Tune In For Fall Networks Send Out Their New Shows
TV stars we’ve seen before. TV shows based on movies or other TV shows we’ve seen before. TV shows we’ve seen before, but on another network.
Welcome to the 1996-97 television season, where any measure of familiarity may be useful to viewers confronted by 29 new series on the four major networks.
Following are descriptions of the new series. There are no new shows on the Sunday prime-time schedule.
Monday
ABC
“Dangerous Minds” (premieres Sept. 30): Give Annie Potts tenure as the tough-but-sensitive teacher in this high school drama. Picking up the role Michelle Pfeiffer originated in the theatrical feature, Potts - and the series overall - has a highminded tone.
The goals of this teacher are remarkably modest. “People fail,” she says, speaking of herself and the troubled students she’s trying to help. “They try again. The world goes on.”
Sarcastic yet soulful with her short, henna-ed haircut, Potts is utterly convincing, totally appealing. So is the show.
CBS
“Cosby” (premieres Sept. 16): Just another case of Cos and effect. Bill Cosby is really back again, in a sitcom that may not turn the TV world on its ear, but should tickle viewers.
He’s a victim of the decade’s most painful euphemism - downsizing - which leaves him unemployed, kicking around the house and the neighborhood, sort of getting in the way yet making trenchant observations about how the world goes ‘round.
He’s also reunited with Phylicia Rashad, back again as his wife, and - more delightfully - the great comedienne Madeline Kahn, who may have finally found the TV role that deserves her as their neighbor and friend.
The scene where she finds Cosby dozing in his easy chair and thinks he’s killed himself augurs happily for how much fun this show could be.
“Ink” (premiers Oct. 14): If you’ve been up on Mars looking for more signs of life, you might not know that, along with “Cosby,” “Ink” is a show for which CBS has sky-high hopes.
It stars real-life Mr.-and-Mrs. actors Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen as Jack and Carrie, a newly divorced couple working at a New York City newspaper, where the sparks are guaranteed to fly when Carrie is suddenly promoted to the position of editor.
Let’s leave it at that. Problems in the original pilot (such as “unfunny”) were reportedly being addressed and, with any luck, fixed. You’ll have to find out for yourself.
NBC
“Mr. Rhodes” (premieres Sept. 23): One of three brand-new classroom sitcoms, this has one striking difference: The school is a snotty private academy whose students Mr. Rhodes can liberate, not rehabilitate.
Tom Rhodes (played by a standup comic named, yep, Tom Rhodes) is a failed young novelist whose hippy-dippy style is in marked contrast to the repressed youngsters in their prep-school uniforms.
“How embarrassing,” Rhodes ribs them - “you guys all wore the exact same outfit!”
Rhodes has a sweet, leisurely manner, and is supplemented by a good supporting cast, particularly Stephen Tobolowksy as the headmaster and scene-stealer Ron Glass (“Barney Miller”) as the imperious, sharptongued history teacher.
FOX
“Party Girl” (premieres Monday): This show has a premise thinner than a page from a book in the library where our heroine works: to prove that she can do something other than party all night and sleep all day.
Besides, says she in a typical crack: “There is something to be said for a place filled with things bound in leather.”
Christine Taylor stars in this sitcom version of the independent feature. But while this party girl may regard her library as a giant walk-in closet, her show is all dressed up with no place to go.
“Lush Life” (premieres Monday): Meant as a companion piece to “Party Girl,” “Lush Life” stars the preternaturally peculiar Lori Petty along with Karyn Parsons as a Lucy and Viv for the swinging scene in Venice, Calif.
Much too often, “Lush” comes to shove.
The show’s success or failure will rest on how viewers take to the petite, croaky-voiced Petty as Georgette “George” Sanders, who looks like a blond gnat; like somebody in the last stages of something.
“Love is for people who can’t get dates,” says George. Seems like the name of THIS sitcom should be “Clueless.”
Tuesday
ABC
“Life’s Work” (premieres Sept. 17, unavailable for preview): Like Roseanne, Ellen DeGeneres and Brett Butler, “Life’s Work” stars a stand-up comic who, doubtless to say, will bring a lot of her own personality to the show.
Lisa Ann Walter plays a mother of two who fulfills her dream after years of attending law school at night: She’s now an assistant state’s attorney who soon figures out it’s not easy juggling work and family.
The character’s husband, a college basketball coach, is played by Michael O’Keefe (“Roseanne”).
“Spin City” (premieres Sept. 17): Michael J. Fox returns to television in what could become the sitcom hit of the season. Fox, reunited with “Family Ties” producer Gary David Goldberg, does what he does best: playing a character ripe with sarcasm and wit.
His character is the deputy mayor of New York City. When not scrambling to prevent the oft politically incorrect mayor (Barry Bostwick) from sticking his foot in his mouth, Fox’s character tries to keep City Hall secrets from his live-in girlfriend (Carla Gugino), who happens to be a nosy reporter.
CBS
“Promised Land” (premieres Sept. 17): Bob Dole will love this one. But, then again, who can’t be roped in by the charms of Gerald McRaney (“Simon & Simon” and “Major Dad”)?
In this spinoff of “Touched By an Angel,” McRaney is a humble factory worker who loses his job. He and his family opt for the road and tour the country, no doubt committing a few angelic deeds along the way.
It’s so chock-full of optimism and patriotism that you can’t help but feel proud of this country. Kind of like what the Olympics did, but dished up in a weekly dose.
NBC
“Something So Right” (premieres Sept. 17): Think “Brady Bunch” of the ‘90s here. Mel Harris and Jere Burns play newlyweds who bring multiple divorces and three children to their freshly minted union in what is definitely one of the better of the domestic sitcoms.
This one is likable for three reasons: Harris, who we best remember as the stalwart wife in “thirtysomething,” does well in a comedic role; Burns portrays a respectable character, a total opposite from the obnoxious dirty-dog he played on “Dear John,” and, thirdly, it’s quality work from the writing-producing team that brought us “Coach.”
While the newlywed couple struggles to find time to spend alone, they also must contend with problems that come with their marriage: keeping their love-crazed teenaged son away from his attractive stepsister, for one.
Wednesday
ABC
“Townies” (premieres Sept. 18): Call it “Friends” in a New England harbor town.
“Townies” stars Molly Ringwald in her first television series, playing an all-American girl who is peacemaker between her two longtime, often-bickering friends - one who’s slightly neurotic (Lauren Graham) and the other, well, let’s call her the promiscuous one (Jenna Elfman).
Unfortunately, the humor is often predictable and falls flat. Ringwald has the star power to pull off a series, but whether this one is it is another question. The one bright spot is Graham, who plays the sole married one among the friends.
CBS
“Pearl” (previews Sept. 16, premieres Sept. 18): This one’s worth watching, if not just for the witty barbs exchanged between Pearl and her professor.
Rhea Perlman, known for years on “Cheers” as a saucy waitress, plays Pearl, a saucy, blue-collar widow attending a prestigious Eastern university.
She enrolls in a class taught by a pompous professor (a perfectly cast Malcolm McDowell) who, in his upper-crust, British accent, tells his students things like “you know you’re an intellectual when you can listen to ‘The William Tell Overture’ and not think of the Lone Ranger.”
Needless to say, Pearl doesn’t take well to his ivory tower attitude, but she knows she needs him to quench her thirst for knowledge.
Add to the mix her colorful co-eds - some spaced out, others overachievers and some bent more on fashions than books - and you’ve got a fun time.
“Public Morals” (premiere date to be announced): Steven Bochco and Jay Tarses, creators, writers and executive producers of this police comedy, get as bad as they want to be - and they’ve never been worse.
The show focuses on a New York vice squad and, in the initial version of the pilot, the detectives use language straight from the gutter when referring to body parts and to cops who round up prostitutes. Whether CBS will air the dirty language is yet to be seen.
Bochco defends the show as funny and reality-based and says he’s surprised that some find it shocking. He’s right: It’s not shocking. It’s just plain vulgar.
The premise is workable, but there’s nothing to back it up yet.
“EZ Streets”
(premiere date to be announced): This one-hour drama comes from Paul Haggis, whose last creation was the critically acclaimed series “Due South.” But don’t look for any do-good Canadian Mounties here: “EZ Streets” is bleak, moody and violent.
It revolves around a police detective (Ken Olin) bent on proving his dead partner wasn’t corrupt, and an ex-con (Jason Gedrick) trying to go straight despite the lures of a childhood friend who heads one of the city’s most notorious crime syndicates.
It’s a highly stylish production, with superb acting from Olin (“thirtysomething”) and Gedrick (“Murder One”) as well as engrossing, flute-driven music that adds perfectly to the suspense. If you can stomach the violence, it’s worth a try.
NBC
“Men Behaving Badly” (premieres Sept. 18): Men: You’ll probably relate to these guys. Women: Beware, these guys are really pathetic. This sitcom focuses on two bachelor roommates played by Rob Schneider (“Saturday Night Live”) and Ron Eldard (Shep on “ER”).
Schneider’s character, Jamie Coleman, is the more pitiful: He’s a freeloading, out-of-work photographer who tries to get away with as much as he can. He’ll even resort to using dirty underwear if he’s out of coffee filters. Eldard’s character, Kevin Paterson, is a little more respectable, but not much. While he has a responsible job, he’s a little confused when it comes to the man-woman thing.
These guys need help, but if you don’t take them seriously, they’re a barrel of laughs.
Thursday
CBS
“Moloney” (premieres Sept. 19, unavailable for preview): Miniseries king Peter Strauss leaves the “mini” behind to play a psychiatrist for the Los Angeles Police Department in this one-hour drama.
At work, Dr. Nick Moloney contends with serial killers, cops who’ve crossed the line and would-be suicides. His best friend is an assistant district attorney (Wendell Pierce), whom he goes to for advice. Then there’s a police lieutenant (Nestor Serrano), who often butts heads with Moloney on the job but is nevertheless included in his weekly card games.
Outside work, Moloney must cope with his ex-wife and 11-year-old daughter.
NBC
“Suddenly Susan” (premieres Sept. 19, unavailable for preview): If nothing else, the former model and film star Brooke Shields has the most enviable time slot in television for her sitcom: tucked right between “Seinfeld” and “ER.”
Shields, who showcased her talent for comedy as an obsessed fan on a “Friends” episode, plays a writer at a hip San Francisco magazine, where her unhipness stands out. The show’s title gets its name from the character, suddenly thrust into an independent life after leaving her fiance at the altar.
That should make for a tense atmosphere at the office where her boss (Judd Nelson) is also her ex-fiance’s brother. The show gets a boost by Barbara Barrie, who plays Shields’ grandmother.
Friday
ABC
“Sabrina, The Teenage Witch” (premieres Sept. 27, unavailable for preview): You can take the girl out of the city, but you can’t take the magic out of the girl if she’s a witch. That’s the situation with 16-year-old Sabrina (Melissa Joan Hart), who goes to live with her two eccentric (!) aunts in the small town of Riverdale. There she discovers her teen powers as a witch while trying to fit in as “normal” at a new high school. Sabrina is based on the Archie Comics character.
“Clueless” (premieres Sept. 20, unavailable for preview): It was only a year ago that the feature version hit cineplexes, so memories are still vivid of the campy yet charming spoof of Beverly Hills youth.
And while most of the actors are back for the series, the way coolest, Alicia Silverstone, isn’t. Ranchel Blanchard takes up the role of charge-card- and cellphone-toting Cher. It remains to be seen if she has a clue about how to make viewers forget her predecessor.
The series looks as good as the movie, sparkling with Beverly Hills glamour and abandon. But the film pulled off a delicate trick: making pampered, mostly self-involved teens seem innocent and adorable. Can the series keep them that way week after week?
CBS
“Everybody Loves Raymond” (premieres Sept. 13): You could hardly ask for a more routine premise: a thirtysomething guy who lives on Long Island with his wife and their three kids, right across the street from his meddlesome parents and brother.
The charm and humor is all in the execution with “Raymond,” which stars stand-up comedian Ray Romano as the easygoing, hangdog and helplessly conciliatory character.
Of particular delight are Raymond’s parents, played by Doris Roberts and Peter Boyle. In the premiere, they, with Romano, engage in a hilarious bit of hysteria arising from a Fruit of the Month Club subscription, which Raymond’s mother brands “a cult.”
If the writers and performers can fortify each episode with moments like that scene, “Raymond” could be more than lovable - it could be among the funniest sitcoms on the air.
“Mr. and Mrs. Smith” (premieres Sept. 20): Think of “Moonlighting.” Think of “Remington Steele.” Think of watching something else other than this romantic-action-gadget-crazy hour.
Scott Bakula is a top agent for The Factory - no, not Andy Warhol’s old hangout, but a mysterious company specializing in industrial espionage. His paths cross with Maria Bello, a free-lance spook who not only seems to be his rival but - hold on thar! - may also want to kill him. Needless to say, Bakula falls head-over-heels for her.
But if they’re going to work together (and for the sake of this series, they better), they can’t know anything about each other. A Factory rule. So: Mr. Smith, meet Mrs. Smith.
If anything about the show works, it’s the goofiness. For instance, without too much being made of it, the hunky Bakula seems to be the world’s worst spy since Maxwell Smart. Meanwhile, Bello is tough and smart and delectable - and in control.
FOX
“Millennium” (premieres Oct. 25): The eagerly awaited new series by “X-Files” creator Chris Carter, “Millennium’s” first episode seems to last 1,000 years. Where “X-Files” is intense and eerie, “Millennium” is doleful and dreary, with a dirge-like score for good measure.
Frank Black (black get it?) is a 10-year FBI veteran who specialized in sexual homicide. He moves to Seattle with his wife and their young daughter “because I want them to live in a place that’s safe.”
He’s a consultant for a mysterious outfit called The Millennium Group, which focuses on doing good things but in a mighty creepy way. And, before you know it, Black is back investigating a local string of serial murders.
The local cop asks him how he’s so good at solving crimes. In response, Black, played by Lance Henriksen as weathered and taciturn, delivers purple prose: “I see what the killer sees. I put myself in his head. I become the thing we fear the most.” And yadda, yadda, yadda.
The final insult: “Millennium” is plowing the same paranoid turf as NBC’s Saturday night entry “Profiler,” except on that show, the crime-fighter who “sees what the killer sees” is a woman.
Maybe they should get together.
Saturday
ABC
“Common Law” (premieres Sept. 28): John Alvarez is a bad boy but a good lawyer. He’s also an Hispanic, which makes his irreverence worth putting up with at his stodgy, WASPy Manhattan law firm. That’s one theme of “Common Law.”
Another: He, from a working-class Queens background, is living with a cute co-worker from the Upper East Side. Another: Their law firm frowns on inter-office romances, so they’re co-habitating on the sly.
All in all, it’s a paint-by-numbers vehicle for stand-up comic Greg Giraldo, and serves him well enough - if not always the audience.
Girlfriend Nancy, played by Megyn Price, looks a lot like “Mad About You’s” Helen Hunt. That can’t be too bad, now can it?
“Relativity” (previews Sept. 24, premieres Sept. 28): This could really be a heart-breaker. Not, as intended - a bittersweet saga of burgeoning love - but because it lets down its audience.
It’s created by the gifted team of Ed Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz (“thirtysomething” and “My So-Called Life”). But this show, nicknamed “twentysomething,” could prove to be a “so-called” bummer.
Isabel (Kimberly Williams) and Leo (David Conrad) meet by chance in Europe, discover they’re from the same town, fall in love and deal with the consequences - including her fiance waiting at home with the house he bought her.
The series will chart the course of Leo and Isabel’s romance. Maybe they have a future. It’s doubtful the show will - as taken with itself as they are with each other.
CBS
“Early Edition” (premieres Sept. 28): Will this show’s producers read its reviews before the critics write them? But seriously, folks, “Early Edition” is a gentle and life-affirming hour about a young man who thinks he’s lost everything - then gains an unasked-for subscription to a peculiar newspaper.
This edition of The Chicago Sun-Times reports the news before it happens. With it, Gary Hobson (Kyle Chandler) sets out to make a difference in people’s lives.
Teaming up with him is Marissa (Shanesia Davis), his blind co-worker at the stock exchange, who tells him, “You don’t need eyes to see miracles.”
Adding a little spice and comedy relief is Gary’s pal Chuck (Fisher Stevens), an opportunist who wants to turn the early edition, and the tips it contains, into cold, hard cash.
The premise is at least as old as “The Twilight Zone.” But the feel-good “Early Edition” lets some sun shine in.
NBC
“Dark Skies” (premieres Sept. 21): Saturday night becomes NBC’s “Must-Flee TV.” It’s a full evening of bold, new and avoidable shows.
Each of the three programs rip off “The X-Files” not much more successfully than “Millennium,” Fox’s Friday night rip-off, which at least has the virtue of coming from “The X-Files”’ own creator.
On the first of this triptych, “Dark Skies,” paranormal begets paranoia as “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” meets “You Are There.”
It’s back in 1961, and Eric Close plays an idealistic young congressional aide who discovers the truth about an extraterrestrial invasion - and the Top Secret investigation he’s sucked into.
Choice dialogue: “It’s moving in my head!”
“Dark Skies”’ junk-food for thought: Did these aliens really play a role in President Kennedy’s assassination? It starts with the solemn advisory that “This program is being presented as fiction to protect those people fighting in the resistance.”
Protect yourself from this hokum.
“Pretender” (previews Sept. 19, premieres Sept. 28): Jarod is a genius who can master just about any technical profession. (Next up: network TV programmer?)
On the series pilot, watch him play doctor. Watch him run as the agents at the Centre, where his skills were developed, chase him down to return him to their clutches. Watch him nimbly stay out of their reach while he performs good as a one-man vigilante force for justice.
Trouble is, Michael T. Weiss as Jarod, a sort of idiot savant, isn’t watchable enough. Nor is the writing nimble enough to overcome the outlandish gimmick the series relies on.
“Profiler” (premieres Sept. 21): Too close for comfort to “Millennium.”
Big difference: Instead of a leathery-face guy, it stars sexy Ally Walker as Samantha “Sam” Waters, the best forensic “profiler” the FBI ever had (at least this side of Fridays on the Fox network) until a serial killer panicked her into retiring, with her young daughter, in rural Georgia.
Now she’s back, albeit reluctantly, to solve a baffling series of Atlanta murders. She consents to help only if the bureau preserves her anonymity. You can bet the maniac who was after her before will be back, too.
Take your pick: “Profiler” is brighter, more standard melodramatic fare. “Millennium,” premiering soon on Fridays, is dreary and oppressive, but comes with the mark of “X-Files” creator Chris Carter. Or watch them both. But ask yourself why.
FOX
“Love and Marriage” (premieres Sept. 28): What sets this sitcom apart from most is clear from the start. In the first episode, April’s husband calls her at work to serenade her with strains of “Come Fly With Me.” Dancing to the music, she bellows out, “I love my husband!”
A companion piece - but diametrically opposite to its sulfurous lead-in, “Married … with Children” - “Love and Marriage” is about high school sweethearts who, 17 years and three kids later, still adore each other.
It’s April and Jack against the world. That includes an unyielding schedule (she works nights in a posh New York restaurant; he works days managing a parking garage).
Patricia Healy and Tony Denison work as hard as their characters to put this show across, and the effort pays off. The punchline: Love makes the world go around, even on a working-class income.