UPN adds ex-WB dramas, new StarTrek

UPN is adding a pair of former WB dramas to its lineup, the next Star Trek and some Iron Chef Showdown specials featuring William Shatner in the fall.

As expected, UPN executives announced that former WB series Roswell is joining their 2001-2002 schedule, along with already signed Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Buffy will anchor the network's new Tuesday night lineup at 8 p.m. ET/PT followed by Roswell at 9 p.m.

UPN President Dean Valentine said the network made a "reasonable" deal with producer 20th Century Fox for the two-year-old series but failed go any further. The Roswell pact is for only one season, Buffy is a two-year deal. The follow-up series to Star Trek: Voyager from Paramount Network TV, coined simply Enterprise, will lead off Wednesday nights for UPN at 8 p.m. As expected, midseason addition Special Unit 2 will follow at 9 p.m. The network has added only one other new series for fall, comedy One On One, which will debut at 8:30 p.m. on Mondays.

UPN has ordered Stephen King's The Dead Zone for midseason and added a number of specials, including a pair of Iron Chef shows featuring Shatner as the "Chairman". UPN execs say they have an option to create their own Iron Chef series, a show that currently airs on cable's Food Network. Also ordered is Christmas special Mo'Nique's Holiday House Party and another Source Hip-Hop Music Awards. - Joe Schlosser