Abc Hopes To Cash In With ‘Friends’ Audience

ABC is making a play for the lucrative “Friends” audience of cappuccinoswilling, shag-topped youths this fall season with ‘80s icons Michael J. Fox and Molly Ringwald making a primetime play for laughs.

But for middle-age viewers, the news is not so good: “Murder One” not only goes head to head with NBC’s “Seinfeld,” it loses star Daniel Benzali - with no explanation from ABC. “Coach” finds a new playing field at 9 p.m. Saturdays, while “The Drew Carey Show” moves to Wednesdays.

It’s certainly down with old married folk and up with Generation X this fall on ABC. Ringwald will head an ensemble comedy about New England 20-somethings in “Townies” while Fox returns in his first TV series since “Family Ties” as a mayor’s chief deputy in “Spin City” - shades of his gig on last year’s “The American President” notwithstanding.

“Clueless” the movie becomes “Clueless” the TV show, with more tales of life as a Beverly Hills teen. Rachel Blanchard plays Cher.

Melissa Joan Hart pays homage to the days of Elizabeth Montgomery and her twitching nose with “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.” And Annie Potts will capitalize on the youthful buzz that surrounded last year’s summer hit “Dangerous Minds” by reprising the Michelle Pfeiffer role of an ex-Marine-turned-high school teacher.

Curiously, ABC chose to air the new youth sitcoms on any day but Thursday, sending the urban cop drama “High Incident” from DreamWorks SKG to compete against NBC’s “Friends” at 8 p.m. “Murder One” takes over at 9, sparring first with “Seinfeld” before finding a more even playing field with the new Brooke Shields drama, “Suddenly Susan.”

It’s so long to “Aliens in the Family,” “Buddies,” “The Dana Carvey Show,” “The Faculty,” “Hudson Street” and “The Jeff Foxworthy Show,” the latter having found a new home on the Peacock network. “Maybe This Time” and “The Naked Truth” also are out the door. “Muppets Tonight,” “Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper” and “Step by Step” may find new life sometime during the season.