Delaney, Bell star in series premiering in March

Lifetime has recruited a new series for its lineup, greenlighting 13 episodes of an ensemble drama called "Army Wives."

As the title implies, the series will focus on the travails of a group of military spouses living on a U.S. Army base and the emotions they experience when their loved ones are sent into combat. Kim Delaney ("NYPD Blue") and Catherine Bell ("JAG") headline the ensemble cast.

Katherine Fugate ("The Prince & Me") created the series and will executive produce with Mark Gordon ("Grey's Anatomy," "Criminal Minds") and Deborah Spera. Ben Younger ("Prime") directed the pilot.

"We're pleased to bring an entertaining and relevant drama series in 'Army Wives' to our viewers," says Lifetime Entertainment president Susanne Daniels. "This show will resonate strongly with our audience, as Mark, Deb and Katherine have created authentic, relatable and powerful characters set in a highly charged and complex environment."

"Army Wives," which debuts in March 2007, will focus primarily on a group of five spouses -- including one male "wife" (Sterling K. Brown, "Starved") -- who form a bond on the base, and who all have secrets that could harm their families.

The cast also includes Brigid Brannagh (FX's "Over There"), Brian McNamara, Sally Pressman, Wendy Davis and Drew Fuller ("Charmed"). It's based on the book "Under the Sabers: The Unwritten Code of Army Wives" by Tanya Blank, who will be a consultant on the show.