Bell, Book, and Candle - Accoutrement for BtVS/Angel

Sadly, we never got a reliable price guide nor equipment book with Buffy or Angel. The following comes from my own system and book entitled, Bell, Book, and Candle, in which you will find all sorts of accoutrement for spellcasters and their trade, as well as other products (some of which are under copyright and TM¹) that I link to here and/or elsewhere as an affiliate. 

These prices and BON assume the equipment was purchased from a reputable Occult source: Think DæmonsDæmonsDæmons, not S-Mart™.

Tarot Cards AVAIL:10 50¥ +1 Spirit Calling (Magic Box, p.73-74), Divination
Handcarved Wooden Carrying Box 175¥
Handcarved Ivory Carrying Box 500¥
Set AVAIL:10 200¥, 500¥

Crystal Ball 2" AVAIL:13 1000¥
Crystal Ball 3" AVAIL:15 5000¥ +1 Divination, Spirit Calling
Crystal Ball 4" AVAIL:17 15,000¥ +3 Divination, Spirit Calling

Séance Table AVAIL:20 25k¥ +3 Spirit Calling

Spirit Calling is the Cinematic UniSystem's Séance, needing three casters to touch pinkies while summoning and communing with the dead. Should they be startled, at GM fiat, DEX checks to maintain the circle may be required. Speaking of circles, clever Investigators will have already cast and drawn the ornate Circle of Binding (MB, p.83), to either kite the ghost into it or protect themselves from possible harm.

Confess PL 5

Compel the Spirit to Speak Truth. After a minor recitation, the Spirit is compelled to speak the truth without lying or omitting any detail, for one minute per Success Level. Confess pits the spellcaster's (WPR+PL[5]) against the target's (WPR+INT), not (WPRx2). The compelled target resists only if she garners more SL than the Confessor. Confess also works on people, but we're focusing our efforts on Spirits and Spirit Calling. The caster's (INT+Sorcery) must meet or exceed the value of the PL (5); the caster's (PCN+Ritual Magic) must be 25+ to learn this spell (Chill). Confess is located in several books, but mostly those directed at or focused on witches.

And accoutrements; here's some more modern-day stuff your Charmed Cinematic Unisystem PCs might need:

Pack of Smokes 15¥
Handcarved Wooden Cigarette Case 75¥
Handcarved Ivory Cigarette Case 575¥
Ceramic Cigarette Case 175¥

Lottery Ticket 5-25¥
WitchCult Today 15¥ (Print), 10¥ (Screamsheet)

1 Hex = 1 yard/1 meter or approx. 3' (5' in A/D&D)

Big-Assed Pistol AVAIL: 15 1500¥
Gun-Fu
Ammo AVAIL: 13 25¥
License AVAIL: 9 500¥

Big-Assed Pump X-Bow    AVAIL:15    750¥
A larger version of the X-Bow (not included in this post), also uses a larger clip.
Ammo: Bolts; target 3¥ e., Razor tip 5¥ e. (AVAIL:15), Carbon Razor 15¥ e. (AVAIL:17), this price includes the shaft which can, like the Big-Assed Pump Crossbow itself, be aluminum, fiberglass, or wood.
Getting Medieval (Siege).
Wt: 8lb.
Mag: 6/10 round clip
Price:    35¥    AVAIL: 13

Bolt Type     ROF Dam Pen Blk Mag SS Brst Rng
Target Bolt   PA     2         -     4     6/10  1     -      30*
Razor Tip      PA     3         -     4     6/10  1     -      30*
Carbon Razor PA  3         1    4     6/10  1      -     30*

*Can be fitted with a scope (not included), add +15 hex (45') to range.

Binoculars Light Amplification, MiliTech: Light Amplification Binoculars amplifies ambient light. Providing there is some light available, the character using them sees as though it were daylight; they are useless in total darkness and during daylight hours.
2lb.  1500¥ AVAIL (S/C)

Standard, Czech State Factories Spotter: The Standard Laser Rangefinder is a hand-held monocular. It measures distances up to 500h. It requires 1 ACT and the use of one of the character's hands.
2lb. 400¥ AVAIL (C/S/M15)

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¹ Their inclusion herein is no challenge to their holding, just an attempt to sell some books (both mine and others'). The Dark Conspiracy equipment and stats were modified slightly for use, and come from Gear Up!

© The Weirding, 2024

Multiversus #2

Multiversus #2

If it is what I think it could be (Charmed?) that's kind of cool. Charmed should be part of the DCU already; that was witches as superheroes, and it would be cool to not only see it recognized as such, but have someone take it further in that direction. Of course, I am available and do have a story arc for such an event, but Charmed had a short-lived comic series or two. They come and go in short bursts, but the cover art is usually really nice.

I don't know what Multiversus is, exactly, but it looks like it's for kids.

Ghosts in Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel RPG

Train of Ghosts

Ghost
-9 Drawback (Unwilling Ghost)

Supernatural Form: Def. Not Human -2
FFS +2
 [Attractiveness -2]**
Uncontrollable Power -5
Reduced Dmg: Everything / 10 +50
Physical Disability: Imprisoned - Specific -50
Invisible +20
Physical Disability: Intangible -20
Immortal 0
Total Cost -9

The Ghost is physically and Astrally limited to a specific locale, such as a house, room, or even bottle (in the case of a djinn, which is what any Supernatural that can cast spells would be if contained in a lamp, bottle, et.al.). Critters like Bigfoot are akin, as they might be "Contained" to "Wildlands" or "Swamps in Florida," but at a reduced Drawback point total. If the Ghost tries to traverse beyond the boundaries of the specific locale, he finds himself teleported somewhere randomly back into his confined space.

Imprisoned is a new Drawback at three levels: Regional (-10), Area (-20), and Specific (-50). Regional includes large-scale regions, such as "Mid-South," "Tri-State area," or "The Pine Barrens;" Area is more enclosed, such as a city block, a neighborhood, a named mall or shopping center (usually abandoned or unoccupied) and its parking lot, a certain road; and Specific is a confined area, such as a bottle, room, or house.

I created two new Physical Disabilities, as even the 8-point maximum was not enough to cover our Astral issue; after all, a quadriplegic has at least some technological and/or magical means of overcoming her Drawback. The point here is that our ghost is an unwilling one, perhaps the victim of a spell like Soul Reave (Monster Smackdown, p.122) which, at PL 10 with no QuickCast, is unlikely.

Intangible encompasses the inability to handle objects, speak or communicate with others, or even walk on solid floors (if you want to get deep in the weeds). The -20 offsets the +20 Invisibility Ghosts are forced to take, which is a Drawback in this case. -20 is also suggested for debilitating issues like Autism, et.al., as the effects are much the same. In fact, the stepped system should work for MLS, et.al., without the need for new additions, specifically addressing them.*

There are a lot of new Qualities and Drawbacks, as well as Spells and Supernatural Abilities, associated with spirits in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel TTRPG that I developed using the Cinematic UniSystem, as well as my own house brew. I'll be posting a lot of them for Halloween. Already, there is Restore Soul (MB, p.71) and Spirit Calling (Magic Box, p.73-74), along with a couple, few others.

Scoobies are likely to find Unwilling Ghosts sympathetic to their attempts to dispel the Damned, and may even be the focus of their investigation. Sadly, without the help of some major magickery, releasing the Unwilling Ghost does not resurrect the dead.

Ghost
17-point Quality (Willing)

Supernatural Form: Dual -1
FFS +1 (in Supernatural Form)
 [Attractiveness (in Supernatural Form) -1]**
Reduced Damage: Everything / 2 +5
Invisibility +20
Major Vuln. Silver (WPRx5 LP) -3
Minor Vuln. Religious Ritual/Symbols (2xWPR) -2
Major Vuln. Circle of Binding -3
Minor Vuln. Spirit Calling (Need 2 SL to Resist) -2
Minor Supernatural Attack (2d10 LP, Close) Chill Touch +4

This is more Supernatural as Superhero than canon, although the TV shows used the same device ad nauseam, and we are playing Cinematic UniSystem. If you forego the Vulnerabilities, the TC is 24. But, again, that's total superhero using the Supernatural as the source of its powers, which kind of misses the purpose and flavor of the game. However, even I might allow such a thing, if you want to pay 24 points for it.

Further development will include an Astral Projection variation of the willing Ghost. 

Happy Halloween!

UPDATE: I got Ghosts of Albion, which has a lot of these rules I covered for Halloween, so I may revisit these as I learn more.

---

* I don't mean to be tone-deaf, but inclusive.
** Keep in mind that we use FRIGHT, FEAR, SHOCK (FFS) rolls instead of ATTractiveness as our Fear system, so even though I'm listing the ATT penalties, that's just the critter's appearance; instead, that penalty is added to the critter's FFS, which is subtracted from the Frightened character's FEAR test. Ukkleh people scare me, too, but that whole system just seems r*cist. We can't be r*cist at ukkleh people anymore; they just ukkleh.

© The Weirding, 2024

Fleshing-Out the Vampire for Angel/Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG

Angel RPG

The '90s vampire was sensitive, yet soulless. This concept was probably best typified in the 2000s with the Twilight series, however the Buffyverse had already trod that ground in several mediums the decade before. The vampire leads of the Buffyverse swung from one extreme to the other, week to week; they were The Big Bads one week, the wispy, romantic leads the next. After poring over the core Buffy the Vampire Slayer rulesbooks, I managed to draw-up a better package for both types of vamps (good and bad)—one that makes sense, and also defangs the overpowered vampire, whether good or bad.

Firstly, despite the fact that it's a very entertaining show, Buffy fawns over vampires, turning them into superheroes instead of monsters. Unless she dispatches them, in which case, they are rarely much of a threat in the first place. It's a dichotomy which simply does not make sense. This is carried over into the RPG, where vampires as a package (12-15 pts., Core, p.50) receive quite a few bonuses but no drawbacks. To be fair, Angel and Buffy together is the system, as Angel covers a lot of the ground the original BtVS RPG skipped, such as the Drawback: Vulnerability. To be even fairer, almost none of the packages contain Drawbacks, and there was no Package Bonus (I made one, though).

Vampires have a lot of Vulnerabilities that fall under the maximum -5 limit: Vulnerability to sunlight, stakes through the heart, religious symbols, beheading, and the fact that they must be invited into someone's home. They also suffer a -5 Habitual Addiction to Blood, and have Superhuman Form (Dual) for -1. Finally, Vampires receive the +0 Immortal (ARPG, p.52) Advantage. That's a total of -11, making the Vampire package's total cost between 1-4 pts! Now that is pretty scary.

A more replete write-up includes a trip down Emotional and Mental Problems Lane, but I'll save that for another time.

© The Weirding, 2024

Daffy the Commando

Daffy Duck

© The Weirding, 2017

Expanding my Buffy Collection

Most of the titles I collect are based on the character(s) -- Daredevil, Elektra, Green Arrow... Others are based on the artists or creators, but Buffy the Vampire Slayer is just a great, fun... thing. While I love The Slayer, it's not just her that makes Buffy so great -- Buffy the Vampire Slayer was its own thing, and it transcended both its movie and TV origins.

Many of the characters I follow are rather dark and gritty, so Buffy is a nice change of pace from the vengeful vigilantes and anti-heroes I usually collect, and has a range of toys, games, comics, and other stuff to collect. That's actually one of the reasons I've chosen to focus more on Buffy memorabilia. It has nothing to do with nostalgia, just a love for the show and characters, and something to do to pass the time.

Most recently, I picked up a copy of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG Core Rulebook from Eden Studios. It's a copiously-illustrated hardback that looks pretty exciting. Collecting the OOP series will be expensive, but doable, and nothing I need immediately.

I also discovered a cache of TPB outside of the ongoing Dark Horse series for a fair price. In fact, most of the Buffy stuff I've come across is relatively affordable and available -- another reason I decided to invest more in it. I do not expect the majority of these items to appreciate significantly in value any time soon (or possibly ever, as most of them are common), but they'll make a nice "humblebrag" conversation piece, and fun to acquire.

I'm actually looking to upgrade a lot of my collections, so I may have some auctions to promote eventually.

© The Weirding, 2016

They Gave-Up on Buffy by Season 7

Joss Whedon recently mocked Buffy the Vampire Slayer when signing an autograph. We have some Buffy material coming up and Whedon is still involved in the monthly production of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer comic book (Dark Horse), but he does not appear interested in pursuing anything to do with it that could be broadcast. Still, I love Buffy and her whole multiverse or whatever she's got going on over there and I intend to share this love with you all. Eventually.

For now, these pithy observations on season 7 (the final season of the series and one that I am just now getting around to watching) will have to suffice:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer ended at the right time. For whatever reason(s), the creators involved - including the cast - had kind of given-up on it. I do recall that Angel was disappointing in the ratings, despite having a vocal and supportive following, and the production company was going broke. While that accounts for the lack of SFX in the later seasons, the creative team simply wasn't up to snuff by season 7.

The wit and humor is all but gone; they're stunt-casting with former guest stars and regulars from earlier seasons; and even though they keep adding layer after layer to the legend of the Slayer, most of it is obviously focused on characters they were likely hoping to spin-off into other series. Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 7 simply isn't as good as earlier seasons.

© The Weirding, 2014

Green Arrow Gets CW Show (2012)

Green Arrow (CW)

Green Arrow is headed to series on the CW in a project entitled, Arrow. Though Green Arrow was prominent in Smallville, it will not crossover with that show and is being helmed by Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim. There is no word aside from this, but Arrow is expected to debut next year on CW (formerly the WB).

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Certain parts were re-edited in 2024

Buffy's Last TV Season (2012)

Regular readers know my story with Buffy the Vampire Slayer: I didn't get into it when it was on because I had a social life and job that precluded keeping-up with the series, but I got into it hard and heavy a few years ago through Hulu. I have watched all but the last season of the TV series and only read a handful of issues from the Dark Horse comics adaptation/extension because of spoilers.

Well, I started on the last season today. I'm trying not to fly through it, but I need to get to where I can read the monthly comic book that I've been collecting for years now without reading! I was waiting because I figured I don't have all the early issues of Season 8, but also because it's like getting to the end of a good book: You don't want it to end!

Anyway, everyone's still getting back into the game after the holidays, so I'm trying to make the most of my time.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Supes' Best Friend Headed to Jail

Sam Jones III, who starred as Clark Kent's best friend for the first three seasons of WB/CW's Smallville, was sentenced to one year in prison for the attempted sale of over 10,000 oxycontin pills. The actor/CEO/mogul (self-described) exclaimed, "God is great!" as he left the courtroom.

God declined comment.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Buffy - Season 6

To bring you up to speed, I didn't get into Buffy the Vampire Slayer until a year or two back (Hulu) and I have only subscribed to the comic for about a year or so. I intentionally curbed my Buffy TV intake so that I would have some episodes (well, seasons) left to enjoy. I am currently watching season six... and not enjoying it too much.

Seven years is a great run for any TV show and, with few exceptions, about the lifespan of one. I turned the show off after an episode or two the other night because I remember being unimpressed by, but still enjoying, the shows I'd watched so far, and thought my mood might be affecting my judgement.

Then an episode begins with Buffy and Spike getting all mushy... the dialogue was so stilted and saccharine, the situation so aggressively cartoonish, that it was embarrassing to watch! I literally turned it off. I was absolutely turned-off by the lack of quality, but I also felt kind of dirty -- I felt like I was reading really bad fanfic about Buffy and Spike getting it on. I felt cheapened and... dirty. Gone is the clever repartee, the comedic asides and witticisms, replaced by rote hackery and an obvious appeal to the lowest common denominator!

But, to be fair, it is a TV show and they live and die by their ratings. Around this time, Buffy the Vampire Slayer had serious competition on its own network, as well as from shows in syndication, and on competing networks. It lead the way, but by its sixth season -- Buffy had died twice, Angel was struggling, Charmed was doing well -- its best days were behind it.

I tried reading Season 8, but having not seen all of the TV series, I was lost and kept stumbling over spoilers, so I quit. I am collecting the comic book series in the meantime and plan on reading it from the start once I've finished the show. But I've read several reviews in which fans have said much the same about it -- that Whedon no longer has a handle on the character or where she's going.

It turns out that Joss Whedon passed on the Buffy reboot, and more and more people are now saying this is probably a good thing. I agree. However, I hope they follow the series' lead and drop any attempt at direct continuity while keeping the general mythos -- the way Buffy the Vampire Slayer the TV series follows the movie. Whedon's Buffy Summers deserves her own life, as well as a place in the general Slayer "history."

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Whedonless Buffy Reboot? (2010)

Reports coming out now say that Warner Brothers has announced a new Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie, but not a reunion -- a reboot. And not with Joss Whedon!

Apparently, the movie has been optioned from all the property-holders, of whom Whedon is not one. Warner Brothers accepted a script written by a Buffy fan, but the Buffy character is no highschool girl, and the movie apparently has little to do with either the original film or the TV series. Similarly, none of the castmembers from either incarnation have been announced in conjunction with the project.

Whedon's camp has made no statement on the matter.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

61 Years Ago Today, Wile E. Coyote First Chased a Road Runner

See Footnote

On September 16^th, 1949, the world was introduced to two of Warner Brothers' most endearing cartoon characters: Wile E. Coyote, and the Road Runner he has yet to catch. Over the years, the two have run their way through 48 cartoon shorts, most of which were done by the legendary Chuck Jones.

The characters first appeared in 1949's "Fast and Furry-ous," though neither was named at the time. Though the wolf in the feature is obviously Wile E. Coyote, he is billed only as Carnivorous Vulgaris; likewise, the Road Runner is billed as Accelleratii Incredibus. The "E." in Coyote's name was later developed into "Ethelbert" in an issue of the Looney Tunes comic book, Beep Beep the Roadrunner, in which the Road Runner was known as Beep Beep. However, the writer, none other than Mark Evanier, said he never meant for the "Ethelbert" to be accepted as canon, he simply used it for a joke.

It wasn't until 1952 that Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner became vocal. Wile E. Coyote speaks only in the handful of cartoons in which he appears alongside Bugs Bunny. Road Runner only ever said one word ("Beep," of course), and was not voiced by Mel Blanc but Paul Julian.

No post about the pair would be complete without mentioning the third character, Wile E. Coyote's gadget manufacturer, ACME. The word is actually from the Greek ακμή, which is best defined as zenith -- the best of the best, in short. It has since been established as an acronym, meaning A Company that Makes Everything. ACME has actually featured in numerous TV and radio shows, cartoons, and movies.
---
* Obviously, this entry was posted late. I backdated it (well, only by time) to maintain the integrity.

By This is a screenshot taken from an optical disc, television broadcast, web page, computer software or streaming media broadcast. Copyright holder: Warner Brothers, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20131800

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

What's Up, Doc? Bugs Bunny Turns 70

A Wild Hare is considered by most to be Bugs Bunny's first film appearance, though he wasn't named until the next cartoon short, Elmer's Pet Rabbit. A Wild Hare is also the first appearance of Bugs' arch-nemesis, Elmer Fudd. Both characters' catchphrases were uttered for the first time in this short ("Ehh,what's up, doc?" and "Be vewy, vewy quiet: I'm hunting wabbits!") and the designs for each were established, along with their voices and personalities.

While animators refined Bugs' appearance in later shorts, Elmer Fudd would undergo extreme modifications only to return to the general appearance first shown in A Wild Hare. The short was nominated for an Academy Award, against Puss Gets the Boot, the first Tom & Jerry cartoon, but both lost.

Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd both turned 70 yesterday -- July 27^th, 2010.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Cartoon Network Updating Looney Tunes (2010)

Cartoon Network announced an updated version of the Looney Tunes cartoons, featuring Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. Bugs and Daffy will move to the suburbs, where they will be surrounded by "colorful neighbors," including Yosemite Sam, Granny, Sylvester the Cat, and more.

The network also announced more live-action programming, including a sports show which will condense full NFL games into one-hour shows featuring "fun" facts and tidbits, and an animated version of Mad Magazine.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Whedonverse Streaming @ Netflix

One of the first things I learned about Netflix is how hard it is to enjoy a TV series traditionally (one disc at a time, sent through the mail), because there are only 4-5 episodes per disc. It takes a good three weeks or more to see even an abbreviated (13 episode) season. That is why I was so excited when I learned that all of Joss Whedon's work is now streaming at Netflix.

I am notorious for being indifferent to Whedon's work. It truly has nothing to do with Whedon, himself; I am a huge fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, even though this is a recent development (thanks to another streaming service - Hulu), and I have tried everything else in his canon, but Buffy remains the only thing from it I truly dig. Still, this is a great chance for me to catch-up on all the Buffy seasons I've yet to see, as well as give more of Whedon's work a chance.

I found this out earlier this week and meant to post about it, but it's been such a slow news week that I've been focusing my efforts on other projects. I do have a few things to do which are on pretty tight deadlines, so I don't know what to tell you to expect here for the next several weeks, but you know I'll be around - it just may be a bit slower than usual.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

CW Ratings Hit New Low

The CW is CBS Corp.'s version of the WB... except that it's not.

The CW's ratings dropped a whopping 27% this season in its major focus group - adults aged 18-34 (that's us - just barely) - and Yahoo! has a whole host of suggestions to get them back up to snuff. But there's no sense linking to that article because Yahoo! drops its content within hours and most of the suggestions are pretty basic stuff. And by "basic," I mean trite and stupid.

My Yahoo! Horoscope said not to get on a soapbox today, but after reading their advice to the CW ("be edgier," "stop showing reruns - start doing remakes," - basically, recycle your content), I think I'm on pretty safe ground when I remind everyone that there was a little bustle in the hedgerow this past season: the writers' strike. That little fiasco set the entire TV world back a bit and hit the new CW, still struggling to find its way, quite hard. Add to that the departure of their ratings giant, The WWE, and you've got yourself a tasty recipe for disaster.

Still, the CW has two of the strongest shows on the tube today - neither of which were even mentioned in Yahoo!'s little advice column - I'm talking, of course, about Smallville and Supernatural. Both of which, by the by, are backed by highly-successful comics series, as well - both by DC, which is owned by Warner Brothers, which is what the WB was before it became the CW and has recently relaunched online. See how this all comes kinda full semi-circle?

No?

Well, me either - it's 6:00 in the AM and I haven't had a wink of sleep! Besides, my horoscope told me to shut up, so... Oh!

Yes, regardless of what Yahoo! said, the CW's heaviest-hitters just so happen to have more than a few things in common, including a fantastic, double-barreled line-up on a really tough night to crack (Thursdays), a touch of the paranormal, fatally-attractive casts, and superlative writing and direction. There's no recycling, no low-road taken; the CW's strong-showing Thursdays proves that the only reason "syndication is king" in TV is because the executives make it so; when we viewers have our druthers, we go straight for the good stuff.

In fact, the only suggestion I saw in Yahoo!'s article that I agree with is that CBS needs to make sure the fledgling network has more seed-money - but not to spend on insipid "OMFG" Gossip Girl twitters. Where was the CW when Joss Whedon came a-calling? Though NBC-owned, why has Smallville and/or Supernatural not been syndicated to Sci-Fi Channel?

The article ends with the reporter saying the CW won't really make it until it has that one, big break-out hit to call its own, yet the Smallville (originally airing on the WB) pilot remains WB's highest-rated series premiere ever! CW knows a good thing when it has one; it threw us a clever curve by following this season's reruns with reruns of Reaper (also a great show). But I think that plan backfired, as we regular viewers were looking for our weekly fix o' Sam and Dean and we'd already seen those Reaper episodes.

Final analysis: yes, the CW needs a little nudge from its parent company, but the strike hit it harder than most and WWE's leaving didn't do it any favors, either. But - and I know what my horoscope said about soapboxes and I know I don't know Shinola from... that other stuff when it comes to programming - but let me say it again: we make the world in which we live.

"Syndication is king" in TV - "ratings are king" in TV - because They make it so. Stop confusing "edginess" and shock value with talent. For years, They complained about competing with The Sopranos, and how network TV just couldn't do it because the mobster show was just too edgy. But if The Sopranos had been a one-trick pony full of curse words and grisly mob-hits, its novelty would have worn-off by season three; The Sopranos succeeded because it - like Smallville, like Supernatural, like Reaper - was quality programming. And while I might not know if that's Shinola you're waxing my shoes with, the numbers prove that!

The CW already has a hit formula: the scripted paranormal seems to work quite well for them. But there's the rub: they need to avoid the formulaic at all costs.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

WB Relaunch

The WB is relaunching - as a website.

The WB Network is returning next month on the Web. An ad-based website, the new WB will feature streaming episodes of shows that aired during its run as a full-fledged TV network (1995-2006), including Gilmore Girls and Everwood, among others. It will also offer new series as 5-minute webisodes, targeting the original WB demographic (primarily the female YA audience).

At this time, it is not clear if shows that ran on the WB network that were produced by outside companies will also run (such as Buffy and Dawson's Creek - just to mention a few). Also unclear is whether or not the schedule will include WB shows currently running on the CW network, such as Gossip Girl.

What is known is that both Supernatural and Smallville have been renewed for at least one more season!

WB.com will have a beta launch in April, and then a full roll-out this fall.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008