Tuesday, January 24, 2006

WB/UPN/The CW

According to reports this morning, rumors I've heard kicking about are true: the WB and UPN networks are going to merge into one network called The CW this fall. Thirty hours of programming a week -- basically welding two networks with half-week scheds into one.

That's right people. The WB didn't pick up Global Frequency, so I killed it. With my mind.

I actually like this for a couple reasons. I like that the network-to-studio branding will be broken to some small degree. I like that people are realizing it's more important just to get the shows out there than to bind them inexorably to a single corporate identity. Now, instead of two networks producing shows with near-crippling small development budgets, they can step up and do the shows they dig right.

But, again ... With. My. Mind. So watch yourselves.

54 comments:

Cunningham said...

I have to keep posting this:

CW Network conjures up the idea "Country-Western network"...

And John, do you really think they are going to spend more money? They've effectively halved their ad timeslots. Is the increased ad revenue (by supposedly putting on better shows) going to meet demand?

What's going to be the identity of this new net? It supposedly is going to maximize the value of the CBS and Time Warner library- but how does that mesh?

I'm not following the logic in all this so please, enlighten me...

Kevin Sole said...

What does 'CW' stand for, anyways? It's probably in an article that I'm too lazy to read, but nobody seems to be giving an answer anywhere else.

Maybe with this merger, Global Frequency will have a second chance?

Ok, wishful thinking.

At the very least, Mirando Zero should show up in Smallville. :)

Unknown said...

Well, both have critically admired shows with strong-but-not great ratings -- but not enough individually to build the brand. That is, Everybody Hates Chris is a hit, but it does nobody any good if it has nothing to follow it, and indeed it suffers because of lack of clearance and the rest of the line-up doesn't do well.

Essentially, combine all your strong 7 shares with your critically loved but nobody-can-find-them 2 shares, and make one good network

Anonymous said...

Strong mindpower at work.

Wheat does CW stand for anyways?

Something Warner I'm guessing?

I guess this is also why they WB got rid of Michigan J. Frog last year?

Alex Epstein said...

I dunno. The whole concept of network branding seems almost as dumb as studio branding.

"Gee, Martha, let's watch a Universal picture tonight."

"Oh, gosh, John, I dunno, I thought Brokeback Mountain was overrated."

I mean, I have doubts about anything on CBS, but I'm gonna look at David Mamet's "The Unit" 'cause it's David Mamet, y'know.

Unknown said...

it is exactly as dumb. but it keeps people in suits working.

Erik said...

The CW is a joint venture between CBS (which owns UPN) and Warner.

Therefor The CBS-Warner Network.

Unknown said...

Mike;

I have used my mind power. Sadly, she no longer has your number, and can't get a hold of you. Not being cruel, I have released her from her psionic love haze.

Alex Epstein said...

Obviously, guys, it stands for the Conventional Wisdom network.

Anonymous said...

The CW is named for its flaghip show, Crapwatch.

Written by funnybook virtuoso Warren Ellis and run by veteran writer/producer John Rogers, this technodrama tells the tale of a mysterious renaissance man, identifying himself only as "Sturgeon." The series hook involves a video manifesto, distributed via BitTorrent, in which Sturgeon expresses outrage at the "establishment" and ominously swears to destroy "ninety percent of everything" with his mind.

Behind the scenes, Sturgeon runs a secret organization, leveraging the awesome power of the Internet and based on the simple precept that ordinary, everyday people know crap when they see it. Through this organization they are collectively empowered to defend human dignity and intelligence from a never-ending series of assaults.

Unknown said...

Don't forget eh more crime-oriented spin-off Crapwatch Nights.

Anonymous said...

Hi, All. First post from a long-time lurker.

With all due respect, I don't see how this halves their ad timeslots. Both netlets currently air 2 hours of programming each week night (Monday-Friday); UPN is dark on weekends, and TheWB has the 5 hour "Kids WB" block on Saturdays, as well as three hours of "easy view" (aka repurposed programming, aka reruns) followed by two hours of originals on Sunday. In other words, if my math is correct, the two netlets combined currently air a total of 30 hours of programming per week, which is exactly the number floated in the LA Times article for CW.

If you want to look at it another way: start with TheWB's existing schedule, add seven hours of programming from UPN to fill the last hour of primetime (10:00-11:00) every night, then take two more hours from UPN to fill 8:00-10:00 pm on Saturday, and use the final hour of UPN programming to replace the rerun in the 7:00-8:00 pm hour on Sunday, and voila, a full network schedule that's comparable to The Big Three and even betters FOX.

But I, too, am curious, given that CBS TV split off from Viacom/Paramount, how much any library of theirs is worth in relation to Warner's.

Mark

Anonymous said...

Having worked in the internet for several years now, I can't see CW without thinking of Cable and Wireless.

Anonymous said...

Oh hell, I just realised something awful.

Variety magazine and the marketing parasi-- er, people are almost certainly going to refer to this network as [the] "see-dub."

Cunningham said...

Maestro --

You're right. My thought was that they were sticking with a usual 2 hours/night and saturday programming = 19 hrs.

The 30 hrs. per week gives them 3 hrs/night and 9 in other slots.

Assistant Atlas said...

We killed them with OUR mind, my friend. With OUR mind.

And I think Mark Burnett helped, but that might just be wishful thinking. I like to think of it as a reasonable hypothesis.

Unknown said...

Mark could kill them with his thumbs.

Anonymous said...

Actually, Bill, it turns out that you were right:

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/cgi/pr.cgi?id=20060124cw01

"The CW will incorporate The WB's current scheduling model, which consists of a 6 night-13 hour primetime lineup including Monday through Friday nights from 8-10 (EST/PST); Sundays from 7-10 (EST/PST); Sunday from 5-7 (EST/PST) outside of primetime as well as a Monday thru Friday afternoon block from 3-5 (EST/PST) and a 5-hour Saturday morning animation block. Together, the network will program 30 hours a week over seven days for its affiliated stations."

My bad - Mark

Anonymous said...

If this means "Smallville" and "Veronica Mars" might get bigger budgets I'm all for it.

Hopefully some of which will go into ads. More people need to be watching "Veronica Mars"!

Roger Alford said...

The merger sounds good to me, but I think they should have just dropped the UPN name (never liked) and put everything under the WB banner. "CW" is just as bad as UPN, if not worse. Since they really wanted to come up with a new name, they should have spent more than two minutes thinking about it and also given some consideration as to how it would work marketing-wise, rather than asking how the heck they were going to combine CBS with WB.

I'm also curious as to how they're going to combine their schedules. At least now Smallville and Everybody Hates Chris won't come on at the same time anymore.

Anonymous said...

As long as it's not CRAPWATCH: MIAMI.

Sorry, someone had to make that joke.

AdicaRoy said...

If either "Veronica Mars" or "Gilmore Girls" gets cut in the fray, I'm personally blaming you.

And can you put in a good word for "Supernatural?" I am not sure that anyone is watching it but me. If you could renew it with your mind, that would be awesome.

http://www.myspace.com/adicaroy

Victor said...

I read an article where on of the Viacom muckety-mucks made a joke about the implausibility of calling the new network the 'WC'. Bearing on the content of the two networks for the past couple of years, it might be a more suitable name.

Also, it's more marketable.

I think he overestimated the worldliness of the average American television viewer...

Whatever the intent, 'WC' is likely to catch on anyway...

towniebastard said...

Isn't Crapwatch: Miami a redundant name?

And John, I have a list. Many of them are Canadian politicians. Recently elected ones at that. I don't suppose you'd want to put your Mind towards a little political housekeeping, would you?

Anonymous said...

Warren seems to believe someone else killed the WB.

http://www.warrenellis.com/?p=1786

As in all things, I believe Warren.

Anonymous said...

But semi-seriously, I don't know who all of the personna were behind the decision not to run Global Frequency.

Is there any chance that they'll be out the door and folks that liked GF will get to do the right thing?

(I don't wish ill of too many people. Just the ones that didn't get GF and cancelled Angel and Firefly)

Anonymous said...

CW stands for Cease Watching. the only thing worth watching is smallville and sometimes i have to make an effort to pay attention to the whole plot line. as far as the name CW goes, they need to go ahead and say what it means, I have cable so its not like thats the only channel that has something good on.

dress pant said...

This is just only a rumor no proof for this.

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