WB executives promised yesterday to keep pursuing the network's aggressively narrow target audience: "viewers age 18-34, with a big fat bonus of teens."

Executives revealed the WB's fall 2003 schedule yesterday, which includes six new series, totaling four hours - the same as a year ago. More risky, though, is moving six returning series to new time slots, including "Smallville," which now anchors Wednesdays to replace the departed "Dawson's Creek."

Following "Smallville" that night is another paranormal survivor, "Angel," which will return with its new setting and premise established in last week's season finale. It'll also return with at least one new cast member: James Marsters, whose character, Spike, will relocate from UPN's imminently retired "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

As was the case last year, the WB leaves only one of its six nights of prime time intact. This time it's Monday, with the veteran "7th Heaven" returning along with last year's successful family-show companion series, "Everwood."

"What I Like About You" and the midseason acquisition "Grounded for Life" also return, but on new nights. Also relocated for fall: "JKX: The Jamie Kennedy Experiment" and "Reba," while the Sunday night "Beginnings" showcase of early repeats, devoted to "Gilmore Girls" last year, this fall is turned to "Smallville."

Switching focus to new series, they include "Steve Harvey's Big Time" (a talk, variety and talent show that looks refreshingly funny), "Tarzan and Jane" (a romantic modern remake aimed squarely at WB's young audience), "Fearless" (an action drama with a psychological twist), and three sitcoms, all of which involve extended or suddenly reconfigured families living together.

For the second consecutive year, the WB will present its comedies wall-to-wall on Thursdays and Friday, and one-hour dramas the rest of the week. The "Gilmore Girls" spinoff, a candidate for the schedule, will not appear until midseason; "7th Heaven," on the other hand, is safe for two more seasons, having been awarded a multi-year renewal.

And for the record: WB Entertainment President Jordan Levin, who delivered the bulk of yesterday's presentation to advertisers, was funnier than most of his or any other network's sitcoms, especially when vamping for time. Another based-on-life sitcom premise in the offing, perhaps?