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R.I.P. WB AND UPN
January 27, 2006
I'll be honest. My first thought after hearing about the big WB-UPN merger on Tuesday was, "Crap! What's going to happen to 'Veronica Mars?'" Not exactly a big picture kind of thought, I know. But many TV fans with a favorite show on either network must have felt the same rush of panic upon hearing the news that the two smallest networks will soon be no more.
Instead, Warner Bros. Entertainment and CBS Corporation (the owners of UPN) have gone halvsies on The CW, a brand new network that will combine shows from each of its parts in an attempt to finally compete with CBS, ABC, NBC, and Fox. It's been clear for a while now that there wasn't enough room for six major networks. Ratings for UPN and the WB have consistently and severely lagged behind the big four. However, there very well may be room for five, especially when you consider that the new network could feature an impressive cadre of shows, including "Gilmore Girls," "Everybody Hates Chris," "Smallville," "Supernatural," "America's Next Top Model," "Everwood," and my beloved "Veronica."
Could feature, I repeat. And that's where the sweaty palms come in. An AP story on the merger states that the new network will be aimed at young and minority viewers. If that's the case, it may be time for fans of "Everwood" and "Gilmore Girls" to freak out a little. But the official press release cites no direction The CW may take as execs decide which shows to carry over to the new network and which to axe.
The ones I already listed are either ratings successes or critical faves. Others that could turn up on The CW include "Reba," "Girlfriends," and WWE's "Smackdown." That makes for quite an eclectic schedule. It will be interesting to see whether CW execs just package all their most successful shows on the new network, or whether they attempt some kind of creative cohesion, eliminating shows that don't mix with the master plan. (After all, I can't see "Reba" and "Girlfriends" airing within 48 hours of each other. Can you?)
In the meantime, let us look back fondly at the recently departed. The WB and UPN never could crawl up from "netlet" status, always relegated to the TV kiddie table. But they did take chances on shows the networks wouldn't touch, series that would have a phenomenal impact on television as a whole. I'm thinking of The WB's massively successful "7th Heaven," which will finally end its run this spring after an impressive 10 years. Then there's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (which actually aired on both The WB and UPN during its seven-year life) and its spinoff "Angel," tricky genre shows that melded vampires and monsters with teen angst and real-world issues, thus creating a cult following that remains rabid for future installments of the slayer mythology. The CW would make a perfect home for those much-rumored TV movies featuring Spike, Buffy's fanged lover and nemesis.
Other shows that drew passionate followings included The WB's "Dawson's Creek" (a short pause to remember the early radiance of Katie Holmes, pre-Tom Cruise) and "Felicity," as well as UPN's "Star Trek" installments and the science-fiction opus "Roswell."
The CW's inaugural lineup will begin airing this fall. If they pick the right mixture of returning shows for the schedule and continue to invest in writers with story ideas that may not be traditional enough for the big four, The CW could do something neither The WB or UPN ever could - challenge for a big piece of Nielsen ratings pie.
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