HIGH STAKES
ABC may think Buffy's
worth $2 mil an episode

Turns out The WB has far more than randy teens interested in its programming. Sources say ABC has taken a quiet interest in acquiring Buffy the Vampire Slayer, should the ongoing contract renegotiation battle between The WB and Buffy's studio, Twentieth Century Fox, reach an impasse. Industry insiders predict Twentieth will ask for "A Party of Five" level $2 million per episode (up from nearly $1 million) on the demon duster, which may be too rich for The WB.
That's where the Alphabet could come in. "Since day one, [ABC Entertainment co-chair] Stu Bloomberg has been a fan of the show," says a source close to the drama. "He's been trying to get Joss Whedon [Buffy's creator] to create a show for them." Nevertheless, any salivating by rival Buffy admirers (and don't rule out Fox) is premature since official talks between Twentieth and The WB don't begin until January.
Until that time, Twentieth has to convince The WB that Buffy is more than just a niche series that appeals to a limited audience -- a rationale the network has been using to keep the price down. But it looks like The WB is losing that argument: The show is not only up 12 percent among adults 18 to 34 but recently posted its best ever performance among young women, proving Buffy still has some fight in it after five seasons.