UPN Set To Bury 'Haunted'

The low-rating supernatural drama Haunted will be exorcised from UPN's Tuesday night lineup, according to industry sources.

Next week's episode will be replaced by a World Wrestling Entertainment special, but insiders have told Variety the series is unlikely to return, with production set to end after the original thirteen-episode order is filled.

The trade paper reported UPN will probably air repeats of its other series, such as Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Enterprise, in the vacated Tuesday 9 p.m. timeslot during the crucial November sweeps period. Despite the indications from Variety's sources, UPN has not yet officially axed the series, with a network spokesperson telling Zap2it that no final decision has been made about the show's future.

Haunted, which starred former Party of Five actor Matthew Fox, had been averaging 2.3 million viewers an episode this season, losing half of Buffy's lead-in audience; previous timeslot occupant Roswell averaged 3.1 million viewers last season.

The Tuesday 9 p.m. timeslot has been notoriously difficult for UPN to fill, with the twenty-something shows As If and The Random Years quickly axed due to low ratings after they were mooted as possible replacements for Roswell, which ended its run last season. With the distinct possibility of Buffy's seventh season being its last, UPN could soon face a Tuesday night programming crisis.

Further information can be found at Variety or Zap2it.

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