WB thinking about uncanceling 7th Heaven

[Raph's Girl]

Got this in an email:

You may recall that in January WB executives said they
were closing the book on "7th Heaven," the
family-friendly soap from Aaron Spelling, because the
show will lose $16 million this season.

But fans may not have to mourn the series' passing
after all. Channel Island has learned that executives
at the new CW Network -- which is rising from the
ashes of WB and archrival UPN -- are discussing a
renewal that could carry "7th Heaven" into its 11th
season.

Exactly how CW would pull this off remains a mystery.
Television series get increasingly expensive the
longer they're on the air, in large part because the
actors' contracts contain "elevators" with
pre-negotiated raises in each successive season. So
keeping Stephen Collins and the rest of his fictional
brood together might prove prohibitively expensive.
"Don't hold your breath" is how one executive summed
up the deal's prospects. WB executives previously said
they hoped creator Brenda Hampton would bring them
some sort of spin-off featuring just the younger (and
presumably cheaper) actors.

Still, that CW is even considering bringing back an
already-canceled show demonstrates either 1) fearless,
innovative thinking, or 2) complete bet-hedging
desperation. You decide.

A CW spokesman declined to comment.