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THE WB EXPANDS PROGRAMMING TO TUESDAY NIGHTS WITH TWO DISTINCTIVE NEW DRAMAS; TOM ARNOLD AND CAROL LEIFER JOIN THE SUNDAY COMEDY LINE-UP
New York, NY (May 13, 1997) The WB continues its rapid expansion by adding Tuesday night to its primetime schedule which will give the network 28 hours of original programming per week for the upcoming 1997-98 season, it was announced today by Garth Ancier, President, Entertainment and Susanne Daniels, Executive Vice President, Primetime Programming for the WB. Next season, The WB will present nine hours of primetime programming, Sunday through Wednesday, in addition to 19 hours of Kids WB! Programming, Monday through Saturday, for a total of 28 hours per week.Showing a great deal of confidence in their returning shows by renewing 10 of them, he WB also announced four new programs for the upcoming season. They include comedies from Tom Arnold and Carol Leifer as a new 9:00-10:00 PM Sunday night comedy block, and two stylish new dramas, "Dawson's Creek" and "Three." The new dramas will be used to launch The WB's new Tuesday night line-up which is scheduled to launch in December.
In "The Tom Show" (Sundays, 9:00-9:30 pm), Tom Arnold stars as a father raising two daughters while having to start his career all over again in Minneapolis. All this after his bitter and public divorce from his former wife and mother of his children, who happens to be a multi-millionaire daytime television talkshow superstar.
"Ocean Drive" (Sundays, 9:30-10:00 pm) features a talented ensemble cast led by comedian Carol Leifer. Ms. Leifer, who doubles as executive producer with Brad Grey for this Brillstein-Grey production, was a series regular on the award-winning "The Larry Sanders Show" as well as a member of the outstanding writing team for "Seinfeld."
TUESDAY NIGHT - A NEW NIGHT ON THE WB
Two distinctive new dramas starring actors with breakout potential comprise The WB's new Tuesday night line-up. "Dawson's Creek" 9:8:00-9:00 pm) from Columbia TriStar Television is executive produced by Kevin Williamson who is widely acclaimed for his work on this year's surprise hit feature film "Scream." This smart, coming-of-age drama is set in the suburbs of Boston and centers around four friends who are learning that growing up is never as easy as it is in the movies, as they deal with friendship, jealousy, family, school, love and sex."Three" (9:00-10:00 pm) from Paramount Pictures Corporation and MTV Productions, is a fresh and heart-pounding update on the "Mission: Impossible" genre. In the series, a master jewel thief , a sexy world class female con artist and a genius computer hacker from South Central who likens himself to a modern day "Robin Hood," are brought together against their will, to utilize their skills for a highly secretive, well-funded government unit. They wither bond as a team or they all go to prison for a very long time. With all the resources they'll need for each assignment, this new set-up might be dangerous - but the luxuries afforded the team sure beats a life in jail.
The remainder of the WB schedule is a testament to how far the network has evolved creatively as both the Monday and Wednesday night line-ups remain intact for the coming season. Sunday night also shows remarkable resilience with four returning comedies.
SUNDAY NIGHT
Kicking-off the Sunday night line-up is an updated version of "Nick Freno" (7:00-7:30 pm). Series star Mitch Mullany returns to school for a second season but he's in for a big surprise. Instead of sixth graders, he's been assigned to teach a class of troubled teenaged ninth graders... think "sweathogs." This new format should give Mitch a great opportunity to maximize his enormous comedic talents," said Mr. Ancier.The WB has taken this season's two highest-rated Sunday night comedies, "The Steve Harvey Show" and "Unhappily Ever After," and moved them up a half-hour into the 8:00 and 8:30 time slots, respectively. "The Steve Harvey Show" earned the time slot changes emerging this season into one of The WB's strongest programs. The show improved its women 18-34 time period average by 36% and was the highest-rated comedy in that important demo for the network on Sunday nights.
"Unhappily Ever After" is back for its fourth season on The WB. The program became a surprise hit the instant it moved to Sunday nights last summer. One of the funniest shows on television, "unhappily" stars Nikki Cox, who recently ranked #1 in performer TVQ scores amongst men 18-34, and is the network's most effective program at recruiting viewers from other sources. The new 8:00-09:00 pm comedy block will provide a strong lead-in to the previously mentioned new comedies, "The Tom Show" and "Ocean Drive," from 9:00-10:00 pm.
MONDAY NIGHT
On Monday nights, the WB will return with its critically acclaimed night of television intact with Aaron Spelling's one hour family drama "7th Heaven" (8:00-9:00 pm) followed by the mid-season hit "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" from executive producer Joss Whedon and starring Sarah Michelle Gellar in the title role (9:00-10:00 pm)
WEDNESDAY NIGHT
With the majority of networks reworking their Wednesday night schedules, The WB returns with no changes on this night. The addition this year of "The Jamie Foxx Show" and "Smart Guy" to an already strong night, helped The WB establish an excellent night of television that generates consistent ratings results. The network ranked #2 in teens, $#1 in kids and #2 in viewers 24 and under against all network competition this past season."Sister, Sister" (8:00-8:30 pm) starring the twins Tia and Tamera Mowry, winners of the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award for Favorite Television Actress for the past three consecutive years, starts its third season on The WB. Tahj Mowry follows his older siblings in the mid-season hit "Smart Guy (8:30-9:00 pm) which averaged a 5.4 rating and 17 share amongst teens.
The WB's highest rated shows round-out the network's Wednesday night schedule with "The Jamie Foxx Show" (9:00-9:30 pm) followed by "The Wayans Bros" (9:30-10:00 pm). This past Wednesday night (May 7, 1997) "The Jamie Foxx Show" and "The Wayans Bros." Scored an incredible 25 and 26 share, respectively, amongst male teens to rank #1 for the night. The two programs are the network's highest ranking shows in all key adult demos as well.
Following is a complete schedule for the 1997-98 season and detailed descriptions for The WB's new primetime series.
THE WB'S 1997-98 PRIMETIME PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE (all times ET)
Sunday:
7:00-7:30 Nick Freno
7:30-8:00 The Parent 'Hood
8:00-8:30 The Steve Harvey Show
8:30-9:00 Unhappily Ever After
9:00-9:30 THE TOM SHOW
9:30-10:00 OCEAN DRIVE
Monday
8:00-9:00 7th Heaven
9:00-10:00 Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Tuesday (DECEMBER LAUNCH)
8:00-9:00 DAWSON'S CREEK
9:00-10:00 THREE
Wednesday
8:00-8:30 Sister, Sister
8:30-9:00 Smart Guy
9:00-9:30 The Jamie Foxx Show
9:30-10:00 The Wayans Bros.
More about the New Shows.
"THE TOM SHOW" (Sundays, 9:00-9:30 pm) Tom Arnold ("True Lies," "Nine Months") stars as Tom Amross, a recently divorced father embarking on a new life when he leaves the glamour of Hollywood and returns to his hometown of Minneapolis with his daughters after a bitter public divorce from his superstar talk show wife (Shannon Tweed). Thirteen-year-old Kenlon (Lisa Wilhoit, "My So Called Life") is angry and hurt about being ripped from her plush life in California and transplanted to a place she perceives as the middle of nowhere, and 9-year-old Alissa (Mika Boorem, "L.A. Firefighters") spends most of her days trying to keep peace in the household. Arnold created and executive produces the series along with J.J. Wall ("Grace Under Fire") for Universal Television.
"OCEAN DRIVE" (Sundays, 9:30-10:00 pm) Carol Leifer ("Seinfeld," "The Larry Sanders Show") takes center stage in this sophisticated half-hour ensemble comedy starry as thirtysomething Carol Lerner who finds herself precariously perched between the jet-setter and the golden oldie crowds of South Beach, Florida. When Carol isn't running her stylish optical boutique with her best friend Renee (Amy Yasbeck, "Wings"), she is on an endless quest for the perfect man. Carol's quirky life also includes her attractive younger sister, Jessica (Stacy Galina, "Knots Landing"), who gives an all new meaning to the phrase "dating older men"; her slackey brother Vaughn (Maury Sterling, "Outbreak"); and her meddling parents Al (Jerry Adler, "Mad About You," "Hudson Street") and Miriam (Mitzi McCall, "Silk Stalkings," "Life Goes On"). Leifer created the Brillstein-Grey Communications production and executive produces along with Brad Grey ("NewsRadio," "The Larry Sanders Show").
"DAWSON'S CREEK" (Tuesday, 8:00-9:00 pm) Set in a beautiful suburb of Boston, this witty one-hour drama series chronicles the coming-of-age travails of a group of friends as their teenage bodies try to catch up with their adult mind. Dawson Leery (James Van Der Beek, "I Love You, I Love You Not," "Angus") is a 15-year-old Spielberg wannabe, charmingly obsessive and fanatical about his love of movies. Dawson and his best friend Joey Potter (Katie Homes, "Ice Storm"), the tomboy from an extremely broken down family down the creek, battle with the knowledge that at age 15, their common practice of "sleepover" may have to end thanks to maturity... and increasing body hair. Pacey (Joshua Jackson, "The Mighty Ducks"), has a gift for sarcasm that is topped only by a constant hormonal power surge. At the onset of sophomore year, life becomes increasingly more complicated for all of them with the arrival of the radiant Jennifer Lindley (Michelle Williams, "Species") who moves into the house next to Dawson's, giving a whole new meaning to "the girl next door." Together, the foursome learn that growing up is never as easy as it is in the movies as they deal with friendship, jealousy, family, school, love and sex. Created by Kevin Williamson ("Scream"), the series is executive produced by Paul Stupid ("My Wildest Dreams"), Williamson and Deborash Joy LeVine ("Early Edition," "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman") for Columbia TriStar Television. THREE (Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00 pm) Three complete strangers - a suave international jewel thief, Jonathan Vance (Edward Atterton, TNT's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame"), a beautiful con artist, Amanda Webb (Julie Brown, "Extreme"), and a computer hacker who robs from the rich to give to the poor, Marcus Ezekiel "The Candyman" Miller (Bumper Robinson, "The Jackson: An American Dream") are brought together by a mysterious law enforcement agency to form the perfect crime fighting team. "Three" is a production of Paramount Pictures Corporation and MTV Productions. Evan Katz ("J.A.G.") is the creator, writer and executive producer.
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