UPN to NBC: We Will Rock You

"White man out -- black man in!" Rock quipped, getting a huge laugh from the virtually all-white, mostly male Madison Avenue audience.

He introduced the cast, ending with the only white member, an adorable boy who plays young Rock's school chum.

"We got white people in this show!" Rock shouted, putting his arm around the boy and mussing his hair. "Smile!" Rock told the child. "Show them the whiteness!"

They loved it.

Advertisers also seemed to really enjoy the Parade of Models that has become a UPN upfront presentation tradition. The models are contestants from UPN's popular, Tyra Banks-hosted reality series, "America's Next Top Model." Tyra was there, too.

So was Vanessa Williams, who's starring -- as a mom -- in a new prime-time soap set in Florida called "South Beach." It's being produced by Jennifer Lopez, who showed up to hawk the midseason replacement.

For sheer star power on stage, UPN wins this year's upfront contest.

Returning sitcoms "Eve" and "Cuts" join "Everybody Hates Chris" on Thursday, along with a new comedy, "Love, Inc.," marking the latest return of Shannen Doherty.

To make way for Rock and the other comedies, UPN will move World Wrestling Entertainment's "Smackdown!" to Friday, where UPN has not been a real player.

One reporter sitting next to us thought it was a great programming move, noting that all those "35-year-old guys with 'I-can't-be-mad-at-my-boss' issues by the end of the week" will probably enjoy watching big sweaty men body slam each other on Friday nights.

It's been a long week.

UPN's Monday comedy lineup is back.