The CW

To many of you, this is probably old news. I've known for a month or so and probably should've known longer if I had been paying better attention because it affects one of the shows I follow. For whatever reason, I've neglected to blog about it until now, but it feels worth mentioning at this point as we head toward another fall television season.

After a 10+ year run for each, the WB and UPN are merging to form the new CW Network. I think this was a brilliant move on the part of Time Warner and Viacom. While attracting a modest audience for some of their shows, neither the WB nor UPN was all that phenomenal on its own. By combining forces, they're consolidating into a much stronger entity, especially now that they're not competing against each other for audience share. Some markets already weren't capable of supporting both fledgling networks and had resorted to doubling up anyway. In Columbus, Ohio, the dedicated WB provider had morphed into a UPN affiliate, airing WB programming only on the side.

Viewers will benefit from the merger as well. Because the amalgamated network will only be filling one set of time slots instead of two, there will only be room for the best programming from each of the defunct networks, which means less filler. A handful of the more successful WB and UPN shows will live on at the CW while the dreck gets swept under the carpet. We hope.

Despite the obvious advantages to merging, I can't help feeling a little wistful at the loss of the WB brand. As a loyal "Buffy" fan from the beginning, I still remember how much the identity of the show and the network were intertwined. "Buffy" was the WB's first major tentpole and it played a major role in the "new Tuesday" campaign. I still remember the promos that aired before each episode in season two as cast members appeared from the "backlot" to say we were watching the WB. "Buffy" has been off the air for three years. It's sad to think the network that spawned it is about to disappear too.

Still, as I said, I'm optimistic about the change. I think television in general will be stronger without such a glut of networks. Maybe the CW can one day enjoy the kind of success Fox achieved when it broke into what was then a three-network system almost 20 years ago.