Frog mascot has had his last dance with WB

The frog is dead -- killed by the bosses at the WB Network.

Michigan J. Frog, the dancing cartoon amphibian brought to life half a century ago by legendary animator Chuck Jones, has been booted as the corporate mascot at the WB, which is struggling to shed its teeny-bopper image.

“The frog is dead and buried,” WB Chairman Garth Ancier told reporters Friday morning at the semiannual Television Critics Assn. press tour in Beverly Hills.

Ancier broke the news of the frog’s demise incidentally, in response to a question about a new network logo featuring a green-and-blue splash-paint design. He seemed surprised when reporters began peppering him and WB Entertainment President David Janollari with questions about the top hat-wearing frog.

Ancier then joked that the network had received permission from a federal court to remove the frog’s feeding tube. Michigan J. Frog made his first appearance in Jones’ 1955 cartoon “One Froggy Evening.”

The death of the mascot might seem trivial, but the reasons behind it are not.

The WB suffered a bruising season this year, as highly touted series such as “Jack & Bobby” sank in the ratings.

Janollari called “Jack & Bobby’s” collapse “the most heartbreaking experience this network went through in the last year” but added that cancellation became inevitable when ratings showed no sign of improvement.

The situation is especially worrisome because one top competitor, UPN, has generated enormous buzz for Chris Rock’s fall sitcom, “Everybody Hates Chris.”

WB’s new series -- such as the drama “Just Legal” with Don Johnson and “Related,” a comedy-drama about four sisters -- have not received nearly as much attention. (WB is partly owned by Tribune Co., publisher of The Times.)

Executives partly blame the poor performance on a lingering perception that, as the former home of youth dramas such as “Felicity” and “Dawson’s Creek,” the network is intended solely for teenagers.

The network now wants to persuade viewers in their 20s and 30s that it’s “reflecting the lives they’re living as well,” Janollari said.

The frog, network officials believe, may have underscored the teens-only reputation.

The frog “perpetuated a young teen feel, and that’s not the image we wanted to perpetuate,” Janollari explained.