Hi there again… remember me?

Has been quite a while since my last post here – over one and a half years. And for that I want to apologize, but Real-Life has been quite demanding recently.

Anyways,  I am back now, and looking forward to writing new Posts again.

One more thing, since many of you are asking in the comments whether there will or won’t be a 9th season for Charmed: No there will be neither a 9th season, nor a spin-off of Charmed. 

There’s a new interview with Brad Kern (over at thecharmedones.com) about Charmed, mostly the same, old, boring stuff except this paragraph:

Do you think there might be a slim chance the CW network would consider a spin-off? Maybe using the grown up children, Wyatt and Chris?

Honestly, no.  What most of the fans probably don’t realize is that, last year, the show was all but dead. The new regime at the WB, in all of its wisdom, wanted a new direction if they were going to give it another year. They knew that Alyssa, Holly and Rose weren’t going to come back for a 9th season (no matter how much they got paid), so the network told me that the only way they’d pick the show up for an 8th season would be if I could come up with a way to build in characters that could potentially “spin off” for a 9th season. That’s how I came up with Billie and Christy, which convinced the network at the last minute to pick up the show.  Personally, I think both Kaley and Marnette have done an amazing job coming into an existing series and giving it new life; yet, at the same time, it fundamentally changed the show from what it started out to be.  But, that’s the business of television — do whatever you can to get picked up for another season. 

this way: http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=1&id=34903

At least more or less, a WB spokesman confirmed TVGuide’s rumors, so it’s sure 8×22 will be Charmed’s last ep – as sad as it may sound :,(

Well, guess this is how it ends, after 8 charming seasons…

Just found this on spoilerfix.com:

The Charmed ones have officially cast their last spell. Multiple sources confirm that execs behind the new CW network have decided to pull the plug on the eight-year drama. The final episode will air Sunday, May 21. [...] Executive producer Brad Kern [...] says he always intended to write this season’s last episode as a series finale. “It’s been a hell of a run,” he says, “but all good things must come to an end.” Details of the final episode are being kept under wraps, but fan favorite Brian Krause will likely be back. And what about Shannen Doherty? Says my Charmed mole: “I wouldn’t count on it.”  :,(

I think we all agree that this was a great episode. 4.07 million people watched it, which might bring up some hope for having a 9th season.

Charmed will have a pause for about 4 weeks now, before we get a “straight go” for the last 6 episodes of season 8.

So far, still no oficiall word about season 9 (Alyssa and Rose have said a few things on interviews that their contracts are out, and that they are bored and that stuff, however they might change their mind, who knows…) so keep your fingers crossed!

There’s a quite interesting article at theprophecy.net, the article is a lillte bit long, and if you just want to skim it, then just read the bold parts of it.

The article:

WB and UPN Networks To Merge
www.bellaonline.com/articles/art39861.asp

Both the WB network and the UPN network have programming that is skewed towards a young demographic, and both have been faltering towards the bottom of the broadcast network ratings heap for some time now. Today, it was announced that in a surprise move, the two networks would merge into one new network, the CW Network.

The “C” in the name comes from CBS Corp., which owns the UPN network. The “W” in the name comes from the Time Warner Co., the parent company of the WB network. Each of the parent companies will own 50% of the newly formed network, and both will share in the operating duties, including programming.

The new network will be carried on the twelve stations already owned by UPN, as well as on the 16 stations owned by the Tribune Co., a Chicago media giant that currently owns 22.5% of the WB network. In exchange for the Tribune Co. giving up its shares in the WB, they are receiving a 10-year broadcast commitment by the CW Network. These 28 stations will guarantee the new network will be seen in 20 of the top 25 TV markets in the country right off the bat.

Though the current outlets guarantee coverage in almost half of the areas already serviced by the WB and UPN, executives of the new network say they hope to lock in the remainder of the country’s markets by the time the CW Network debuts this fall. Part of the delay comes from the fact that not all stations currently affiliating with the WB and UPN are owned by CBS Corp. or Time Warner. Individual deals will have to be made for each market to decide which channels will carry the new network. In some markets, where there is both a WB affiliate and a UPN affiliate, one of those channels will lose their broadcast network affiliation.

Not only will the markets have to merge, but the programming will, as well. Current WB hits, such as “Charmed,” “Smallville,” “One Tree Hill” and “Everwood” will have to find a place on the schedule with UPN hits like “Veronica Mars,” “America’s Next Top Model” and “Everybody Hates Chris.”

This will leave less room for fledgling series on the individual networks to find a place in the new network’s schedule — and even less chance for new series to get greenlighted for the air.

Current plans are for the CW schedule to run programming approximately 30 hours a week. Most of the programming will be primetime based, spanning six nights of the week from Sunday to Friday. Executives say they will also experiment with afternoon programming, possibly more children’s programming or talk shows, to run on weekdays and Sundays.The only Saturday scheduling will be five hours of children’s programs in the morning hours.

Whether this new merger will result in better ratings, will have to be seen. It certainly acts as a lifeline for the UPN network, which was in danger of being shut down before the current season yielded its few breakout hits like “Everybody Likes Chris.” But there’s no guarantee that showing the same shows on one network, instead of two, is really going to translate into a significant ratings boost.

CBS and Warner Bros. to Create CW Network
www.writenews.com

CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. Entertainment have announced plans to form a new 5th network, The CW, which will launch in the fall of 2006. The new broadcasting network will be a joint venture between Warner Bros. Entertainment and CBS Corporation, with each company owning 50%. The two networks currently run by CBS and Warner Bros., UPN and the WB, will be shut down and programming will be moved to the new network.

Dawn Ostroff, currently President of UPN, will become President of Entertainment and John Maatta, currently Chief Operating Officer of The WB, will become Chief Operating Officer of The CW.

Some of the WB shows include 7th Heaven, Charmed, Everwood, Gilmore Girls, Reba and Smallville. Some of UPN’s shows include America’s Next Top Model, Chris, Girlfrieds, South Beach and Veronica Mars. Bloomberg says the new CW Network will attempt to “lure younger viewers.” Now Playing says “whether viewers will notice the change, or care, remains to be seen.”
^ Note that they only listed the TOP WB and UPN series, including Charmed.

Not much to show for UPN, WB tie-up
www.nydailynews.com

‘Beauty and the Geek’

Yesterday’s surprise announcement of the merger of the UPN and WB networks in September begs for a little perspective.
So here it is.

Even with two networks combined into one as the new CW network, there isn’t enough good programming to fill a schedule – not even the abbreviated WB schedule.

In combining the networks, CW could have expanded to the “real network” model of the Big Three (8-11 p.m. nightly, 7-11 p.m. Sundays), or even to the seven-night, stop-at-10 p.m. model used by Fox.

Instead, the new hybrid will stay with the WB programming blocks: 8-10 weeknights, 7-10 p.m. Sundays, and dark on Saturdays.

That’s a total of 13 hours of prime-time programming. Given the combined resources of WB and UPN, that ought to be easy to fill, right?

Wrong.

By my count, even a team effort by TV’s fifth- and sixth-ranked networks falls a little short.

Start with the truly entertaining shows on the two networks, and WB begins with a distinct advantage. Even without “7th Heaven,” which is in its final season, WB brings five solid hours of TV to the table: “Gilmore Girls,” “Smallville,” “Beauty and the Geek,” the improving “Related” and the deteriorating but still watchable “Charmed.”

UPN has only two shows, totaling an hour and a half of TV, but they’re better than anything on WB: “Veronica Mars” and “Everybody Hates Chris.”

So far, that’s 6.5 hours.

Add the next level of shows, the ones most likely to be renewed, and you’ve got six more hours. WB has “Supernatural,” “What I Like About You,” “Twins” and “Reba.”

UPN has “America’s Next Top Model,” “Girlfriends” and, sadly, “WWE Smackdown!”

That’s a total of 12.5 hours, on what’s supposed to be a 13-hour CW lineup. No wonder the partnership made sense – but even together, they’re not quite a network.

The name for the combined network, The CW, could have been better, but it also could have been worse. Only WB has tried to force-feed “The” into its official title, and it’s an unwanted intrusion. I wish the corporate owners of UPN hadn’t gone along – but apparently, that’s what The CBS wants.

As for the melding of letters between CBS (not UPN, notably) and WB into The CW, it sounds like a new countryWestern network. Clearly, though, CBS wanted top billing. Otherwise, if WB went first, the new network might be named WC, an old abbreviation for water closet, or bathroom. (TV history digression: Not being allowed to say “WC” was what led Jack Paar to walk off “The Tonight Show.”)

Or worse, it might be named BS – good for truth in advertising and a great promotional gimmick (one slogan could be “Nothing but BS!”), but bad for morale.

Originally published on January 25, 2006

UPN, WB to join forces in a new TV network
www.guidelive.com

05:05 PM CST on Tuesday, January 24, 2006
From Staff and Wire Reports

WWE’s thundering Smackdown will be moving in with the cerebral Gilmore Girls as rival TV netlets WB and UPN called it quits as sputtering wannabes and announced a sweeping merger Tuesday.

Beginning this fall, an alliance of the two networks called The CW will debut on many former affiliates, including 16 big-city stations owned by Tribune, formerly a partner in The WB.

Dallas-area viewers can watch the merger play out as KDAF-TV (Channel 33) becomes home to the new CW network, while KTXA-TV (Channel 21) will be an independent station.

Executives said The CW will offer the most popular shows from UPN and The WB – programming largely targeted at America’s hard-to-reach 18- to 34-year-old demographic – including America’s Next Top Model , Smallville, Veronica Mars, Everybody Hates Chris and Reba.

“We will be creating a viable entity, one well-equipped to compete, thrive and serve all our many publics in this multi-channel media universe,” CBS President Leslie Moonves said in announcing the merger in New York.

CBS, which owns UPN, will be half owner in the new venture with Warner Bros. Entertainment, which operated The WB.

The WB’s best-known shows (since launch in 1995):
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Dawson’s Creek
Felicity
7th Heaven
Charmed
Gilmore Girls
Smallville
Reba
One Tree Hill
UPN’s best-known shows (since launch in 1995):
Star Trek: Voyager
Moesha
Girlfriends
The Parkers
WWE SmackDown!
Veronica Mars
Everybody Hates Chris

The WB and UPN, each targeting at the youthful demographic that mainstream broadcasters find increasingly difficult to reach, had long struggled financially. Both faced high production costs for original programming but produced few breakout hits. They were widely viewed as fringe channels against the network landscape of the big four – ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox.

“I absolutely think this deal is putting us right there with the Big Four,” said Joe Young, vice president and general manager of Channel 33. “People are going to talk about the Big Five. And for us here in Dallas-Fort Worth, it’s fantastic since we can take the best of both networks and offer great prime-time programming every single night of the week.”

Steve Mauldin, general manager at Channel 21, was excited at the prospects for increasing local coverage.

“Most of our programming isn’t going to change. We’ll still have all the syndicated shows we currently have, so we’re talking about 7 to 9 on weeknights. And we’re looking to develop locally initiated programming with news and by expanding our sports coverage.”

Channel 21 will continue its broadcast deal with the Dallas Mavericks and plans to extend its Maverick programming. “If there was enough content to go 24/7 and become the Mavericks Channel, we’d probably do it. But we’re going to be looking for every opportunity to do more,” he said.

Both networks intend to continue their regular programming until the fall. The CW will adopt The WB’s prime-time scheduling approach of airing shows weeknights 7-9 p.m., Sunday from 6-9 p.m. and offering no programming on Saturday nights, the weakest viewing night.

The CW also will continue a Saturday morning block of children’s shows, now known as “Kids’ WB!” Dawn Ostroff, president of UPN, will oversee programming for the new network, and John Maatta, chief operating officer of The WB, will continue in that role for The CW.

During November 2005 sweeps, UPN averaged about 3.7 million viewers nightly and WB about 3.5 million, meaning they were viewed in less than 3 percent of U.S. households, both down slightly from a year earlier. By comparison, No. 1 CBS was viewed in more than 9 percent of households on any average night, reaching 14.6 million viewers.

Pop culture critic Tom Maurstad and Knight Ridder Newspapers contributed to this report.

SCI FI WIRE
scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=9

And you know what? This may be pulling on straws, but Charmed is SciFi’s channel’s 5th Most Watched Series, above Smallville, and Supernatural!

Q & A with TV Pros…this month, Holly Marie Combs!
We gave our readers one question — any question — to ask Ms. Combs. As per usual, the question is:

‘Will Charmed see a season 9?”

Holly’s reply?

“I love this show to death. I really do. It’s home to me. So I guess anything can happen.”

Bottomline: A 9th season for Charmed sounds realistic (as the new network doesn’t have enough shows to fill the gaps), however, only if Alyssa and Rose play along (Holly already confirmed that if there’s a 9th season, she’ll be there too).

So regarding all this, Charmed may have a realistic chance for a 9th season, just cross your fingers

ABC started a vote “Which shows should make the transition to the new network, TheCW”, however you can also vote for shows that will be renewed anyways, so I doubt that the vote will really be taken into account,…

ABC-Link

MSNBC also started a vote, link

There was an interview with Brad Kern about season 9, it pretty much boils down to this:

• “The budget ax swung very deeply in bringing us back [for this season]“
• There’ll very likely wont be a 9th season, however nothing official
• “Any spin-off is still an option” (maybe one with Billie?)

The full interview:

Charmed Hits a (Final?) Milestone
by Matt Webb MitovichWith its Jan. 22 broadcast, WB’s Charmed (Sundays at 8 pm/ET) — which premiered Oct. 7, 1998 — becomes the longest-running television series boasting all female leads, having bewitched viewers for more years than such estrogen-heavy fare as Laverne & Shirley, Designing Women and Sex and the City. To mark the milestone, TVGuide.com sat down with executive producer Brad Kern to assess the show’s assets, assay the avidness of its fans and conjure up a peek at its future — no matter how (gulp!) finite it may be.

TVGuide.com: Regarding the milestone you’ve achieved, how does one even stumble upon such a factoid?

Brad Kern: I don’t know. I kept pressing the publicity people, saying, “Are we sure we’re right about this?” because wasn’t Murder, She Wrote on for, like, 12 years? They said, “No, no, this is for female leads, plural.” I guess the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences contacted Paramount to alert us to the fact that we had surpassed the longest-running hour featuring female leads, and the only milestone left [to surpass] was the longest-running half-hour [Laverne & Shirley].

TVGuide.com: And this Sunday, you actually take the title.

Kern: I wonder if I get any door prizes!

TVGuide.com: Something I always find interesting is that every week, Charmed lands in the Top 20 searches on TVGuide.com, but, of course, the show isn’t in the Top 20 of the Nielsen ratings. Why do you think that is? What’s your view on the fan base?

Kern: The WB has moved us three or four times, and yet each time they do that, the fans have followed. I just think these kinds of shows lend themselves to loyal fan bases. When I was on [The Adventures of] Lois and Clark [as a coexecutive producer-writer], the Internet was just becoming big, and we had a huge fan base on that show. I know The X-Files does and did. And Buffy, and now Lost. These shows all seem to attract computer-savvy fans. Once they like a show, they are loyal as loyal can be, and that’s probably why we get so many hits on the Internet.

TVGuide.com: Plus with this type of show, fans can get wrapped up in the mythology, the addition and subtraction of powers, the assorted demons….

Kern: Sure — almost to a fault. Unfortunately, all shows have to reach beyond the loyal fan base, and those [new viewers] would get lost in the minutiae if you spent too much time trying to connect all the dots. Part of the challenge is to always reward the loyal fan base with consistent mythology, but not be so locked into it where you’ve cornered yourself and can’t do stories that the rest of the audience can follow.

TVGuide.com: One fan criticism is that Charmed, as of late, sometimes veers from sisters-focused storytelling and is more about other relationships.

Kern: There are two reasons for that. One, it’s the eighth year, so you have to branch the series out; it has to grow from what you’ve done. The second reason, which ties into the first, is that there are only so many “sister stories” you can do. The stars have been doing the series for so long that the only way I can make it fresh for them is to give them new material that has them, more often than not, working off other actors and characters, while I also try to give them some time off. Working eight straight days, like they did for so many years, [makes them] burned out, and understandably so. I’m fully aware of the loyal fans’ concerns of pulling away from the sisters, but there’s no way to do it anymore. Eight years later, you can’t have the sisters still sitting around the dinner table complaining about life every week because after a while, they look around and go, “Didn’t we have this conversation before?”

TVGuide.com: You’ve also taken some heat for writing out Brian Krause’s Leo. Did you anticipate that, or did you think you could slip him out quietly?

Kern: When I was forced into writing Leo out of the show, for budgetary reasons, the first thing I told anybody who would listen — the powers that be — was that it is a huge mistake and the fans would be in an uproar. But the budget ax swung very deeply in bringing us back [for this season], and it was non-negotiable. I had nothing to do with it. I’m the first one to say that, because I was the one left having to figure out how to take him out! I was the one who fought for him to be on the show for even 10 episodes this year. I had to find money from other places to keep him around.

TVGuide.com: You had to fire a couple of leprechauns, didn’t you?

Kern: I had to do a lot, personally and professionally, to figure out where some of that money would come from. Knowing the fans would be upset and knowing that this is the series finale we’re building up to, the only thing I felt I could do was not to kill off his character, but basically put him in limbo and play “How to bring Leo and Piper back together” for the rest of the season leading up to the finale, where hopefully we’ll be able to creatively and proactively bring him back.

TVGuide.com: So is this officially Charmed’s final season?

Kern: Nobody at WB will commit one way or the other. I’ve heard nothing about it. As far as I’m concerned, this is it. Last year the show was held in limbo, but fortunately “the governor called” and we got another year. I wasn’t able to craft a season or series finale [then], so I did sort of a hybrid, which to me was disappointing creatively. This year, with no contract for the girls [Alyssa Milano, Holly Marie Combs, Rose McGowan and Kaley Cuoco] and no contract for me, the WB seems to be looking forward to looking for “the next generation” of shows. We’re still an expensive show, and all those factors tell me that, here in the middle of January, I’m just pushing toward the series finale. It’s too late for them to say, “We want to find a way to make a ninth season” — but it doesn’t mean there can’t be a spin-off.

TVGuide.com: Is the sometime-rumored Kaley Cuoco/Billie spin-off an option?

Kern: Any spin-off is still an option, because no one has ruled out any options at the WB. I have heard nothing, the silence has been deafening. I’ve just been going about doing my job and trying to build up to a series finale, not something that’s neither here nor there like last year.

TVGuide.com: With that said, what’s coming up during the back half of the season? Any returns for Cole or Prue?

Kern: [Laughs] In my ideal world… The huge problem I have to deal with this year is the budget cutback. I’m trying to save money each episode so I can afford to bring back as many of the regular cast members as possible. Who that will be, I don’t know, but my plan is to have the equivalent of a “family reunion” including as many people as I can afford. I’m not going to be able to get Julian McMahon back [as Cole]; I twisted his arm, and begged and bribed him to come back for the 150th episode last year, which he so lovingly offered to do. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have flashbacks! [Laughs] I can pull back the celluloid. The goal for me is to take the series out the way it began. It’s interesting that one of the criticisms, rightfully so, is about the lack of sisterhood, but I’m building to it being all about sisters. Even when we talk about Kaley Cuoco’s Billie, we’re going to be bringing her sister, Christy, into the show [played by recent Supernatural guest star Marnette Patterson], working around the final ultimate battle. That seems kind of poetic because that’s what the series has fundamentally always been about, and that’s how it will end.

TVGuide.com: What’s the bullet on Christy?

Kern: As we know, she was kidnapped by a demon when Billie was 5 and the sister was 7. She will be found after spending the last 15 years with demons.

TVGuide.com: Hmm, I take it she’s not too happy.

Kern: She’s a little traumatized, and certainly mysterious. Who is she? Is she the sweet child who had the potential of powers before she was taken, or has she been Stockholm Syndrome’d and now believes in the demonic way?

TVGuide.com: Ah, the age-old nature vs. nurture debate.

Kern: You got it! [It's a question] we’ve played with and toyed with and worked every way possible over the last eight years, and [for the finale] we would like to return to it.

source:TvGuide.com

The official Charmed magazine writes:

Rose McGowan has already stated that with her Charmed contract up at the end of the season, she’s ready to move on. And now Alyssa Milano reveals the same sentiment. “I’m only contracted for eight seasons, so there definitely won’t be a ninth year for me,” she says. “I’ll miss it. I’ll miss everyone, my family here – the girls, my crew. It’s been an amazing experience.”…..

….”I would definitely consider doing another series,” she replies. “Honestly, I think television has the best material out there right now. It’s totally exceeding what the film industry is doing. So I’d definitely consider going back to TV. I think it will take me awhile to actually commit to something. Charmed has been eight years of my life. That’s a long time. I think I’m going to take a long break, maybe do a couple of movies. And then I’d reassess.”

There are also rumors about a spin off with Billie