Lifetime for the "Party"

Lifetime came out on top in a heated bidding war for off-network rights to Columbia TriStar Television Distribution's hour drama Party of Five.

The cable channel, which bins itself as Television for Women, dished out $550,000-$650,000 per episode for the Fox series, which scores well in the key female demographics. Lifetime outbid a number of rival cable channels and Paxson Communications, which stated in a NATPE press release two weeks ago that it "had passed" on Party of Five.

The series will appear on the cable channel this fall. It is scheduled to run in early-fringe time periods, with the possibility of a late-fringe double run, according to Lifetime President Doug McCormick. Party of Five joins a high-priced 1998 off-network lineup for Lifetime, one that includes reruns of Ellen and Chicago Hope.

"We've got a really good triple threat," McCormick says. "They all skew young and they all skew toward women. Even Chicago Hope is a very good women-18-to-49 vehicle. It's one of CBS's top five 18-to-49 shows."

Lifetime has laid out some big dollars for its new lineup, including $450,000 for Chicago Hope. While not commenting on dollar amounts, McCormick said Lifetime is coming off its best ratings performance ever and "can only do better in the fall." The channel is averaging a 1.9 rating in prime time and a 1.0 in daytime, according to Nielsen Media Research.

The Lifetime arrangement for Party of Five is a nonexclusive deal, CTTD President Barry Thurston says. The deal leaves open a weekend syndication window for CTTD, which Thurston is currently attempting to sell for fall 1998. CTTD had a similar deal last year for off-network rights to Walker, Texas Ranger. The CBS series landed at USA Network for $700,000 an episode for weekday runs and on broadcast stations during the weekend.

"We had a number of offers. We looked them all over, and we felt that Lifetime provided the best outlet for the show," Thurston says. "They have a whole new plan, a whole new strategy and some quality off-network products."

Thurston would not comment on the statement made in the Paxson Communications press release, but sources say Paxson made at least two offers to acquire Party of Five for its upcoming broadcast network, Pax Net.

Last week, Paxson Communications head Lowell "Bud" Paxson told Broadcasting & Cable that he never "seriously considered" acquiring the off-network rights to Party of Five.