'Everwood' will be back

QUITE FRANKLY, there's another reason "Everwood" looks good for renewal. The WB is experiencing a rather disastrous season, and its midseason shows look equally disastrous. If a single one of them succeeds, that will be shocking. And, given all those other problems, "Everwood" looks like an oasis of success.

DON'T BE CONCERNED because "7th Heaven" has been canceled. Even though that show has higher ratings than "Everwood." Even though Janollari said the same thing of "7th Heaven" that he said of "Everwood" — "We love the show."

As is generally the case with a TV show, it gets more expensive every year it's on the air (salaries tend to go up). And, after a number of years on the air, the ratings tend to trend down. Both are true of "7th Heaven."

"It is a real bittersweet situation. . . . We want the show. We were in very detailed and substantial conversations with the (producers)," Janollari said. "At the end of those conversations, we both looked at each other and said we can't figure out how to make this economically feasible for either side."

"I'll be more specific," said WB chairman Garth Ancier. "The show will lose $16 million this season. . . . At least to us, that's a big number."

And the Spelling Group, which produces the show, lowered the license fee it charges the WB this season. "As much as we all love the show, you do have to run a business," Ancier said.

It's economics that are knocking "7th Heaven" off the air and keeping other WB hours on. "We're not losing money on 'Smallville' or 'Everwood' or 'Gilmore Girls,' " Ancier said. "In the case of 'Everwood,' it's a less expensive show. 'Smallville' is as expensive as '7th Heaven' but much higher rated and repeats very well. And 'Gilmore Girls' is just doing so well . . . and it's also less expensive than '7th Heaven.' "

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E-mail: pierce@desnews.com