UPN and WB to merge

[Purogamer]

For a while smackdown was rumored to be in danger of even being on the schedule, if they hadn't been changing to a new name this year and needed the familiar show titles, I wonder if it would have been on...

Just about anything pre-empts smackdown. Tonight the Cavs-Pistons game was on, I know a lot of cities have it bumped for baseball too (though not here in cleveland, STO...)...

 

[Peter Parker]

The preemptiosn you mention are local ones and they would probably happen no matter what the network put up in that time period. Again Smackdown is probably the highest rated thing they had- even with local preemptions.---and it has been mentioned at everything from the inaugural press conference to the marketing handouts etc. It was never in any real danger of cancellation.

 

[Purogamer]

It just got it's 2nd lowest rating ever last week...only time smackdown got worse ratings was when it was cut in half for the katrina relief special...

 

[cablewithaview]

CW Names Top Comedy Development Executive

UPN Executive Makes Transition to New Network
By Christopher Lisotta
Kim Fleary has been named executive VP of comedy development for The CW, where she will oversee the development of scripted comedy series for the new network.

She joins The CW from UPN, where she served as senior VP of comedy development beginning in July 2002. Among the projects she helped develop while at UPN were "Everybody Hates Chris" and "All of Us," which will be on the CW schedule this fall.

The announcement was made Wednesday by Dawn Ostroff, The CW's president of entertainment, to whom Ms. Fleary will report.

Prior to joining UPN, Ms. Fleary oversaw development for the late Brandon Tartikoff's H. Beale Co. She began her career in comedy development at ABC, where she worked on comedies "The Wonder Years," "Roseanne," "Home Improvement," "The Drew Carey Show" and "3rd Rock From the Sun," among others.

Ms. Fleary's appointment comes a week after The CW announced former ABC and Bad Robot executive Thom Sherman was joining the network to head comedy development.

http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=10196

 

[Stargazer]

Seems like things are looking up for CW. I hope we have nother excellent network to add to the NBC ABC FOX CBS lineup.

 

[Peter Parker]

It just got it's 2nd lowest rating ever last week...only time smackdown got worse ratings was when it was cut in half for the katrina relief special...

but it still gets good ratings when compared to other UPN programming. In fact the UPN ratings in general have been declining pretty precipitously for the last 18 months or so. In the case of Smackdown there is at least a ready explnation for the decline--it was moved from a fairly high viewership night (Thursday) to a low viewership night (Friday). It's ratings are an improvement over those of the prior occupant of the slot---but lower than those the series got on Thursday. And in spite of that move to one of lowest viewership nights of the week it is still the third highest rated show on the network. It's ratings are double some UPN shows that air on nights with more total viewers.

I also note that the second lowest rated episode ever also managed to beat both Fox and the WB. A fourth place finish may not seem like much but that is actually quite good for UPN in any time slot.


I am nota big fan of the show or what th WWE is these days but the show was never seriously considered for cancellation. In fact the CW was careful to mention it when the launch announcement was made and in marketing brochures and publicity releases that followed,