WB Campaign to Save The Andersons

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LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - The upfronts have begun. Click here to see The WB's night-by-night breakout, complete descriptions and photos. Check back for video clips.

This season's success of "Everwood" adds another success to The WB's stable of dramas, but the network's quest for a breakout comedy hit continues. The WB's fall schedule finds the network juggling both comedies and dramas trying to find the magic combinations.

Thursday and Friday nights remain the network's comedy focus. Each night features two established shows and two fresh attempts at hilarity. Each night also sees the return of a familiar WB comedy star.

A new show anchors Thursday night, with "Steve Harvey's Big Time" taking the 8 p.m. slot. The variety show marks Harvey's return to the network that was his sitcom home from 1996 to 2002. Executive produced by "Late Show With David Letterman" alum Madeleine Smithberg, Harvey's new effort will focus on real people with extraordinary and humorous gifts. This makes a find lead-in to the third season of "JKX: The Jamie Kennedy Experiment," which continues to catch real people with extraordinary and humorous gifts in embarrassing situations.

"What I Like About You" returns for a second season at 9 p.m. and will be followed by "Run of the House," a family comedy from Betsy Thomas ("My So-Called Life"). Starring Joseph Lawrence, Kyle Howard, Sasha Barrese and Margo Harshman, the show centers on a 15-year-old girl raised by her protective older siblings, making it a nice compliment to its similarly themed lead-in.

Friday night is anchored by a third helping of the network's largest current comedy hit, "Reba." At 8:30 p.m., Holly Robinson Peete returns to The WB as a regular for the first time since "For Your Love" in the multi-ethnic laffer "Like Family." Robinson stars as a woman whose stable family life is given a healthy dose of tension when her best friend (Amy Yasbeck) and her 16-year-old son move in.

Following the return of "Grounded for Life," The WB will debut All About the Andersons" at 9:30. The show stars Barbershop" and "Kangaroo Jack" funnyman Anthony Anderson as a struggling actor and single dad who moves back in with his supportive mother (Roz Ryan) and cantankerous dad (John Amos).

"We have assembled the strongest group of comedies on one night in the history of the network," says WB Entertainment President Jordan Levin. "These are four quality comedies with broad appeal, multi-generational points of view and laugh-out-loud chemistry."

The WB's schedule offers only two new dramas, but they're both high profile.

"Tarzan and Jane," a contemporary twist on the Tarzan story, will hold down the 9 p.m. time slot on Sundays. With soon-to-be-heavily-hyped newcomers Travis Fimmel and Sarah Wayne, the series will follow "Charmed," which returns for a sixth go-round. Sunday night will also see the debut of "Smallville: Beginnings," encore airings of the first two seasons of the Young Superman drama, which moves to Wednesday night at 8 p.m. as an interesting, strong lead-in to the fifth season of "Angel." The cult favorite and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" spin-off adds "Buffy" co-star James Marsters to its cast.

"Smallville" is moving out of its comfy Tuesday night slot to make room for "Fearless," a new drama from Jerry Bruckheimer. Rachel Leigh Cook ("She's All That" ) stars as a 23-year-old FBI agent incapable of feeling fear. "Fearless" will follow season four of Gilmore Girls."