'Brothers' to join UPN Tuesday sked
Netlet pursues smoother audience flow, reverses field
The "Brothers" decision is a sign that UPN is attempting to win back its core audience of black viewers who have largely abandoned the netlet this season.
To do that, UPN is scheduling three shows with largely black casts on Tuesday night: "Moesha," "Malcolm & Eddie" and "Between Brothers." That decision will certainly create a smoother audience flow, but it's a reversal of UPN CEO Dean Valentine's stated philosophy that it's wrong to lump together shows that appeal mainly to a specific race.
Columbia TriStar TV's "Between Brothers" aired on Fox's Thursday night lineup last season, where it averaged a 4.8 rating and 8 share in homes and a 3.1/9 among adults 18-49 in 13 airings. UPN has picked up five episodes that were shot for Fox last season, but never aired, plus one episode that did air on Fox.
UPN also has options to order more episodes that aired on Fox and to put the show back into production to get more original episodes. "America's Greatest Pets" and "Reunited," which had been airing Tuesdays at 9 and 9:30 p.m., will remain on the bench as backups.
UPN also confirmed the Monday schedule would consist of "Dilbert" at 8 p.m., followed by "DiResta" and "The Sentinel" (Daily Variety, Dec. 9). The Tuesday schedule is "Moesha" at 8 p.m., followed still by "Clueless," "Malcolm & Eddie" and "Between Brothers."
Separately, the WB netlet has scheduled its midseason comedy "Zoe, Duncan, Jack & Jane" to premiere Sunday, Jan. 17, at 9 p.m., with "Unhappily Ever After" moving to 9:30 p.m. "The Army Show," which had aired at 9:30 p.m., has been canceled. The moves were expected.
