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CHICAGO (thefutoncritic.com) -- The Television Critics Association is set to conclude its summer press tour this week in which the various broadcast and cable networks talk about their upcoming plans to the nation's top critics and entertainment reporters. The final week of the tour rounds out the rest of the broadcast networks as UPN held its session on Tuesday for the press.
Here's a breakdown of the highlights of UPN's presentation:
-- UPN followed CBS as the second major network to announce its fall 2003 start dates. The netlet's schedule kicks off with "Enterprise" on Wednesday, September 10 all the way through its movie night on Friday, September 26. Here's the complete list of premiere dates (note that "WWE Smackdown" airs fresh installments year-round):
Wednesday, September 10
8:00/7:00c - "Enterprise"
9:00/8:00c - "Jake 2.0"
Thursday, September 11
9:30/8:30c - "The Mullets" (Special Night)
Monday, September 15
8:00/7:00c - "The Parkers"
8:30/7:30c - "Eve"
9:00/8:00c - "Girlfriends"
9:30/8:30c - "Half & Half"
Tuesday, September 16
8:00/7:00c - "One on One"
8:30/7:30c - "All of Us"
9:00/8:00c - "Rock Me Baby"
9:30/8:30c - "The Mullets" (Time Period Premiere)
Friday, September 26
8:00/7:00c - "UPN's Night at the Movies"
-- To help launch its fall lineup, UPN is set to air "The 2003 Essence Music Festival" on Friday, September 12 at 8:00/7:00c. Steve Harvey hosts the two-hour special from New Orleans' Louisiana Superdome. Among the actors and musical acts set to appear are: Flex Alexander ("One On One"), Tracee Ellis Ross ("Girlfriends"), Tom Joyner, Erykah Badu, Faith Evans, Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle, Tamia, Stevie Wonder, Ashanti, Erykah Badu, Faith Evans, Jaheim, Patti LaBelle, Gerald Levert, LL Cool J, Chaka Khan, and Mo'Nique ("The Parkers"). The Essence Music Festival is the largest annual gathering of African-Americans in the United States, attracting nearly 200,000 people to New Orleans during the Fourth of July weekend. This year's Festival also includes a tribute to Luther Vandross, who was scheduled to appear before suffering a stroke earlier this year.
-- CBS Chairman and CEO Leslie Moonves told reporters negotiations between UPN and News Corp. for a group of FOX stations to renew their affiliation agreements with UPN are going "extremely well." UPN's current agreements expire shortly after the close of 2003-04 season.
-- Moonves also stated the second season of summer success story "America's Next Top Model" could be ready by November sweeps.
-- Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith both stated they'll make appearances on "All of Us," UPN's new sitcom which they created and executive produced. Pinkett Smith will play lead Duane Martin's sister, who comes to town to check out his new fiancee, while Smith is on board for a three-episode arc as the first post-divorce boyfriend of LisaRaye's character.
Upcoming TCA schedule: Thursday-Friday (July 24-25) - NBC
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