Getting Ready For November Sweeps, The WB Moves Darren Star’s Critically Acclaimed Comedy “Grosse Pointe” To Sunday Nights

(October 25, 2000 – Burbank, CA) — The WB Network will work its “SABRINA” magic times two on Friday nights with “SABRINA, THE TEENAGE WITCH” playing back-to-back at 8:00 and 8:30 p.m. ET beginning November 3, followed by “POPULAR.” The move allows The WB to move Darren Star’s critically acclaimed new comedy “GROSSE POINTE” to the more adult themed Sunday night comedy block at 9:30 p.m. ET. Darren Star’s hit comedy “Sex and the City” has played great on Sunday nights at 9:00 p.m. ET and this will allow Mr. Star’s fans to find his new comedy on a familiar night and time. The new Sunday night comedies “HYPE & NIKKI,” which have performed very well since their launch on October 8, will move up a half-hour to 8:30 and 9:00 p.m. ET, respectively. The new Sunday night line up will be “THE JAMIE FOXX SHOW” at 7:00 p.m. ET followed by “THE PJs” at 7:30 p.m. ET, “THE STEVE HARVEY SHOW” at 8:00 p.m. ET followed by “HYPE,” “NIKKI” and “GROSSE POINTE.” “FOR YOUR LOVE” will come off the schedule until “THE JAMIE FOXX SHOW” airs its 100th episode in January and then will return to the line-up. Jamie Foxx will return to the air starring in his own variety series for The WB later in the year. When The WB made the deal for “SABRINA,” it acquired the rights to air four of the best episodes that previously ran on ABC. The four highly promotable programs include guest-starring roles by *NSYNC, Britney Spears, The Backstreet Boys and Keenan & Kel. Coincidentally, “SABRINA,” which hits the 100-episode mark this Friday night in a special Halloween episode directed by series star Melissa Joan Hart, was already scheduled to double run this week at 8:00 and 9:00 p.m. ET with “GROSSE POINTE” and “NIKKI” at 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. ET respectively. That plan will remain intact. The double runs of “SABRINA” will continue until the launch of “POPSTARS,” a reality show about the making of an all-girl pop group, which has the full backing of the network and London Sire Records, a division of Warner Music Group. Both the record company and the network are very high on the project. “POPSTARS” is scheduled to go into the 8:30 p.m. ET time slot on Friday nights beginning in January. Since joining The WB on September 22, “SABRINA” has delivered as expected in key young female demos, setting all-time Friday records for The WB in persons 12-34 (2.2/10), females 12-34 (3.1/14), teens (3.7/18) and female teens (4.9/26). “ ‘Sabrina’ has delivered the young family audience on Friday nights that we envisioned when we acquired the show from Viacom and it gives us the foundation to be the most important player in that field on the night,” said Susanne Daniels, President, Entertainment for The WB. “‘Grosse Pointe’ creatively is delivering a show beyond our expectations. On Sunday nights after nine o’clock, where Darren has enjoyed so much success with ‘Sex and the City,’ it stands a much better chance of finding the young adult audience the show is intended for.” # # #