List of Programs Broadcast By The WB - Drama

Drama

• 7th Heaven (1996–2007, also on The CW) – The series premiered on August 26, 1996, on The WB, the first time that the network aired Monday night programming, and was originally broadcast from August 26, 1996 to May 13, 2007. The series finale was scheduled for May 8, 2006; however, the show was renewed by the CW when the intended final episode received high ratings. The final season premiered on Monday, September 25, 2006 and ended on May 13, 2007. 7th Heaven is the longest-running series that has ever aired on The WB and is the longest-running family drama in television history (beating out both Little House on the Prairie and The Waltons). It is also the longest-running show produced by Aaron Spelling. The show is reliant on the "very special episode" concept, attempting to introduce contemporary social issues to lend greater emotional resonance to episodes. These episodes do in fact lead to high ratings for the show. The January 24, 2005 episode, which featured the birth of Lucy's daughter Savannah, garnered 7.99 million viewers—the highest WB rating since 2003. Another example included the would-be series finale on May 8, 2006—now known as the season ten finale—which scored 7.56 million viewers. Although originally produced for Fox in 1996, the show aired on the WB. It was produced by Spelling Television, and distributed for syndication by (corporate sibling) CBS Television Distribution. Its producers, including Aaron Spelling, considered it wholesome family viewing, incorporating public service announcements into the show. The final season of 7th Heaven was shown on the inaugural season of The CW. The show wrapped production on the final episode March 8, 2007 about one month before most shows film their last episodes of the season. This was due largely to the fact that after ten years of working together, the actors, producers and crew had gotten production down to a steady pace, slashing costs repeatedly and routinely coming in well under budget. This resulted in 7th Heaven filming episodes in shorter time during the final seasons. After much deliberation within the now-defunct WB network, it was made public in November 2005 that the tenth season would be the program's final season because of high costs, which were revealed to be due to a poorly negotiated licensing agreement by the WB network a few years earlier. The program's future was hanging in the balance and it was entirely in the hands of the newly established CW network whether to renew it for an eleventh seasonal run. In March 2006, the main cast of characters were approached about the possibility of returning for an eleventh season. After further consideration by the CW network, it was decided three days after the airing of its "series finale", that 7th Heaven would be picked up for an eleventh season, which would air on their network in the Monday-night slot that had helped make it famous. Originally the show was renewed for thirteen episodes, but on September 18, 2006, the renewal was extended to a full twenty-two episodes. Along with the show's unexpected and last-minute, renewal came some changes. The show's already-low budget was moderately trimmed, forcing cuts in the salaries of some cast members and shortened taping schedules (seven days per episode instead of the typical eight). David Gallagher, who played Simon, chose not to return as a regular. Furthermore, Mackenzie Rosman, who played youngest daughter Ruthie, did not appear in the first six episodes. She had appeared in every episode of the series prior to that. Catherine Hicks missed three episodes in Season 11, as another cost-cutting move. Additionally, for the first time since joining the cast in 2002 as a series regular, George Stults was absent for a few episodes at the beginning of season 11. Also, after airing Monday nights at 8/7c for ten seasons, plus the first two episodes of season 11, the CW unexpectedly moved 7th Heaven to Sunday nights as of October 15, 2006. The Sunday/Monday lineup swap was attributed to mediocre ratings of shows on both nights. While 7th Heaven did improve in numbers over the CW's previous Sunday night programming, it never quite hit its Monday-night momentum again, and the shows that replaced it in its slot on Monday night never matched what it had achieved in that time slot. 7th Heaven was the most watched TV series ever on the WB. It holds the record for the WB's most watched hour at 12.5 million viewers, on February 8, 1999; 19 of the WB's 20 most watched hours were from 7th Heaven. On May 8, 2006, it was watched by 7.56 million viewers, the highest rating for the WB since January 2005. When the show moved to the CW, ratings dropped. Possible reasons for the decline include an aired "Countdown to Goodbye" ad campaign for the last six months of the 2005–06 season which promoted that season as the final season ever; though the New CW Network announced the series' unexpected renewal, it didn't promote the new season strongly via billboards, bus stops, magazine or on-air commercials. Lastly, the network moved 7th Heaven to Sunday nights; possibly causing the viewers to think that the series was removed from the schedule. The show had a season average of just 3.3 million on the new network, losing 36% of the previous year's audience. It was the third most watched scripted show on the CW. Overall, it was the seventh most watched show.

• The Bedford Diaries (2006) The Bedford Diaries premiered March 29, 2006 on The WB and concluded its first season on May 10, 2006. It was canceled on May 18, 2006. A week prior to its premiere, The WB posted scenes from the pilot, which might have prompted FCC fines, on its website. A version without explicit images was broadcast on television.

• Dawson's Creek (1998–2003) – Dawson's Creek debuted on January 20, 1998, on The WB and was produced by Sony Pictures Television. The program, part of a new craze for teen-themed movies and television shows in America in the late 1990s, catapulted its leads to stardom and became a defining show for The WB. The series ended on May 14, 2003. While never a huge ratings success among the general television population, Dawson's Creek did very well with the younger demographic it targeted and became a defining show for the WB Network. The pilot episode was watched by 6.8 million viewers and had a 4.8 rating which was the network's highest rating at the time. The first season's highest ranked episode was the finale, which was fifty-ninth, while the second highest rated was the second episode (probably scoring so well partially because the other major networks carried President Clinton's State of the Union address in the midst of the Lewinsky scandal rather than their regular programming). The last episode of the series was watched by 7.8 million U.S. viewers, which was its largest audience ever.

• D.C. (2000) – D.C. premiered and ended in April 2000 on The WB Network.

• Everwood (2002–2006) – Everwood ran for four seasons from 2002 to 2006. It was not renewed for future production and did not return when The WB and UPN merged to form The CW Television Network. On October 2, 2006, reruns of Everwood aired weeknights on ABC Family for the duration of the series. Everwood's series finale, which aired on Monday, June 5, 2006, was seen by 4.07 million viewers. The final episode, "Foreverwood," was written as both a season and a series finale. Because of the impending WB/UPN merger into the CW Television Network, the future of the series was uncertain, and the producers wrote two endings: the aired version, as well as additional scenes where Madison showed up to cause some cliffhanger trouble. Originally, the producers had scripted a montage for the "series-finale cut" that went forty years into the future to show a majority of the gang at Andy's funeral — showing the series coming full circle; this was never filmed due to budgetary reasons as well as the producers' hopes that they would receive a fifth season. Everwood was canceled in favor of a new show, Runaway, which Dawn Ostroff then canceled after only three episodes had been shown, and for a new season of 7th Heaven, which had just had its series finale. The finale of 7th Heaven had seven million viewers. Everwood had an average of four million viewers (which, if it was sustained, would have put it in the top 5 CW ratings for the following year).

• Felicity (1998–2002) – The series debut garnered 7.1 million viewers. The show's ratings declined in the 1999–2000 season. The popular press blamed this partly on a new hairstyle by the show's star. Known for long and curly locks, Russell went along with the producers' idea that she snip her hair short early on in the second year after her character had a rough breakup with Ben. The ratings drop also coincided with the show's move to Sunday night, so it is unclear exactly how much effect the hairstyle change actually had. In 2010, TV Guide Network listed the hairstyle change at No. 19 on their list of "25 Biggest TV Blunders" with several commentators arguing that it was the reason that the ratings of the show dropped. The haircut incident went on to become a popular-culture reference within other television shows, both comedic and dramatic. In the 30 Rock episode "The Bubble", Jenna discusses how to get her hair cut and says, "But if I make the wrong choice, I could end up like Keri Russell, Felicity, Season 2." When a girl pulls out her hair due to supernatural forces in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode "Where the Wild Things Are," the character Xander remarks, "People are going all 'Felicity' with their hair," while in the One Tree Hill episode "The Desperate Kingdom Of Love," when Lucas walks up to Keith at the beach, his uncle says, "Nice job, Felicity," referring to his new shorter haircut. Teen-aged Claire of the drama series, Six Feet Under tells her mother that she wants to cut off all her hair like Felicity, to which her mother replies, "Do I know her?" — Claire replies sarcastically, "Yeah, she came over for dinner once." In the 2001 sitcom Sabrina the Teenage Witch episode "Making the Grade," animosity over an exposé she had written prompts Sabrina to ask, "hy is everyone looking at me like I'm the girl who told Felicity to cut her hair?" In the Gilmore Girls episode "Here comes the son", the character Paris, debating whether to follow her boyfriend to Princeton instead of going to Harvard, says, "Suddenly, I'm Felicity without the hair issues". In the Happy Endings episode "The Code War," Max perms Dave's hair while the latter is sleeping. Upon seeing his new do, Penny quips, "You look like Keri Russell after she ruined Felicity.”

• Gilmore Girls (2000–2007, also on The CW) – The show was not a ratings success initially, airing in the tough Thursday 8pm/7pm Central time slot dominated by Survivor and Friends in its first season. When Gilmore Girls moved to Tuesday, its rating surpassed its time-slot competitor, popular series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which moved to UPN but retained the same timeslot.. In its fifth season, Gilmore Girls became The WB's second most watched prime time show, with viewer numbers which grew by double digits in all major demographics. In its syndicated release in the United States, the show airs on the ABC Family Channel, and SOAPnet. Reruns first aired on The WB in the summer of 2002 on Sunday nights when it reaired season 1 episodes under the title Gilmore Girls Beginnings, and is one of two shows on The WB to give the Beginnings in its title for reruns (the other being 7th Heaven). In 2003, the WB planned a spin-off featuring Luke Danes's nephew, Jess Mariano, called Windward Circle, in which he gets to know his estranged father, Jimmy, and is befriended by California skateboarders. However, the network canceled the show before it aired, citing high production costs to shoot on location in Venice Beach. Gilmore Girls season three episode "Here Comes the Son" was effectively a backdoor pilot for the unaired spin-off. In April 2006, it was announced that Amy Sherman-Palladino and her husband Daniel could not come to an agreement with The CW, the new network that resulted from a merge between UPN and The WB. They said in an official statement: "Despite our best efforts to return and ensure the future of Gilmore Girls for years to come, we were unable to reach an agreement with the studio and are therefore leaving when our contracts expire at the end of this season. Our heartfelt thanks go out to our amazing cast, hard-working crew and loyal fans. We know that the story lines from this season will continue into the next, and that the integrity of the show will remain long after we leave Stars Hollow." David S. Rosenthal who had already worked on the show as a writer and producer, replaced them. On May 3, 2007, The CW announced that the series would not be renewed. According to Variety, "Money was a key factor in the decision, with the parties involved not able to reach a deal on salaries for the main cast members. Other issues, such as number of episodes and production dates, may have also played a role". Creator Amy Sherman-Palladino has expressed an interest in pursuing a Gilmore Girls movie. Lauren Graham has noted that a lot of fans "were disappointed with how it ended" and commented on the possibility of a follow-up movie. On September 15, 2010, Lauren Graham told Vanity Fair that a Gilmore Girls movie is a definite possibility: "people with power, people who could actually make it happen, are talking about it."

• Glory Days (2002) – Glory Days broadcast from January to March 2002 on The WB Television Network. The series was created by Kevin Williamson, and stars Eddie Cahill and Poppy Montgomery. Kevin Williamson originally conceived Glory Days as a drama in the same vein as his first series, Dawson's Creek, and a pilot was produced using this format. After picking up the series, The WB asked Williamson to retool the show and turn it into a mystery series instead. The characters and relationships remained the same but a whodunit spin was added. One character that didn't make it to the new version of the series was Mike's agent played by Kirstie Alley.

• Hyperion Bay (1998–1999) – According to series writer and co-producer Jeffrey Stepakoff, early into Hyperion Bay's run the network told producers to make the show more hip and with a quicker pace. When series producer and creator Joseph Dougherty refused, he was fired by Warner Bros, and former Melrose Place producer Frank South was brought in to retool the series. Carmen Electra was added to the cast as Sarah Hicks, a character modeled after Heather Locklear's character, Amanda Woodward, on Melrose Place. The changes did not improve ratings and The WB canceled Hyperion Bay in February 1999, with the last episodes airing in March 1999.

• Jack & Bobby (2004–2005) – On May 17, 2005, The WB announced it would not renew Jack & Bobby for a second season.

• Jack & Jill (1999–2001) – Jack & Jill ran from September 1999 to April 200 Due to the average ratings of the first season, the second season was only 13 episodes long and was aired as a midseason show. The final episode detailed the problems during preparations for the couple's wedding. Jack discovered she was pregnant, but before she could tell Jill, he decided that their relationship was moving too fast and he wanted to call the wedding off and move things slower. Despite the rallying of fans, the series was not renewed for a third season, so the series ended in a cliffhanger.

• Just Legal (2005–2006) – The series premiered on The WB on September 19, 2005 and was canceled on October 3, 2005 after only three episodes had been aired. Almost a year later The WB decided burn off 5 unaired episodes following a repeat of the pilot on August 6, 2006. The series concluded on September 10, 2006. The series was canceled in October 2005 after only three episodes of the show aired. On Sunday, August 6, 2006 at 7:00 pm Eastern Standard Time/6:00 pm CST, it returned to The WB with the pilot reairing on August 6, followed by 5 unaired episodes on subsequent Sundays.

• The Mountain (2004–2005) – The show received very low ratings and was canceled after only thirteen episodes.

• One Tree Hill (2003–2012, also on The CW) – One Tree Hill premiered on September 23, 2003, on The WB Television Network. After the series' third season, The WB merged with UPN to form The CW Television Network, and since September 27, 2006, the network has been the official broadcaster of the series in the United States. The series premiered to 2.5 million viewers and rose to 3.3 million in its second week, becoming one of only three shows to rise in their second episode during the 2003–2004 television season. Season one went on to average 3.5 million viewers, and the second season was the highest rated in the series, averaging 4.3 million viewers weekly and a 1.9 Adults 18–49 rating. The show is the third longest running series on The CW network, or the networks that came together to make it up (The WB and UPN), only behind Smallville and 7th Heaven. The series concluded on April 4, 2012. The series premiere was watched by 2.5 million viewers and achieved a 1.9 Adults 18–49 rating on September 23, 2003. The following week, it rose to 3.3 million and a 2.4 demo, becoming one of the three shows to rise in its second episode in the 2003–2004 TV season. The CW only attracts a fraction of the audience its competitors do. "So the strategy is super-serving a young coveted demographics. The network's sweet spot is women 18–34 and with a viewer median age of 33, it boasts the youngest audience among its broadcast competitors by almost a dozen years." Averaging 4.3 million viewers weekly, season two was One Tree Hill's highest-rated season. During this season, the show emerged as one of The WB’s hits. "Of all the shows that they’ve launched in the last two years, this one has the most traction," said Stacey Lynn Koerner, at the time an executive vice president at Initiative, a media planning agency. "It does have an audience it’s connecting with – a loyal audience that comes back week in and week out." The show was particularly popular among the young viewership. It became the first choice of prime-time television for teenage girls and was reported in January 2005 to be the program in Tuesday's 9 pm time slot most viewed by women aged 12 to 34. The series finale was the highest rated among women 18-34 (1.4/4) for The CW in more than a year. It was The CW’s best Wednesday night in adults 18-34 since premiere week which took place on September 14, 2011 and best adults 18-49 and women 18-49 ratings since December 7, 2011. Comparing to a year earlier, One Tree Hill's last episode was up 50% in adults 18-34, 40% in women 18-34 and 33% in adults 18-49. The first hour of the finale event, a series of interviews with the cast, garnered approximately 1.37 million viewers, with 1.42 million tuning in for the actual series finale.

• Popular (1999-2001) - There are total of 43 episodes; the 43rd episode ending in a cliffhanger.

• Related (2005–2006) - Despite heavy promotion, initial ratings did not warrant the show being picked up for a second season when The WB network was folded into The CW.

• Rescue 77 (1999) - The show aired in the spring of 1999 on Monday nights on the WB network.

• Safe Harbor (1999) - Safe Harbor' aired on The WB Television Network from September 20, 1999 to November 28, 1999. The series was created and executive produced by Brenda Hampton, who at the time was best known for work on the fellow WB series 7th Heaven, the series was paired with 7th Heaven on the network's Monday night lineup. Despite 7th Heaven being the No. 1 show on The WB during the 1999-2000 season, Safe Harbor was unable to hold a solid audience after 7th Heaven and was canceled after ten episodes with the show moving to Sunday nights where the last two episodes aired.

• Savannah (1996–1997) – Savannah's first season was broadcast between January 21, 1996 and April 7, 1996. The first two episodes were shown together as a two-hour Saturday "sneak preview" of the upcoming series, with the remaining season one episodes shown on Sunday nights (The WB dubbing the evening "Savannah Sunday"). During its second season, Savannah was moved to Monday nights, the 22 second season episodes broadcast between August 26, 1996 and February 24, 1997.

• Summerland (2004–2005) – Summerland premiered on June 1, 2004 on The WB. The series ran for a total of 26 episodes over two seasons. Its cancellation was announced on May 15, 2005 and the last episode aired on July 18, 2005. On May 15, 2005, The WB released early information on their 2005-06 season. Summerland, along with eight other shows, was canceled. Jesse McCartney responded to the cancellation in an interview, saying the show was "in a crazy time slot and...the writers were having trouble, and it was just a bad call."

• Three (1998) – Three aired on The WB from February 2, 1998 to March 23, 1998.

• Young Americans (2000) – The show debuted on July 12, 2000 on The WB network as a summer replacement for, and spin-off from, another Columbia TriStar Television production, Dawson's Creek. The series was originally ordered for the fall 1999-2000 season but was delayed due to unresolved matters between the ColumbiaTriStar and The WB. The main character, Will Krudski, was introduced late in season three of Dawson's Creek as a childhood friend of the group who has kept in contact with Pacey Witter. Will goes to Capeside to visit with old friends while on spring break. After briefly dating Andie McPhee he returns to Rawley. Young Americans was originally supposed to be a mid-season show in 2000 but was put on hold until Coca-Cola offered to sponsor the show. The character of Will Krudski was then written into Dawson's Creek to associate Young Americans with one of The WB's established shows. When Dawson's Creek went on hiatus in the summer of 2000, Young Americans occupied its timeslot of Wednesdays at 9 P.M. Repeats were shown at 9 P.M. on Fridays.