04.27.01

I hate disappointment almost as much as I love television.

Now, imagine how unpleasant I must feel about television-related disappointment.

If I had to rank my favorite television station based on volume of content watched, it would have to be the WB, and if I had to rank the shows that I watched on the WB in terms of personal like, they would be ranked as follows:

  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer
  • Charmed
  • Angel
  • Gilmore Girls
  • Popular
  • Jack & Jill
  • Roswell
  • Pokemon: the Johto Journeys* (cartoon)
  • Men In Black (cartoon)
  • Felicity
  • X-Men: Evolution (cartoon)
    •

    So, you can appreciate how distressed I am to find out that the after the last 4 episodes of this season, Buffy the Vampire Slayer will no longer be part of the WB programming line-up. Angel will still be, which is odd to the Nth power -- especially with Angel being a spin-off of BtVS, and that they have regular cross-overs between shows.

    Fox makes Buffy. Fox's contract with the WB for Buffy was up for renewal. Fox wanted at least $2-million/episode, the WB was prepared to pay $1.8-million/episode, and UPN stepped up to the plate and offered $2.4-million/episode. As of the beginning of the fall season, BtVS will now be part of the UPN line-up.

    I've taken a look at the UPN roster, and I'm not impressed. Other than Star Trek Voyager (which is in the last several episodes of the show right now), the remainder of their shows are truly staggering in their stupidity level. A spin-off of Moesha? For criminy's sake. Buffy will be the only decently watchable show on their network, which I might add, isn't available in my area. Grrrrr. Unless they decide to syndicate it out, like ST:Voyager, which shows on the Fox stations around here.

    Speaking of which, there has been some talk among the insiders in the know that something sketchy might be going on with UPN and Fox. I guess Rupert "Fox" Murdoch wants to buy the UPN -- which I believe belongs to Viacom (CBS's owner?). That would be terribly convenient, allowing Fox to upstage the WB, which is quickly stealing their base demographic.

    That's what Fox gets for ditching all of the shows that I liked to watch. Melrose Place. Beverly Hills 90210. Party of Five. Time of Your Life. Other than Boston Public and Ally McBeal, the only time I give to the Fox network anymore is an hour on saturday for ST:V, and two hours on sunday, for the The Simpsons, Malcolm in the Middle, and The X-Files -- which has made a rapid descent into Suckyville.

    I don't know what to think now.

    Yesterday & Tomorrow.

    *Dude, fuck off. I like jigglypuff, and watching the show gives me something to talk about with my child clientele. Colin Berry, age 7, thinks I am the coolest old person ever because I can actually understand and appreciate (to some small level) what he's rambling on about when he gets all excited about pokemon cards and movies.