Cheers, and sushi, greet renewed 'Army Wives'

Several hundred crew members, actors, actresses and others associated with the hit cable television series "Army Wives" gathered at the South Carolina Aquarium this week to mark a successful first season.

As sea creatures swam in the background, the crowd chuckled at bloopers from the 13 episodes while dining on prime rib and, of all things, sushi.

Then came even more cause for celebration — Harry Bring, the show's co-executive producer, announced that Lifetime Networks had agreed to renew the program for a second season, eliciting cheers and hugs.

Lifetime this week confirmed that it has indeed ordered 18 new episodes of the program to be shot on location in Charleston, ensuring more work for businesses that cater to the film industry.

The next season is expected to start airing next spring.

"Even before we shattered records with the premiere on June 3, we saw the battalions of critical acclaim and knew we had a hit," Susanne Daniels, president of entertainment for Lifetime Networks, said in a statement.

"Army Wives" averages 3.6 million viewers and is the highest- rated series in the network's 23-year history, the company said.

In a nod to the show's popularity, invitations to the aquarium wrap-up bash featured characters from the underwater cartoon "SpongeBob SquarePants" watching "Army Wives."

TV insiders say "SpongeBob" is a key cable ratings rival for "Army Wives."

The drama starring Catherine Bell and Kim Delaney revolves around a diverse group of military spouses living on an active Army post. It airs Sundays at 10 p.m.

The producers recently completed a five-month shoot in the Charleston area, with much of the taping taking place on the former Navy base in North Charleston.

ABC Studios, the makers of the Lifetime Network show, recently threatened to pull the production out of South Carolina after the state tweaked some financial incentives it offers the film industry.

The company agreed to keep shooting "Army Wives" in the Lowcountry after meeting with officials from the state Commerce Department, which oversees film incentives.

At issue were wage rebates, which the state began offering film production companies last year to attract more movie business to South Carolina.

Concerned that the state was not getting the return it anticipated, officials approved a plan to scale back the incentive starting this month for workers who are not South Carolina residents.

Commerce has since clarified that the changes apply only to "transient" feature films and do not affect employees on TV series, including "Army Wives."