was only an attempt and he survived the trauma. Imagine how that would have been for Frank and Denise to come into their living room and find that kind of a disaster waiting for you, to see that and witness the moment would be horrible. Jeremy is clearly in some trouble and is really suffering from some mental deficiencies. In fact, they even took him to a psych evaluation center and had to carry him off tied up in handcuffs to ensure that he doesn’t try to hurt anyone including himself any further. When he got there, Roland was assigned to be his doctor.
Apparently it was easy for Jeremy to not take his medication while he was there, which is strange and unrealistic because it is a psych evaluation center, they would ensure that you take the pills in an environment like that. Soon after it was discovered though and Roland used this as a key to find out what was going on inside Jeremy. It turns out that Jeremy is suffering from the guilt of surviving the accident when is friend Mark died. If you can remember back when he beat up Denise, I think it’s probably best he stay where he was placed. Frank and Denise decided to skip out on the party, probably because of the recent incident with Jeremy. They really can’t be blamed though, who would want to talk about something as bad as that? Besides Michael and Claudio being very happy, Trevor and Roxy are remaining very excited about her pregnancy.
http://www.tvopi.com/reviews/army-wives-season-4-episode-1/273/
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ARMY WIVES "Collateral Damage" Season 4 Episode 1 (Premiere)
Watch a sneak peek of ARMY WIVES "Collateral Damage" Season 4 Episode 1 (Premiere) airing this Sunday, April 11 at 10:00PM-11:00PM (ET/PT) on Lifetime.
Episode Synopsis: ARMY WIVES "Collateral Damage" Season 4 Episode 1 (Premiere) - Denise and Frank face the aftermath of the gunshot that was fired in their home. Trevor and Roxy celebrate the impending arrival of their new baby, but Roxy is hesitant to share the good news with the rest of the tribe. Pamela, in need of a break and still struggling in her marriage to Chase, unexpectedly takes the kids away for a vacation. Claudia Joy learns that she has been nominated as a finalist for the Army Spouse of the Year. Roland becomes distracted from work when he receives news of Joan's condition but steps up to help Denise and Frank through a their difficult time. Starring Kim Delaney</FONT>, Sally Pressman, Brigid Brannagh, Brian McNamara, Sterling K. Brown, Wendy Davis, Drew Fuller, Terry Serpico, Katelyn Pippy and Catherine Bell.
http://www.daemonstv.com/2010/04/11/army-wives-collateral-damage-season-4-episode-1-premiere/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+daemonstv+%28Daemon%27s+TV%29
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Harry Hamlin To Guest Star on ARMY WIVES
Harry Hamlin will guest star in ARMY WIVES this season. According to TV Guide, Harry Hamlin will play "a public advocacy lawyer who tries a case against the Army that pits Claudia Joy (Kim Delaney) and Michael (Brian McNamara) against each other during a courtroom hearing."
The episode is titled "Trial and Error" and will air on June 20, 2010.
Harry Hamlin is best known for his roles on Veronica Mars and the original Clash of the Titans movie. And I'm sure fans of his will be excited to see him in the show. I personally can't wait to see what happens that put Claudia Joy and Michael against each other.
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TVguide 03 May 2010
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'Wives' drives a spinoff
Lifetime series births cop drama
Lifetime is soldiering on with a spinoff to its hit drama "Army Wives."
The spinoff, currently in the early stages of development, will center on the character of Pamela (played by Brigid Brannagh).
In the potential new series, Pamela -- a former police officer whose husband was a Delta Force soldier -- is now divorced and back in her old job as a Charleston, S.C., cop.
Pamela's divorce is a major part of the fourth season of "Army Wives," which launched April 11.
"Army Wives" scribes Bruce Zimmerman and T.D. Mitchell are attached to create the new series. ABC Studios and the Mark Gordon Co., which produce "Army Wives," are also behind the spinoff. Gordon and Deb Spera are exec producers.
Spinoff is one of several Lifetime development projects based in the South.
The "Army Wives" spinoff pre-dates the arrival of new Lifetime topper Nancy Dubuc. But Dubuc will now be charged with greenlighting the new round of development from Lifetime entertainment exec VP JoAnn Alfano. "Army Wives" bowed to strong numbers on Lifetime in June 2007 and continues to perform decently for the cabler.
Lifetime calls "Army Wives" the most-successful series in its 25-year history, and notes that it was the highest-rated original drama on ad-supported cable with women 18-49 for the last two seasons.
Contact Michael Schneider at mike.schneider@variety.com.
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118019005.html?categoryId=14&cs=1&nid=2248
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It is not new (regrettably) that the series has some small problems to continue its road, in spite of the success which it meets.
The whole Casting fights for its survival, but also the technicians, the crew, the extra which do not wish to lose their work because of a budgetary decision on behalf of the administration of the State.
Voila several weeks, that they multiply the meetings, the discussions in chambers and the decision is going to fall very soon.
We cross fingers for them and here is a small video (thank you Catherine) who speaks to you about all the importance of the financing of the State in the artistic in particular film creation:
Il n'est pas nouveau ( malheureusement) que la série a quelques petits problèmes à continuer sa route, malgré le succès qu'elle rencontre.
Le Casting tout entier se bat pour sa survie, mais aussi les techniciens, les extras....qui ne souhaitent pas perdre leur travail à cause d'une décision budgétaire de la part de l'administration de l'Etat.
Voila plusieurs semaines, qu'ils multiplient les réunions, les discussions aux chambres et la décision va tomber très prochainement.
Nous croisons les doigts pour eux et voici une petite vidéo ( merci Catherine ) en anglais ( pour ceux qui comprennent ) qui vous parle de toute l'importance du financement de l'Etat dans la création artistique et notamment cinématographique :
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Army Wives Actress Catherine Bell Watches Lawmakers' Veto Votes
Columbia, SC (WLTX) -- As lawmakers wrapped up their votes on Gov. Mark Sanford's vetoes, an actress was there to see how things would pan out for her show.
"I came down here today to make sure what just happened, happened," Catherine Bell said. Bell made the trip from the Charleston area, where her show "Army Wives" is filmed, to appear at the State House Tuesday.
As lawmakers voted to overrule a veto from Sanford, and keep tax incentives for the film industry, Bell was watching.
"Without the tax incentive, we wouldn't stay here, I mean, the bottom line is, it's several millions of dollars to the studio, and we'd have to relocate," she said.
Those incentives pay out a 20 percent rebate on every dollar in wages. As long as "Army Wives" shoots in Charleston, that means 300 jobs and millions of dollars for our state, according to Democratic Sen. Joel Lourie.
"This is an industry that we've really seen blossom in South Carolina in the last five years. I think it's important that we think out of the box to cultivate these types of industries," he said.
The outcome was also appropriate to Republican Rep. Michael Pitts.
"Just as we begin to reap the benefits, the Governor wants to veto the incentives that brought them here," Pitts said.
Bell said, "I've bought two homes. I've bought and sold one and bought a second home here. My mom just moved here from California and she bought a home and I've leased two cars. And that's just me. And from what I understand, 15 of us from the cast and crew have bought homes. And then you've got something like we're spending $19 million a year in salaries. We've spent about $120 million since the show started four years ago."
The incentives will stay. Bell and her fellow crew members will continue to live in the state fulltime, and pay taxes, at least until next year.
"The future of the show really just depended on it," Bell said.
http://www.wltx.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=89150&catid=2
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'A call to arms' — cast asks for help
'Army Wives' says money spent makes up for incentives
The Post and Courier
Monday, July 12, 2010
CHARLESTON - Less than two weeks after almost losing the state incentives that would keep "Army Wives" filming in Charleston, about a dozen cast members held a town hall meeting asking for help Sunday.
"We shouldn't have to do this dance every year," said Wendy Davis, who plays Lt. Colonel Joan Burton on the television show. "The public doesn't understand how much money the film industry pours into the local economy."
The Carolina Film Alliance organized the meeting in the Hippodrome lobby downtown. More than 100 people turned out. The goal was to figure out how to convince state lawmakers that the money the film industry puts into the local economy more than offsets lost tax revenue from incentives.
"We almost lost 'Army Wives,' " said Richard Bryant, a Charleston native who plays Private 1st Class Jeremy Sherwood on the show. "It's a call to arms."
Catherine Bell, who plays Denise Sherwood, spent time in Columbia at the end of June lobbying lawmakers to continue the incentives, which Gov. Mark Sanford vetoed. The Legislature narrowly overturned the veto.
"It was exhilarating, but I really don't want to do that next year," Bell said Sunday.
She said she expects to have her baby in her home here in about five weeks. She and her husband, production assistant Adam Beason, are among several cast and crew members who have bought houses here and want to stay.
The actors say they have spent more than $120 million locally during the first four years of production. Producers say they hired 355 employees and 1,101 extras this year while filming the fourth season. They say that more than makes up for the state rebates of 20 percent for residents' wages and 30 percent for supplies purchased from in-state businesses.
Other producers would love to film in Charleston, but they have to know the tax incentives are going to stay, said Terry Serpico, who plays Lt. Col. Frank Sherwood. Otherwise they will go to neighboring states that have the incentives in place, he said.
"If you keep these incentives in place, production will come," he said.
"I've never understood why it's such a battle for this incentive to go through," said Brian McNamara, who plays Maj. Gen. Michael Holden.
"It's a simple matter of mathematics," said Jeremy Davidson, who plays Sgt. 1st Class Chase Moran. "No matter how much you love a place, you have to go elsewhere without these long-term incentives."
Reach Dave Munday at 937-5553 or dmunday@postandcourier.com.
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/jul/12/a-call-to-arms-cast-asks-for-help/
