‘Prison Brides’ & ‘I Wasn’t Expecting A Baby’ Lead Lifetime Unscripted Slate

Peter White
·3 min read

EXCLUSIVE: Lifetime is approaching its 40th anniversary and it’s launching a number of unscripted series to celebrate.

The A+E Networks-owned cabler has ordered Prison Brides and I Wasn’t Expecting a Baby! as part of its new non-scripted slate.

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The series, which will launch in the first quarter of 2024, join long running series such as Married at First Sight as well as previously announced shows such as The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, Casey Anthony’s Parents: The Lie Detector Test and Theresa Caputo: Raising Spirits.

Prison Brides follows women who find love in locked up places and I Wasn’t Expecting a Baby! recounts the stories of women who only discovered they were pregnant as they are about to give birth.

Prison Brides follows seven women from around the world who believe they have found their soulmates in the most unexpected of places, American prisons. While they started off as prison pen pals, these women fell hard and found themselves willing to risk it all for love.  The docuseries follows the women as they travel from their homes – many visiting the United States for the first time – to meet their prisoner fiancés, husbands, or partners, to chart their futures together. With the couples facing harsh judgment from friends, family and strangers, the brides grapple with uncertainty and their ultimate decision to risk it all for true love. Will true love prevail for these star-crossed lovers with the odds stacked against them?

The series is produced by British production company Big Little Fish. Jack Tarantino serves as showrunner with exec producers Mark Procter, Peter Usher, Brie Miranda Bryant, Jonathan Partridge, and Nicole Vogel.

I Wasn’t Expecting a Baby! reveals the true stories of women who were completely unaware they were pregnant…until they are just about to give birth. A phenomenon known as cryptic pregnancies, one in 2500 women experience pregnancies that go unnoticed until delivery. With personal videos, photos, and first-hand accounts, these unsuspecting moms-to-be share their unexpected journey to motherhood that leave everyone wondering just how in the world they could have missed the signs a baby was coming.

The series is produced by Haymaker Media with exec producers Aaron Rothman, Jesse Light, Josh Halpert, Jessica Chesler, Maria Pepin, Amy Savitsky and Kim Chessler.

Casey Anthony’s Parents: The Lie Detector Test, which is being simulcast with A&E, launches on January 4, The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard is a three-night event running January 5-7. Prison Brides will launch on January 10 after Season 17 of Married at First Sight. Theresa Caputo: Raising Spirits launches January 25 and I Wasn’t Expecting a Baby! delivers on February 8.

“While Lifetime Original Movies hold an undeniable space in pop-culture, we need to celebrate that Lifetime has been a driving force in the unscripted arena too,” said Elaine Frontain Bryant, EVP and Head of Programming, A&E, Lifetime and LMN.  “We start off 2024 with a bang with exclusive access to Gypsy on the heels of her release from prison for her involvement in her mother’s death.  Then with Married at First Sight as a preeminent relationship show now in its 17th season, Prison Brides is an exciting new companion that further dives into falling in love in an unconventional way.  And with Theresa Caputo, we believe her talent of connecting to people will also connect with our audience and I am excited her show will be the anchor for Thursdays to launch another incredibly unbelievable shocking and compelling series, I Wasn’t Expecting a Baby!”

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