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Old 02-19-2019, 10:19 PM
crt89 crt89 is offline
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What exactly was the purpose of UPN and WB?

I remember when I was younger (I'm only nearly 30 so maybe this is too recent for the forum,) the channels UPN and WB. I always thought these were like the lesser tier stations to FOX, CBS, NBC and ABC.

UPN seemed to be mostly science fiction shows and maybe a few sitcoms, IIRC. WB was mostly shows that I'd hear people talk about as I got into middle school and high school, but I never watched them. So I got the idea that this was for teens and young adults. But ironically I remember my grandma used to watch at least one series on WB. I remember hearing a lot at school about Everwood and One Tree Hill in high school specifically (ahh the early to late 2000s).

Also recall that UPN possibly aired a lot of movies on weekend afternoons back then, since we'd watch them then. I think Seinfeld aired after the movies.

Although the weekend movies was also a common thing with other independent stations that aired mostly syndicated series like Providence.

These days some cable station shows a block on Saturdays called One Magnificent Morning, which is either on or by the CW, and my mom watches the dog shows, or did up until recently. Not sure if still does. So possibly CW is now aimed at other ages too.

In a way I miss these kinds of independent stations and it seems even though we have cable now there aren't as many stations like this. I miss the afternoon movies and syndicated shows from the 80s and 90s.

Or maybe there are still channels like this, and I don't find them amidst all the channels. In ways I miss our old antenna TV. Not nearly as many channels as with cable but it was easier to decide on something to watch.
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Old 02-19-2019, 11:48 PM
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MIPS MIPS is offline
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I always interpreted UPN to be the gutter (in a good way) for programming that had run its course but continued to air until the licensing was up or for TV shows that were orphaned when other owned blocks and dedicated channels either folded or started pushing less interesting non-reality TV content past the 11PM block and into the foldover sometime after midnight when the infomercials normally ran.
I seem to recall a few Disney-owned programs from Fox Kids migrated over abruptly when Fox Kids was nuked from orbit, much to everyone's disappointment.
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Old 02-20-2019, 09:32 PM
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bgadow bgadow is offline
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I suppose Warner Brothers and Paramount looked around, saw Fox had managed to (eventually) build a legitimate 4th network...and there were still some independent stations (in the bigger cities) that would welcome an affiliation. The stations were all third rate, and from what I saw so were these networks. I had trouble remembering which was which.
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Old 02-20-2019, 10:38 PM
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Electronic M Electronic M is offline
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When I was real young I used to watch the original Scooby Doo series on WB in Chicago...Don't remember much else from that station.

At some point, I decided, for the sake of comedy, UPN must Stand for the Un-Popular Network.
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