Gone are the days of Lifetime shows and movies featuring damsels in distress.

Lifetime announced a bold new 2016-2017 programming slate centered on strong, complicated female characters who stand up for themselves, refuse to be disqualified, and are overcoming the same obstacles the network’s audience faces every day.

The edgier, younger vibe comes with a new on-air look and ads, and builds on the momentum of the strong women featured in the breakout series UnREAL with a web spinoff about fan favorite Faith and girlfriend Amy.

The female-empowerment focus will also kick off with a new drama starring Selena Gomez that’s based on the actress/singer’s life.

Lifetime also signed UFC star Ronda Rousey to a three-picture movie deal featuring stories that “reflect her passions about empowerment to the screen,” along with tennis star Serena Williams to executive produce an original movie Sister Dance.

Pop music superstar Janet Jackson will also executive produce a movie based on the 1920’s New York City mobster Queenie. And fashion mogul Rebecca Minkoff will join the judges panel for a new fashion series Fashion Inc.

“No studio or network is giving women creators a bigger platform to freely express themselves and see their stories get made,” said Lifetime EVP and Head of Programming Liz Gately said in a statement. “Lifetime will expand its brand into a multi-platform destination with an aggressive investment in short-form digital content that will engage and entertain our viewers 24/7.”

Reaching out to top female entertainers and sports personalities—both in front of and behind the camera—is part of the network’s effort to bring community partnerships and linear, digital and social platforms together under a united effort called “The Fempire”—“which is dedicated to entertaining and engaging the next generation of feminists by creating content for women, by women, about women.”

“The Fempire will be a place where women come to share videos and conversations, connect with friends, learn new things and most importantly, be entertained,” Gateley said.

The idea stems from the results of an outside study that looked at the viewing habits and situational emotions of 500 women of all ages and socioeconomic status. The network found many women still feel challenged.

“We heard about it even in the smallest ways, like being asked to order lunch in a meeting [full of men] or being dismissed in line at the dentist,” Gateley told The Hollywood Reporter.

“It still sucks to be a woman in America because women feel dismissed in both big and small ways throughout their day every day,” she said in a statement. “We know our viewers come to Lifetime because we empower them.”

With that in mind, here’s a look at Lifetime’s 2016-2017 linear and digital programming lineup:

Scripted Development

Selena Gomez Project (untitled): In development with Lifetime, Selena Gomez is set to executive produce a scripted drama inspired by her own life experiences, navigating a career in Hollywood as seen through the eyes of her friends who quickly become her most trusted inner circle.

The drama is produced by A+E Studios and Trigger Street. Set to executive produce the untitled Selena Gomez Project are Kevin Spacey, Mandy Teefey, Dana Brunetti, Samantha Droke and Troy Searer.

A Midsummer’s Nightmare (working title): Lifetime is developing a one-hour drama with an anthological concept where each season takes a classic Shakespearean tale and twists it into a modern-day horror-mystery. A Midsummer Night’s Dream inspires the first season as two young lovers escape their lives on a romantic getaway into the woods until their journey takes an unexpected twist when their friends arrive trying to lure them back home. Something hiding in the forest has other plans, however, and they are targeted one by one while a thrilling and desperate tale of survival unravels.

Anthony Jaswinski (The Shallows) is writing the pilot. A Midsummer’s Nightmare is from A+E Studios and Prospect Park. Jeff Kwatinetz and Josh Barry are executive producing.

None of the Above (working title): Based on the acclaimed novel of the same name, it is a powerful coming-of-age drama that explores the story of a girl whose previous idyllic life as the homecoming queen is called into question when she discovers she is intersex.

The drama is being written by Liz Maccie (Make it or Break It), with Stephen Chbosky (Perks of Being a Wallflower) attached to direct. Davis Entertainment and A+E Studios will produce with John Davis attached as executive producer.

Holly Brix Project (untitled): The soapy and mysterious show is about a group of strangers who are brought together by an unknown puppet master, threatening to expose their past misdeeds and hidden lives. A race to uncover the identity of their blackmailer ensues before this deeply flawed group of people is forced into doing the unthinkable.

Written by Holly Brix (The Vampire Diaries), UnbeliEVAble Entertainment and A+E Studios are attached to produce. Eva Longoria and Ben Spector are executive producing.

Breeders (working title): From the wickedly comedic mind of Jason Gann (Wilfred) comes a subversive dramedy that takes an honest look at support group survival for new parents and how new moms start to reflect the social circles of high school, where the ruthless rule and the weak rarely survive. The project is in development from A+E Studios and executive produced by Nicky Weinstock.

Deadline (working title): A darkly satirical one-hour drama follows aspiring journalist Emily Twist, who is frustrated by how hard it is to get noticed as a reporter in a world that values gossip over hard-hitting investigative news. To rise to the top, Emily must leave her integrity at the door and make increasingly deadly moves to keep her story alive.

Deadline is from A+E Studios and produced by Imperative Entertainment with Justin Levy and Tim Kring.Sam Forman (House of Cards) is set to write the pilot.

Scripted

Sea Change: A two-hour supernatural drama pilot, based on the YA novel by New York Times bestselling author, Aimee Friedman. The series follows a strong 17-year-old girl who, after the death of her father, moves to a small Nantucket-like island to live with her estranged mother. There she is pulled into classic small town rivalries and clashes with her mother, but quickly learns the depth of those conflicts when the island legend about dangerous Sea Walkers appears to be true, presenting a mystery for her and her family.

Sea Change is written by Liz Sczudlo (The Following, Awkward) and produced by MarVista Entertainment and Piller/Segan. Executive producers are Fernando Szew, Sharon Bordas, Lloyd Segan, Shawn Piller and David MacLeod.

Catastrophe: The hit comedic series which premiered in the UK starring Sharon Hogan and Rob Delaney, will get its U.S. linear debut with Lifetime in early 2017. The series follows the unlikely match between an Irish teacher and an American advertising executive as a one-night hookup leads to pregnancy and the potential for a committed relationship.

Catastrophe is made by Avalon Television and executive produced by Sharon Hogan, Rob Delaney, Richard Allen-Turner, Jon Thoday and Kara Baker.Jack Bayles produces the 12 half-hour episodes.

Movies

Mixed martial artist Ronda Rousey signed a three-picture movie deal to bring stories that reflect her passions about empowerment to the screen.

Sister Dance (working title): The movie will be executive produced by tennis star Serena Williams and tells a story inspired by the annual dance-off competition she hosts with her sister, Venus. In the film, two sisters become rivals once they pit themselves against each other and their respective dance teams in an epic dance battle.

Queenie (working title): The 1920’s New York City mobster movie will be executive produced by Janet Jackson. It tells a true story about the first and only woman gangster during the prohibition, set against the backdrop of The Cotton Club. Kenny Leon (A Raisin in the Sun) will direct.

The Michel’le Story (working title): The movie details the life of R&B singer Michel’le, who was discovered at a young age by Easy E and became a platinum artist on Ruthless Records. Dr. Dre’s girlfriend for more than a decade and later married to Suge Knight, Michel’le was there for N.W.A.’s wild ride, with all of its dramatic ups and down. Finally, after years of silence, Michel’le is ready to reveal her side of the story. The Michel’le Story will be produced for Lifetime by Sony Pictures Television and Thinkfactory Media. Leslie Greif will executive produce.

Paris Can Wait: Written and directed by Eleanor Coppola, starring Diane Lane and Alec Baldwin, it is based on Coppola’s own life journeys in romance and travel and will have its premiere on Lifetime after a theatrical release. Produced by Fred Roos and executive produced by Michael Zakin, Paris Can Wait is presented by Lifetime Films, American Zoetrope and Corner Piece Capital. Rob Sharenow, Molly Thompson, Tanya Lopez and Lisa Hamilton Daly executive produce for Lifetime.

New Unscripted Series

Fashion Inc.: Lifetime’s latest offering for today’s trendsetting audience, the series is set in New York City’s celebrated fashion district, and aspiring fashion and beauty entrepreneurs compete for the chance to secure funds from a panel of expert investors to help grow their budding ventures. The fashion and beauty titans helming the series include Katia Beauchamp, the co-founder and CEO of beauty retailer Birchbox; tech marketplace maven and CEO of plus-size clothing rental startup Gwynnie Bee, Christine Hunsicker; celebrated fashion designer Rebecca Minkoff; and business mentor for the CFDA Incubator program and co-CEO of Hilldun, Gary Wassner.

Production begins in April in New York. Produced by The Weinstein Company with executive producers Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein, Patrick Reardon and Barbara Schneeweiss, in addition to Matador with executive producers Jay Peterson, Todd Lubin and James Bruce, eight one-hour episodes will premiere later this year following Season 15 of Project Runway. Executive producing for Lifetime are Eli Lehrer, Mary Donahue and David Hillman.

Gold Medal Families: The docuseries premiering this summer showcases six Olympic hopefuls and their families, revealing the extraordinary lengths, economic hardships and personal sacrifices they all go through to get their elite athlete to the podium of the world games. Joining are gymnast and gold medalist Aly Raisman, divers Steele Johnson and Jordan Windle, boxer Jajaira Gonzalez, rhythmic gymnast Nastasya Generalova, and swimmer Sean Greishop.Gold Medal Families is produced by The Company. Charlie Ebersol, Mike Lanigan and Bryn Freedman are executive producers. Eli Lehrer, Mary Donahue and David Hillman executive produce for Lifetime. Eight one-hour episodes have been ordered.

Digital

Oversharing: In partnership with Hello Giggles, Lifetime is breaking into the comedy space and creating comedy shorts that feature the best of today’s up-and-coming female comedians telling way too much about their personal lives. All 10 episodes are available online.

The Faith Diaries: The UnREAL spinoff series, written and produced by UnREAL co-creator Sarah Gertrude Shapiro, is a first digital short series for the network that follows fan favorite, Faith (Breeda Wool) and her girlfriend Amy as they travel to Los Angeles to pursue their Hollywood dreams and learn about their own relationship along way.

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