Sabrina The Teenage Witch Television Program

It might have been the kiss of death for a certain fluffy little Friday sitcom when ABC moved the month-old series from its comfortable 8:30 p.m. slot to go head to head at 9 with Fox's much ballyhooed, blood-soaked "Millennium." Instead, the network switch last October was a vote of confidence for one of the few new hits of the season, "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch," which is holding its own and better against Fox's intended blockbuster.

The WB network has acquired "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch," boosting that fledgling network's efforts to establish a comedy beachhead while seemingly putting a nail in the coffin of the teen-oriented "TGIF" sitcom lineup ABC has programmed Friday nights for more than a decade. Industry sources viewed the deal for the prime-time show as a coup for the WB, which has ordered two seasons, or 44 episodes, of the fantasy-comedy series to begin airing in the fall.

The WB network has acquired "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch," boosting that fledgling network's efforts to establish a comedy beachhead while seemingly putting a nail in the coffin of the teen-oriented "TGIF" sitcom lineup ABC has programmed Friday nights for more than a decade. Industry sources viewed the deal for the prime-time show as a coup for the WB, which has ordered two seasons, or 44 episodes, of the fantasy-comedy series to begin airing in the fall.

It might have been the kiss of death for a certain fluffy little Friday sitcom when ABC moved the month-old series from its comfortable 8:30 p.m. slot to go head to head at 9 with Fox's much ballyhooed, blood-soaked "Millennium." Instead, the network switch last October was a vote of confidence for one of the few new hits of the season, "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch," which is holding its own and better against Fox's intended blockbuster.