For those in America old enough to remember them, which network did you like better on television? The WB or UPN?

Question

Before The CW existed in 2006, there used to be two different American networks, totaling six major networks in total. Among ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX, there was also The WB, and UPN.

The WB majorly aired teen dramas, superhero shows, and high-quality animated programs (which is what The CW continues to do today). While UPN mainly aired African-American starring sitcoms, shows targeted to women, as well as other random stuff. UPN never really had its own identity, while The WB was mainly targeted towards young people. Assuming you're 30 and older and American, which network did you like better?

THE WB - 1996 to 2006.
Smallville, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (first half), Angel, Charmed, Supernatural, Dawson's Creek, Gilmore Girls, One Tree Hill, 7th Heaven, Felicity, What I Like About You, Unhappily Ever After, The Wayans Brothers, The Jamie Foxx Show, The Steve Harvey Show, The Parent Hood, Sister Sister, Pepper Dennis, Beauty and the Geek, The Surreal Life, Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, the New Adventures of Batman, The New Superman Adventures, Static Shock, Freakazoid, Jackie Chan Adventures, Pokémon, and Yu-Gi-Oh!.

Smallville. Please ignore the blonde in the back. We try not to talk about her.

UPN - 1994 to 2006.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (later half), Star Trek Voyager, Star Trek Enterprise, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Roswell, The Twilight Zone (90s), WWE SmackDown!, Everybody Hates Chris, Veronica Mars, America's Next Top Model, The Bad Girl's Guide, Malcolm & Eddie, Homeboys in Outer Space, Moesha, The Parkers, The Hughleys, Cuts, Kevin Hill, Girlfriends, The Game, Sweet Valley High, VR Troopers, Iron Man (TV), The Hulk (TV), The Fantastic Four, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, Mighty Max, and Shasta McNasty (ONLY THE GREATEST SHOW TO EVER AIR ON TELEVISION!)

I like how Google just refers to them as "the black shows."

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ChiTown33 · Accepted Answer

I didn't get UPN and I think the only show I ever saw on your list was the surreal life. But it was aired on VH-1. I didn't know it was on the WB. and I have seen some of Star trek Enterprise. Again on another network. Voyager just never appealed to me. And what message were they sending anyhow when they made that series? I mean the they give the enterprise to a female captain and what happens? She promptly gets lost. 🤣

I just don't remember watching much t. v. around this time of my life. Now if you go back about 15-20 years. Before that. I was really into the FOX network when it began. The Tracy Ulmann show with the Simpsons when it was just a shorts between skits before it became it's own cartoon, married with children, 21 jump street (that kind of kick started Johnny depp's career), cops, in living color (that kind of started Jim Carrey's career), in living color (that kind of gave Rosie Perez, and J-Lo thier start). I was never a Beverly Hills 90210 fan. But you can't deny it's success or the affect it had on the culture.

HighValue · Accepted Answer

About the same for me. I watched cartoons on WB and watched WWE on UPN back when it had Thursday night Smackdown.

DizzyDesii · Accepted Answer

On UPN, I watched Girlfriends, All of Us, Moesha, Half n Half, The Parkers, Eve, The Hughleys, Americas Next Top Model, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, WWE Smackdown, Xmen, and occasionally One On One. Still, I was more loyal to the WB for Smallville, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charmed, 7th Heaven, Bernie Mac Show, Dawsons Creek, Felicity, One Tree Hill, Sister Sister, Wayans Bros, Jamie Fox Show, Steve Harvey Show, Smart Guy, Sabrina, Reba, What I Like About You, Oblongs, The Parent Hood and Drew Carey Show. I got started on a lot of shows at age 3 because my mom was my preschool teacher and she’d let me watch them on break with her, especially Dawsons Creek, Felicity, NBC Passions and Days of Our Lives. Then we’d go to taco bell and order one of those mexican pizzas. I miss those days. But by 2000/2001, i was in elementary school and could only catch most shows at 3 or 4pm after school.

LovingLoverReturned · Accepted Answer

Damn boy, you're making us choose between Smallville and WWE 😂

Scarecrow13 · Answer

The WB had my favorite Cartoons, UPN had Star Trek, and Wrestling but I didn't watch the latter too often. But overall UPN was a second rate network, it always seemed like they shouldn't be up with he big networks, like everything other than the two things I mentioned were juts leftovers no other network wanted.

hahahmm · Answer

Too close to call. I only liked 2-3 shows one each network. I wouldn't forget the FOX network that had shows like Martin and Married With Children, X-Files... and a bunch of girly shows that were popular.

NewsReader · Answer

Never heard of UPN. But I did have WB on my TV. I watched some of shows you mentioned. I used to have the CW when my dad had Verizon FiOS, but later cancelled.

ShadezMcgee · Answer

I was familiar with the WB, not UPN. I only heard references to UPN as a joke punchline through a show on ABC Family being "Whose Line is is Anyway?"

Chazmatazz269 · Answer

I hafta go based on the shows you listed associated with the networks because i didn’t much care about network association if i enjoyed a show. I did like a lot of what UPN produced, apparently.

Sixgunsound · Answer

I picked UPN for the science-fiction shows, but Animaniacs and Pinky and the brain now that takes me back!

exitseven · Answer

I liked UPN because I was a big Star Trek fan.

RealMarek · Answer

Neither, I was too busy on the education and work hamster wheel to make corporate executives rich during that time.

KlinkyCoder · Answer

The WB, even if I watched neither when they were on. But isn't Fox better?

TroyDT · Answer

Smallville and Buffy. I am torn.

Likes2drive · Answer

Warner Brothers

JesseJayNeak · Answer

Warner for life

Lucy68 · Answer

I like WB

maximumpower · Answer

The Dumont network.

msc545 · Answer

good to know

For those in America old enough to remember them, which network did you like better on television? The WB or UPN?

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