LOS ANGELES

ODDLY enough, the WB didn’t get a single Emmy nomination of note.

C’mon. Like we count Outstanding Makeup for a Series (non-prosthetic) for "Gilmore Girls." And "Everwood" had to reach out to James Earl Jones to get a nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.

"Angel," which deserved a couple of nominations at least for writing, didn’t get a mention.

But that could well change next year when "Jack & Bobby" pops up on the schedule. The WB proves it can act like a grown-up with this show that should, by all rights, be on a network like CBS. But you grab quality where you can these days.

(Lord, did I just age myself by identifying with the geriatric

network?)

Awesome actress Christine Lahti ("Chicago Hope") and her husband, former "West Wing" director and producer Thomas Schlamme, have teamed with "Dawson’s Creek" and "Everwood" creator Greg Berlanti for one of the best new dramas of the season. The series is about two extraordinary brothers, one of whom grows up to become one of the nation’s best-loved presidents.

WB executives Garth Ancier (who helped build both Fox and the WB networks) and producer David Janollari told critics gathered here for the annual summer press tour they don’t want people older than 34 to feel like they have to hide the fact that they watch the WB.

So the WB is now welcoming the old folk — as long as they don’t scare off the network’s target group of 12- to 34-year-olds.

It was disconcerting, however, to discover that these two men apparently don’t watch the shows on their own network.

In a session with Ancier and Janollari, Janollari admitted he’d never seen the mean-spirited reality show "Superstar," which basically made horrible singers think they had some pipes.

Not that we blame anyone for missing that little gem, but shouldn’t the guy in charge of entertainment at least watch what’s on his network?

"It’s in a pile on my desk," explains Janollari. "I’ve been trying to get to it."

Yeah. Welcome to our world.

When questions came out about "Charmed" storylines, Ancier ran for cover as he explained he really didn’t keep up with the show. He also didn’t know who was on "Everwood," or ... well, we won’t bore you. You get the picture.

But he did know that although he canceled "Angel," he does want the vampire series back as TV movies. What a bloodsucker.

"Certainly, (creator/producer Joss Whedon) would like to," Ancier says.

"David (Boreanaz, who played the title character) will take a bit more coaxing, but I think he will do it."

Oh, and former "Party of Five" cutie Scott Wolf will be a new regular on "Everwood," playing the new doctor in town. Wolf still looks like a teen, although he’s 36 and a newlywed. He hooked up with Kelley Limp of "Real World: New Orleans," who was dating a doctor.

"I had to go back to work," Wolf says smiling. "She likes to shop ... a lot."

Talking about dating, "Survivor" and "Apprentice" creator Mark Burnett seems totally smitten by his new girlfriend, Roma Downey ("Touched By An Angel").

And why are we talking about Burnett and the WB?

He’s got a horrible sitcom on the air this fall, based on his pre-"Survivor" life as a nanny. The show, "Commando Nanny," has pretty much clinched the bottom of the barrel award this tour. Burnett seems to accept the fact that this show is the soap scum in the bathtub of TV.

"Hey, you can’t always win," he says. "Besides, what do I know about scripted TV shows? I thought it was OK."

The other WB series is a my-family-owns-a-ski-resort drama called "The Mountain." Goldie Hawn’s handsome son Oliver Hudson stars as the wayward son who returns home to discover his grandfather has willed him the place, much to the chagrin of his hard-working brother.

Hudson says he doesn’t mind being asked about his mom, because she’s a great person. But he was a little concerned when he found out about the dangers of riding dirt bikes. Hudson’s character is a motocross champ and he says he’s more a fan of fishing. But he decided to get out and learn how to ride a dirt bike.

"It was a lot of fun," Hudson says. "I even started jumping (the small hills) and that was great."

Then he learned that often times when a dirt bike rider falls after a jump, the helmet can break a collarbone.

"Maybe I’ll just stick to the shots of me driving away," he says with a laugh.

More promising for those who like down-home humor is "Blue Collar TV," a sketch comedy show starring Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall and Larry the Cable Guy.

And Drew Carey is back in the improv biz with San Francisco’s Greg Proops, among others, in a show that combines improv with animation. Think of it as Bugs Bunny meets "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"