Lifetime TV: Who knew?

So sometime over the last few months, I seem to have morphed from a bar-hopping twenty-something into a Lifetime television-watching forty-something woman.

Shocking, I know.

But what's even more shocking to me is that the shows that premiered on Lifetime this past summer are much more than the usual Tori Spelling movie of the week. They're actually... good. The cable network which (I think) was famous for giving young actors and actresses a start with over-dramatized, based-on-a-true-story shows, has recently become the channel I flip to most often. Lifetime, which bills itself as "the leader in women's television," has really stepped up its game with addicting new dramas like Army Wives (I'm pretty sure you can figure out the premise) and Side Order of Life, about a young photographer whose outlook on life changes when her best friend is diagnosed with cancer. The characters are complex. The story lines are interesting. And, hey, any network that brings back Jason Priestly is okay in my book.

While this development in cable television may be old news to some of you, I've only recently come to terms with my change in attitude. Maybe I'm getting more mature in my old age--or maybe Lifetime just got some fresh and talented writers. Whatever the cause, I'm glad that a network that is dedicated to women and their families is finally one that I'm excited to watch.

-Beth