The WB is keeping Angel afterall and its renewing a number of veteran series, including its top-rated series 7th Heaven.
After losing 20th Century Fox's Buffy The Vampire Slayer to UPN last month, it was unclear whether The WB would renew Buffy's spin-off series Angel. Sources now say the network will keep the fellow 20th Century Fox drama and move it to Mondays at 9 p.m. Roswell, also from 20th Century Fox, is not on The WB's fall lineup and is expected to land at UPN.
The WB, which unveils its fall schedule to advertisers on Tuesday, has also given multiple year renewals to four veteran series. Along with 7th Heaven, WB execs locked up multiple-year deals to keep Sabrina The Teenage Witch, Charmed, and Dawson's Creek on the network through at least the 2002-2003 season.
Sources say The WB's fall 2001 lineup will start with 7th Heaven at 8 p.m. E.T./P.T. on Mondays, followed by Angel - which moves from its former Tuesday at 9 p.m. slot. Tuesday night, which is getting a whole new look, will start with The Gilmore Girls at 8 p.m. and new Warner Bros. TV series Smallville at 9 p.m. Wednesday will remain the same, with Dawson's Creek and Felicity.
The WB is expected to split the season at 9 p.m. between full orders of Felicity and new drama Glory Days. Thursdays will be anchored by Pop Stars at 8 p.m., new relationship/reality series Elimidate Deluxe from Telepictures Productions at 8:30 and Charmed at 9 p.m. Friday nights will be devoted to sitcoms, with Sabrina The Teenage Witch at 8 p.m. leading off four-comedy night. New Warner Bros. comedy Maybe I'm Adopted will follow at 8:30, with Deep in the Heart (20th Century Fox) at 9 p.m. and Raising Dad (Paramount) at 9:30.& Deep in the Heart stars Reba McEntire and Bob Saget is the lead in Raising Dad.
Sunday night's will start at 7 p.m. with original one-hour reality programming all year. Lost in the U.S.A. is the first of three reality programs expected to run for 13 weeks during season. The Steve Harvey Show returns at 8 p.m. followed by new Paramount comedy Men, Women and Dogs. Nikki comes back at 9 p.m. and new Warner Bros. comedy Off Centre is at 9:30 p.m. In terms of midseason shows, The WB has ordered Young Persons Guide to Being a Rock Star and Glory Days. Besides Roswell, Popular and The Oblongs were eliminated.
- Joe Schlosser
