Lifetime orders full season of 'Rita'

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Lifetime Television has announced it placed an early full-season order for its new U.S. comedy series "Rita Rocks," starring Nicole Sullivan.

The show is Lifetime Television's first original comedy in 10 years.

JoAnn Alfano, executive vice president of entertainment, said Monday Lifetime ordered seven additional episodes, bringing the first season order to 20.

The family comedy premiered last month.

"'Rita Rocks' was developed as a companion to Lifetime's most popular comedy 'Reba,' and 'Rita Rocks' has either built on/or held the 'Reba' audience for five of the first six original episodes. Repeats of the 'Rita Rocks' episodes in different dayparts also have performed strongly," Alfano said in a statement. "Having a nearly 100 percent audience retention rate is unheard of when launching a new comedy, but 'Rita Rocks' has achieved that feat. We are extremely happy with this early success."

The show is about Rita Clements, an overworked wife and mother who was once the lead singer of a Bangles cover band. She decides to form a garage band in the hope of getting a little bit of her old self back.

In addition to Sullivan as Rita, "Rita Rocks" stars Richard Ruccolo as Rita's husband Jay and Tisha Campbell-Martin as her friend and bandmate.