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Date Posted: 20:46:32 11/29/01 Thu
Author: Blue
Subject: Zap2it.com Articles w/Angel mentions

Take every ANGEL rumor with a grain of salt. I have to confess that when the BTVS/ANGEL talks were going on last year, I had a feeling ANGEL would stay on the WB, and it did. I just weighed the pros and cons from the WB's perspective and it seemed likely they would keep the show.

What do I think now?

They will continue to keep ANGEL. Why? Well, the drop in viewers hasn't been drastic. I think they lost maybe 400,000 viewers and that's not even a full Neilsen point. When you take it into consideration that ANGEL lost the BtVS lead-in and the high male competition factor from others shows, well, ANGEL's doing pretty well but it has to maintain its numbers.

There's also the factor that UPN will pick it up and the WB wouldn't want that but also since FOX is footing the bill for ANGEL anyway, I'm thinking the WB will keep it until contract renegotiations.

Articles:

WB Targets Teen Females
Thu, Nov 29, 2001 04:41 PM PDT

by Vanessa Sibbald
Zap2it.com, TV News

http://tv.zap2it.com/news/tvnewsdaily.html?22244

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Although every other network is targeting the adults 18-49 TV-viewing audience, The WB's eye is on the 12-34 crowd with a female slant. As part of what it calls its "unique strategy," the Frog is following the money, or specifically, the audience that advertisers are willing to spend money for.

So far it's working, at least when it comes to profits. This sweeps, the network turned in its best revenue performance ever, up 20 percent compared to last year.

However, the ratings story is not so sunny. The good news is, in adults 12-34 the network is about in the same place it was last season. The bad news is that in almost every other demographic, the network is down. This is especially true with the network's biggest shows, such as "7th Heaven," "Charmed," "Dawson's Creek," "Felicity" and "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch."

WB President Jordan Levin explains the dip in ratings by pointing to numerous changes behind-the-scenes. "Dawson's Creek" and "Felicity" both changed showrunners, while "Charmed" lost one of its leading stars.

"This was a real transitional year for us," Levin says. "We had to make really tough choices and try to balance long term and short term goals."

Levin says his team focused on three goals this year: filling up Tuesday nights after "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" moved to UPN, breaking into comedy and holding onto its adults 12-34 audience. Each of those goals has been accomplished, Levin says.

This is especially true with "Smallville" which is up almost 30 percent in adults 12-34 and 18-34 compared to "Roswell" last year. Another show the network is exceedingly proud of is the comedy "Reba," which Levin says brings the network "credibility."

There's still work to do. One of the problems for the network to work on in the future is its Sunday night lineup, which is currently suffering in the ratings with the shows "Nikki" and "Off Centre," and Thursdays at 8 p.m., which has unsuccessfully housed "Popstars 2" during sweeps.

One option for the Thursday time period is inserting the "Buffy" spin-off "Angel," which Levin says has been creatively at its peak this year. As for Sundays, the network will likely throw in midseason comedy, "The Young Person's Guide to Being a Rock Star." Kevin Williamson's new drama "Glory Days" will be replacing "Felicity" starting in January, until the college drama returns in April with new episodes.

Note, the key word is *option* of probably many but it's no joke that the WB's schedule is lagging this year because of their Wednesday, some of Thursday (Popstars is sinking fast), Friday, and Sunday (most definitely) schedules. So basically the WB is doing damage control with the shows they know have a pretty dependable audience. Now a move to Thursday at 8:00 pm wouldn't work because ANGEL is such a 9:00 pm show. Then again this is the last season of "Friends" and "Survivor" is lagging, plus there is no other scifi competition. Who knows?

What I say? If you have to move ANGEL (which I wouldn't but then again the Gilmore Girls move was brillant) move it to Thursday's at 9:00 pm ahead of Charmed.

UPN: We Beat The WB
Thu, Nov 29, 2001 04:24 PM PDT

by Vanessa Sibbald
Zap2it.com, TV News

http://tv.zap2it.com/news/tvnewsdaily.html?22243

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - While UPN isn't in the lead for November sweeps, or even in the top three, network chief Dean Valentine is pleased as punch at the results. Why? Because the newest broadcast network on the block managed to beat its main competitor, The WB, in viewers (4.5 million vs. 4.2 million), the key adults 18-49 demographic (2.0/5 vs. 1.8/5) and in in adults 18-34 (2.1/6 vs. 2.0/6).

"We have really become the new destination for young adults -- not just women, but men and women," says COO Adam Ware with a dig towards The WB, which attracts mostly female viewers.

UPN had five main objectives this season, says Valentine: to launch "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Enterprise" successfully; to establish 8 p.m. anchors for each night; grown in all adult demographic ratings across the week; to reinforce its brand as the alternative destination for all young adults; and to increase its advertising profits.

"Now with the end of November sweeps, I'm pleased to say we've achieved all those goals, and then some," says Valentine.

The network pulled the best quarter in the history of the network, the best sweeps since 1997 among total viewers and all adult demographics and the best sweeps ever since UPN expanded to five nights of programming. What makes this impressive is that the numbers were driven by many nights, not just one or two shows, unlike last year when the network's only solid success was its "WWF Smackdown!" series.

Ironically, "Smackdown" is the show that suffered most this November, dipping 19 percent in viewers and showing decreases across all demographic ratings.

While the new shows "Enterprise" and "Buffy" have been hits since their debuts, "Roswell," which like "Buffy" moved from The WB to UPN, has been getting slaughtered in the ratings, averaging a mere 1.4/3 in adults 18-49, compared to "Buffy's" 2.6/7. Valentine says that the network is still deciding whether or not to start production the show's remaining 9 episodes (the network ordered the full season with the option of cutting back the order to only 13 episodes).

"We're getting very close to making a decision. My best guess is that this is a show that deserves a little more time to find itself," he tells Zap2it.com.

However, they do plan to test other shows in the timeslot, a key one since it follows "Buffy." In midseason, UPN will insert two half-hour comedies at 9 p.m. on Tuesdays; an American version of the hit British comedy "As If" about a group of young people, and "Random Years," which follows three guys living in an apartment in New York. The shows will air while "Roswell" is in repeats.

"But that doesn't mean 'Roswell' is cancelled," Valentine stresses.

The show Valentine is hoping will get cancelled is "Buffy's" spin-off "Angel," which currently airs on The WB. The series has dipped since last year in adults 18-49 (2.3/5 this year to last season's 2.5/6) and in viewers (4.8 million vs. 5.2 million).

"We're hoping that they feel upset with 'Angel' and give it to us," he laughs.

As part of its deal with 20th Century Fox for "Buffy," UPN is contractually obligated to pick up the series if it gets cancelled by the Frog.

Oh well, I don't think the WB is upset with ANGEL's performance. It's the one show that's actually matching some of the best numbers in key demos since 1998 when BtVS was in that time slot.

Anyway, when it comes down to it take the truth from the spec in these articles, and come up with your own opinion of what's really going on.

I did last year, and it worked.

Blue

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Replies:

Re: Oh, thankie! Very interesting :) (NT) -- ~Amanda, 19:39:19 11/30/01 Fri
- De Nada, Chica! =) (NT) -- Blue, 20:51:51 11/30/01 Fri