Remembering The WB as it merges to CW

On Sunday, September 17, after an 11-year run The WB television network took its final bow. That night it aired several of the network's most popular shows with their pilot episodes including: Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Dawson's Creek. It was a night of nostalgia, especially for myself, who literally grew up with The WB. I can remember being a middle school student when all of those shows first debuted on the weekly network lineup. The were the shows that everyone in school watched and talked about. These were the shows that I skipped my homework for, that I taped every episode of onto dozens of blank video tapes, so I could watch them over and over. For me, The WB felt like the station that I could call my own.

Of course, The WB knew who their audience was, the treasured teen demographic, and they catered to them. Yet many of these "teen shows" became some of the best television shows on the air.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, for instance, with its somewhat cheesy title, it became both a fan and critical favorite. Buffy came to The WB as a mid-season replacement and quickly took on a life of its own. Critics loved the show and rightly so; it had some of the smartest and funniest dialogue written on television. Buffy never won any major awards but its fan base was strong and loyal. After its first season, Buffy became one of the flagship shows for The WB.

Another fan favorite, Dawson's Creek, premiered amongst controversy surrounding it. Parents and various groups boycotted the show because it dealt bluntly with teens and sexuality, something that these groups thought a teen audience should be sheltered from.

As a result of this controversy, it increased the urge to watch it. It became a big deal about who was able to watch the show, since so many parents had banned it from their homes; yet the show thrived and has become the classic teen series of the late nineties.

Indeed, it can even be argued that The O.C. is the 2000's Dawson's Creek. I believe that what made The WB network so great was the chances it took on unconventional shows, that other networks like CBS, ABC and controversy surrounding it. Parents and various groups boycotted the show because it dealt bluntly with teens and sexuality, something that these groups thought a teen audience should be sheltered from.

As a result of this controversy, it increased the urge to watch it. It became a big deal about who was able to watch the show, since so many parents had banned it from their homes; yet the show thrived and has become the classic teen series of the late nineties.

Indeed, it can even be argued that The O.C. is the 2000's Dawson's Creek. I believe that what made The WB network so great was the chances it took on unconventional shows that other networks like CBS, ABC and NBC would pass on immediately after looking at the premise.

I fervently believe that if not for The WB and its willingness to take chances considered unconventional, that many of today's shows would not be on the air. LOST, for instance is a show that is a puzzle mixing mythology, religion, history and the paranormal together. Another example is NBC that is this season debuting Heroes, which is about people with superhuman abilities.

The WB illustrates that unconventional shows could be successful and other networks have followed suit. For this everyone should be grateful. The WB gave spice to television among many of the bland shows that were airing on other networks. It has also lead the way for different kinds of television shows, which otherwise would not have ever aired, to be seen and loved by its viewers.

This is the legacy that The WB leaves and I personally feel fortunate to have grown up with the network. As it changes and merges with UPN to become The CW, I hope that the new network will keep a part of the uniqueness that made The WB so influential.