Perhaps a show namedis way too prophetic for a network like UPN. Or maybe its executive producer, shock jock Howard Stern, just hasn't included enough pro wrestlers.

Whatever the case, Doomsday is trying to avoid a pre-apocalyptic meltdown. The Smackdown Network says Stern's cartoon TV project, announced back in 1999 and originally slated to debut this season, isn't quite ready for prime-time. Yet.

Billed as a "post-apocalyptic odyssey," Doomsday was supposed to revolve around the Bradley family, a clan that travels in a souped-up RV searching for a new home. Stern was expected to team with animators from King of the Hill and The Simpsons, as well as the son of the late Mel Tormé, to produce and star in the sci-fi series.

However, UPN chief Dean Valentine told the New York Daily News that the first batch of writers turned in a "decent" script, "but it wasn't great and if you do this kind of show, a show about the aftermath of nuclear war, it has got to be great. And it's got to be incredibly funny, and it just fell short."

UPN Entertainment President Tom Nunan also elaborated on their troubles, but he emphasized that the network remains committed to the series.

"We went through one set of writers last season, which is sort of a slow and laborious process. And we just recently hired a new writer who has just gotten started," Nunan told reporters at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour in Pasadena. "Howard has been remarkably patient through the process. And you know, so far so good. We haven't given up on it yet."

Doomsday was one of several forays into TV planned by the King of all Media, whose production company partnered with Film Roman and Michael Ovitz's ATG to develop the series. Stern was slated to play the family dog, Orinthal.

Meanwhile, Stern has other projects to worry about, now that his company has already scored a mildly successful hit with the raunched-out Baywatch parody, Son of the Beach, for FX. The cable network picked up another season of the jiggly comedy, starring Tim Stack, and new episodes, currently in production, are expected to debut in March.

And there's always radio. Last month, Stern signed to keep his morning gig with Infinity Broadcasting (as well as its E! television counterpart) alive for at least another five years.