57541733DS_DNA036702028LOS ANGELES, Dec. 7 /PRNewswire/ — VH1 has teamed up with the wives and girlfriends of some of the NBA’s most elite players to give the viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the glamorous life of a professional basketball player’s wife in VH1’s original series, “Basketball Wives.” Production is set to begin on the series in December 2009. The eight-episode 30-minute series is set to premiere on March 15, 2010.

This series is about the insider life of the wives, girlfriends and a few ex-wives of some of the biggest ballers in the game. These ladies live the life. They drive the best cars, live in the biggest mansions, wear designer clothes and jewelry and only travel first class. But living the high life is not all glamour. In order to protect it, they have to deal with the jealousies and dramas of living in — and staying in — the inner circle. They must also keep the groupies at bay while their husbands and boyfriends are traveling on the road for over six months of the year playing ball all-the-while wondering if their spouses are being faithful to them.

The cast is filled with the wives and ex-wives of superstars including Jennifer Williams (wife of Eric Williams), Evelyn Lozada (ex-fiance of Antoine Walker), Mesha O’Neal (wife of Jermaine O’Neal), Royce Reed, Faith Rain (Udonis Haslem’s girlfriend) and Shaunie O’Neal (wife of Shaquille O’Neal) who will also serve as Executive Producer on the series.

“The public has an obvious fascination with the wives of star athletes. This series will show viewers not only the glamorous side of being a celebrity wife but also the challenges and hard work that go with it,” said Jeff Olde, Executive Vice President of Original Programming and Production. “The wives of star athletes form one of the most unique and exclusive groups of women in the world. You only have to look as far as the nearest headlines to see what sort of pressure they are up against to keep their relationships and their families together. These women truly have a strength formed by fire. We are thrilled that they are allowing us into their lives to see things through their lens and understand why their friendships and bonds make them a force to be reckoned with.”

“Having been around these remarkable women for several years, I have always recognized that behind every NBA star is a strong, exceptional woman, one who must deal with the unique challenges of being married to the game as well as the player. I am happy to be teaming with Shed Media and VH1 in bringing this entertaining and enlightening world to television,” stated Shaunie O’Neal, executive producer for “Basketball Wives” and wife of NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal.

Shed Media is producing the series. Executive producing for Shed Media are Nick Emmerson, Jennifer O’Connell, and Alex Demyanenko. Tom Huffman is a consulting producer. Shaunie O’Neal is an executive producer. Executive producing for VH1 are Jeff Olde, Jill Holmes and Noah Pollack.

VH1 connects viewers to the music, artists and pop culture that matter to them most with TV series, specials, live events, exclusive online content and public affairs initiatives. VH1 is available in 95 million households in the U.S. VH1 also has an array of digital channels and services including VH1Classic, VH1 Soul, VH1 Mobile, VH1Games and extensive broadband video on VH1.com. Connect with VH1 at VH1.com.