Created entirely by UCLA undergraduate and graduate students from all across campus, a new television series, "UCLA: Next," is giving viewers an entirely new look at the Westwood campus that outsiders rarely see.

Profiling UCLA as a "city within a city" that thrives on the excitement of being a center for discovery, learning and intellectual discourse, the half-hour magazine-style show kicks off this week on cable channel LA36 and UCTV, where it has the potential for reaching millions of viewers.

Going beyond the stars of academia, the fast-moving show introduces viewers to the valued campus employees who keep the lights on, the vending machines functioning, the campus buses running. "UCLA: Next" will lead viewers on a guided tour of intriguing architectural features and give them a whimsical peek into many little-known corners of campus life. Jocks, scholars, scientific pioneers, noteworthy alumni and students will all share the spotlight along with basketball legend Bill Walton and dancer/choreographer Lulu Washington.

Enthusiastic students make up the creative force behind this weekly broadcast. "I am so energized by this incredible team," said visiting faculty member Thelma Vickroy, who teaches the class responsible for producing the newsmagazine at the School of Theater, Film and Television. "They are like sponges eagerly soaking up every detail of this artistic process."

Also in the lineup are film reviews by Dean Robert Rosen and a special guest; features on student life, culture and work; and spots on health and sports from a campus perspective.

Co-anchored by two undergraduate theater students and a broadcaster, the show airs on cable channel LA36 at 9 p.m. Mondays and 10 p.m. Thursdays, and on UCTV at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Thursdays. It can also be seen on the Beverly Hills Network, channel 35, at 10 p.m. on Thursdays. The show can be viewed anytime at www.uctv.tv.

UCTV reaches more than 6.5-million households nationwide on Echostar Satellite's DISH Network, channel 9412.