Correction

NPH has two acquaintences in California who responded (one gently, one not so gently) to our last post about the disappearance of the WB. We admit our error and dutifully provide the following links to news and opinion pieces regarding the merger between the WB and CBS' UPN network.

http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/entertainment/14565431.htm

http://money.cnn.com/2006/01/24/news/companies/cbs_warner/

Astute NPH readers (is there any other type?) will notice that these stories date from May and January of last year, respectively; we're a little slow on the uptake. One would think that the NPH home, which knows nothing of cable, would be on top of such major network developments, but, alas, we have dropped the ball badly this time. We sincerely apologize if we caused any alarm over the suggestion that Gilmore Girls and One Tree Hill might be going off the air. As these news stories explain, they'll stay, along with tried-and-true UPN successes (uh . . . ) and some new original programming, all aimed at the coveted 18-34 year-old demographic. NPH wonders, is anything on television not aimed at the 18-24 year-old demographic?

We're intrigued by this development, largely since it involves a network (UPN) that one of our heroes (Boondocks creator Aaron McGruder) has repeatedly trashed. The irony of this merger is that, in all probability, most of UPN's all-black casts will be axed; speculation is that Chris Rock's Everybody Hates Chris will be the only UPN sitcom to make it. So UPN's cheesy, stereotypical, and just plain badly written sitcoms will be gone, but so will one of the best major network television avenues for black actors.

There's got to be more to this.