'Buffy,' 'Roswell' Lead UPN's Fall Lineup

By GREG BRAXTON and BRIAN LOWRY

May 18, 2001 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITERS

Joking that their passion is to develop innovative original programming or obtain shows from the rival WB network, UPN executives unveiled a fall lineup Thursday anchored by its acquisitions of two WB dramas: “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Roswell.”

Tom Nunan, UPN’s entertainment president, said “Roswell,” about a group of alien teens who look like humans, would be the perfect complement to “Buffy,” adding that the series--which premiered on the WB last season and was dropped by the WB this week--will help form a potent Tuesday night block to attract young audiences.

Like “Buffy,” “Roswell” is produced by 20th Century Fox Television, whose parent company, News Corp., is in the process of acquiring eight key UPN affiliates, including KCOP in Los Angeles. UPN agreed to pay about $2.3 million an episode for “Buffy,” a deal worth more than $100 million over two seasons, or roughly $22 million more than the WB’s final offer of $1.8 million an episode.

“Buffy” creator and executive producer Joss Whedon told media buyers at UPN’s lineup presentation that he was invigorated and felt “so, so, so good” about the move, adding that the shift will mark a new life for the series, which will be entering its sixth season.

“Buffy” will make its UPN debut this fall with a two-hour episode that will introduce viewers to the Buffy legend while establishing new story arcs for loyal fans.

As for “Roswell,” Nunan said the show suffered from being moved around the WB schedule and playing behind incompatible lead-ins, such as the softer family drama “7th Heaven.”

Other new shows on UPN include a new addition to the “Star Trek” franchise, “Enterprise,” being billed by the network as a prequel bridging “the gap between today’s world and that of the original ‘Star Trek.’ ” The drama, which stars Scott Bakula, will air Wednesdays--the same night UPN has televised “Star Trek: Voyager,” which airs its final episode next week.

The network’s only new comedy is “One on One,” about relationship tensions between a 14-year-old girl (Kyla Pratt) and her womanizing single father (Flex Alexander). The sitcom will join UPN’s Monday urban block of African American comedies, replacing the canceled “Moesha.”

Returning to the UPN lineup are the monster-themed drama “Special Unit 2,” “WWF Smackdown!,” “The Hughleys,” “The Parkers” and “Girlfriends.”

Fox, meanwhile, also confirmed a new fall schedule Thursday while dealing with uncertainty surrounding “The X-Files,” which will return for a ninth season, without star David Duchovny.

During a conference call with reporters, Fox Entertainment Group Chairman Sandy Grushow said in regard to Duchovny, who appeared in less than half of the episodes this season, “He believes it’s time to move on with his life.”

Negotiations continue between Fox and series creator Chris Carter. “As of this moment, our expectation is he’s going to come back and run the show,” said Grushow.

Carter declined comment. Fox has also been securing deals with executive producer Frank Spotnitz and other producers to continue with the series and oversee the show should Carter not return.

Fox will leave Saturday through Monday nights unchanged. The network will add five new series--including a drama that turns Pasadena into a hotbed of intrigue--and rely on reruns of such shows as “The Simpsons” and “Malcolm in the Middle” to lead off a Wednesday comedy block.

“We really wanted to maintain as much stability as we possibly could going into the fall,” Grushow said.

Fox has scheduled two series it was going to simply throw away during the summer to counter “Friends” and “Survivor” on Thursdays, bringing back the animated “Family Guy” and pairing it with superhero spoof “The Tick”--a show executives have let sit on the shelf for months.

As for scheduling a new edition of “Temptation Island” after “Survivor,” Grushow conceded the hope was viewers will change channels. “There’s enormous opportunity for us to appeal to a lot of people who are fans of the genre,” he said.

Both new dramas are serialized, including “Pasadena,” a soap opera starring “China Beach’s” Dana Delaney that explores a mystery surrounding a newspaper family dynasty--clearly inspired by the Chandlers, who owned the Los Angeles Times--through the eyes of a teenage daughter. Kiefer Sutherland, meanwhile, stars in “24” as a CIA agent trying to prevent an assassination attempt set to happen in 24 hours. Each episode will encompass an hour as the deadline nears.

Fox also adds a sitcom starring comic Bernie Mac as well as “Undeclared,” from the producer of “Freaks and Geeks,” focusing on college freshman who live on the same dorm floor.

For “Star Trek” fans, Fox also announced that Jeri Ryan, best-known as Seven of Nine on “Voyager,” will join “Boston Public” next season, playing a new teacher.

Here is Fox’s fall schedule (new series are in bold):

Sunday: “Futurama,” “King of the Hill,” “The Simpsons,” “Malcolm in the Middle,” “The X-Files.”

Monday: “Boston Public,” “Ally McBeal.”

Tuesday: “That ‘70s Show,” “Undeclared,” “24.”

Wednesday: Fox sitcom reruns, “Grounded for Life,” “Titus,” “The Bernie Mac Show.”

Thursday: “Family Guy,” “The Tick,” “Temptation Island 2.”

Friday: “Dark Angel,” “Pasadena.”

Saturday: “Cops,” “America’s Most Wanted.”

Here is UPN’s fall schedule (new series are in bold):

Sunday: Local programming.

Monday: “The Hughleys,” “One on One,” “The Parkers,” “Girlfriends.”

Tuesday: “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Roswell.”