The WB Is Coming Back. What About Buffy?

Geeks rejoice. Time Warner's (TWX) Warner Brothers Television Group is bringing back the old WB TV network -- sort of. Mediaweek says Warner is going to launch WB.com as a home for Warner-produced shows that aired on the network during its 1995-2006 run. The shows will be free and ad-supported; they'll include "Gilmore Girls," "Everwood," and "What I Like About You."

Possibly not included: Some of the WB's biggest hits, which were produced by other studios. That includes "Buffy The Vampire Slayer," "Felicity," and "Dawson's Creek." "Buffy," off the air since 2003, is still a big DVD seller for News Corp.'s (NWS) 20th Century Fox, which sells all seven seasons at buffydvd.com.

The site, launching in beta later this month, will will also have short original Web series and shorts targeted at the WB's demo (women 12-34). It's one of several Web destinations that Warner Bros. is announcing in the coming weeks.

A sign, perhaps, that the Warner Bros. is pining for better days, before the network traded in a buzz-worthy but little-watched network (The WB) to go in with CBS on a non-buzzworthy and little-watched network (The CW).