Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 26, 1994 TAG: 9402260179
SECTION: SPECTATOR PAGE: 15 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Tom Jicha Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A realignment frenzy will see prime-time schedules altered almost as drastically as they are during the fall premiere season. At least eight new series will premiere on ABC, CBS and NBC, with more likely still to be announced.
To make room for the newcomers, current series such as "Hearts Afire," "Harts of the West," "Birdland," "Missing Persons," "The Critic," "Sisters" and "Getting By" will disappear. Some will be back this season. Others will resurface only to burn off unused episodes during rerun season.
CBS will move first. "Tom," a new sitcom starring Roseanne's husband, premieres at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 2. Tom Arnold plays a yokel whose goal of building a dream house for his wife and five kids keeps getting sidetracked.
"Hearts Afire" is going on hiatus for about a month. It is scheduled to resurface at 9:30 Monday after "Love & War" plays the last of its original episodes for this season.
On Thursday at 8 p.m., Steven Bochco's latest, "The Byrds of Paradise," lands on ABC. Timothy Busfield, formerly of "thirtysomething," stars as a father of three who moves his family from the Midwest to Hawaii after his wife is murdered.
Its full-season order of episodes having aired, "Missing Persons" will be put on the shelf to await word of a possible pickup for next season.
On March 5 at 9 p.m., CBS will introduce "The Road Home," another drama about a family in transit. Karen Allen and Timothy Knox star as a married couple who relocate themselves and their kids from the big city to a small North Carolina coastal town to be closer to the wife's aging parents.
"Harts of the West" is being put into the ominous situation called "on hiatus."
ABC is creating half of a new Wednesday night on March 9. "Thunder Alley," a comedy starring Ed Asner as a retired race car driver whose daughter and grandchildren move in with him, debuts at 8:30.
At 10, still another magazine show is unveiled. "Turning Point" will focus on one story a week. ABC's news heavyweights take turns as hosts.
"The Critic" had only six episodes ordered, so it is leaving the air until new ones can be shot. ABC promises it will be back this season. "Birdland" also is going on hiatus and is probably history.
Aaron Spelling, the producer of Fox's "Beverly Hills, 90210" and "Melrose Place," gets another chance on NBC March 12 with "Winnetka Road." The ensemble drama, featuring Ed Begley Jr., Meg Tilley, Josh Brolin and Catherine Hicks, follows the experiences of the blue-collar set in a wealthy town. It takes over the 10 p.m. slot until April 23, when "Sisters" will return.
NBC is replacing one dynamic young actress with another on March 14. "Gaby," a comedy starring Gaby Hoffman ("Sleepless in Seattle") takes over "Blossom's" 8:30 slot.
"Blossom" fans shouldn't despair. It will play at 9 on March 14, then move to Saturdays at 8. "The Mommies" slides back to 8:30 and "Getting By" is bumped.
CBS, which has had great success with bringing back veterans Dick Van Dyke and Gene Barry as crime-busters, pushes its luck on March 31 with George C. Scott in "Traps." Scott plays a retired homicide detective who goes back to work to help out his detective grandson, played by Dan Cortese.
"Traps" will fill the 10 p.m. hour that was vacated when earthquake damage to the set shut down "Second Chances." The serial will return, CBS says. When it does, it probably will trigger a new round of disruptions.
by CNB