Why should advertising executives and their wives have all the fun? While "Mad Men" tackles Madison Avenue, "The Astronaut Wives Club" will be dealing with pressures only NASA could sympathize with. ABC just ordered 10 episodes of the original drama TV series planned for summer release.
Based on the best-selling novel by Lily Koppel, "The Astronaut Wives Club," the TV series is set in 1969 and tells the real story of women who were married to the biggest legends of the space race, and how they coped with sudden fame.
"As America's Mercury Seven astronauts were launched on death-defying missions, television cameras focused on the brave smiles of their young wives," according to the "The Astronaut Wives Club" book description. "Overnight, these women were transformed from military spouses into American royalty. They had tea with Jackie Kennedy, appeared on the cover of Life magazine, and quickly grew into fashion icons. Annie Glenn, with her picture-perfect marriage, was the envy of the other wives; platinum-blonde Rene Carpenter was proclaimed JFK's favorite; and licensed pilot Trudy Cooper arrived on base with a secret. Together with the other wives they formed the Astronaut Wives Club, meeting regularly to provide support and friendship. As their celebrity rose -- and as divorce and tragic death began to touch their lives -- they continued to rally together, and the wives have now been friends for more than 50 years."
The series is produced by ABC Studios, and created by Stephanie Savage and Josh Schwartz, who are best known for their other hit series "Gossip Girl." Savage, Schwartz, and Len Goldstein from Fake Empire will executive-produce the series along with Groundswell Productions' Michael London.
(Via Deadline)