There is good news, however. Shows can get a second chance. Here are some reasons why:

Small safety "nets."
Programs on the mini-networks, The WB and UPN, can survive with lower ratings. Since those networks target youthful niches rather than a broad audience, they can experiment with sluggish but promising shows.

The WB is pairing "Felicity" and "Jack & Jill" in the same time slot, broadcasting 11 new episodes of one followed by 13 of the other. All the new episodes means higher program costs, but executives hope that they can build the audience by avoiding reruns.

The mini-networks can be a haven. ABC's "Sabrina, The Teenage Witch" is moving to The WB, and ABC's "The Hughleys" is going to UPN. They were victims of ABC's decision to end its family-friendly "TGIF" Friday lineup, but they could fit in on the youth-oriented networks.

Ya gotta have friends.
Fans helped save "Roswell. "I had to change my e-mail address at work three times because it just kept getting full of thousands of e-mails," WB Entertainment President Susanne Daniels said.