THE UP-AND-COMING SEASON

The following TV miniseries are scheduled for the 1985-86 season. October

“Tender Is the Night”--Oct. 27, Nov. 5, 12, 19 and 26 on Showtime; six hours. Also Oct. 29, Nov. 9, 16, 23 and 30. Based on the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel about the romance between two American expatriates in 1920s Europe. Stars Peter Strauss, Mary Steenburgen, John Heard, Sean Young, Edward Asner and Piper Laurie. A Showtime/BBC co-production. November

“North and South”--Nov. 3, 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10 on ABC; 12 hours. Adaptation of John Jakes’ best seller traces lives of two families, one Northern and one Southern, in the years leading up to the Civil War. Stars James Read, Patrick Swayze, Kirstie Alley, Georg Stanford Brown, David Carradine, Lesley-Anne Down and Genie Francis; guest stars: Johnny Cash, Morgan Fairchild, Hal Holbrook, Robert Mitchum and Elizabeth Taylor. From Warner Bros. Television and David L. Wolper.

“Kane & Abel”--Nov. 17, 18 and 19 on CBS; seven hours. Peter Strauss is Abel Rosnovski and Sam Neill is William Kane in this adaptation of Jeffrey Archer’s novel about two tycoons and their conflicts over 30 years. Locales include Toronto, New York and France. Also stars Veronica Hamel, Ron Silver, David Dukes and Fred Gwynne. From Embassy Television.

“Mussolini: The Untold Story”--Nov. 24, 25 and 26 on NBC; seven hours. George C. Scott is Benito Mussolini, Italy’s fascist dictator during World War II. Also stars Lee Grant and Raul Julia. From Trian Productions.

“Doubletake”--Nov. 26 and 27 on CBS; four hours. This is based on the suspense novel “Switch” but the title was changed to avoid conflict with the 1975-’78 CBS series. Richard Crenna is the detective and Beverly D’Angelo the girlfriend he places in jeopardy as he tries to solve the case of two murder victims whose heads have been switched. From Titus Productions. December

“Alice in Wonderland”--Dec. 9 and 10 on CBS; four hours. This version of the Lewis Carroll classic stars Steve Allen, Scott Baio, Merv Griffin, Jonathan Winters, Sally Struthers, Donna Mills, Patrick Duffy, Karl Malden, Ringo Starr and Natalie Gregory as Alice. From Irwin Allen Productions. February

“Peter the Great”--NBC; eight hours. This represents the first independent American drama to film in the Soviet Union. Stars Maximilian Schell as Peter, with Vanessa Redgrave, Laurence Olivier and Omar Sharif. An NBC production.

“Crossings”--ABC; five hours. The first production resulting from author Danielle Steele’s association with ABC presents high romance with World War II as the backdrop and San Francisco, London and Paris as locales. Stars Cheryl Ladd, Jane Seymour, Christopher Plummer, Lee Horsley and Joanna Pakula. From Aaron Spelling Productions.

“Harem”--ABC; four hours. A turn-of-the-century American girl engaged to an English diplomat is kidnaped en route to Syria and taken into a harem, which she quickly realizes treats women not much differently than English society. The lead role is yet to be cast; stars include Ava Gardner, Omar Sharif, Sara Miles and Yaphet Kotto. From Highgate Pictures. April

“North and South, Book II”--ABC; 12 hours. The sequel to “North and South,” based “Love and War, the second installment of what is to be a trilogy from author John Jakes. From Warners and Wolper. May

“Sidney Sheldon’s Rage of Angels: The Story Continues”--NBC; four hours. Jaclyn Smith returns as the glamorous attorney who was the protagonist of 1983’s “Rage of Angels,” based on the Sheldon novel. An NBC production.

“Out on a Limb”--ABC; five hours. Based on Shirley MacLaine’s autobiography and detailing the Oscar-winning actress’ very personal search for spirituality, which takes her to London, Sweden and Peru. From the Stan Margulies Co. and ABC Circle Films. Also in 1986

“Sins”--Early 1986 on CBS; seven hours. Joan Collins, who is also one of the executive producers, stars as a Frenchwoman joined in European locales by Gene Kelly, Marisa Berenson, Giancarlo Giannini, Steven Berkoff, Joe Bologna and Capucine. From New World Television.

“On Wings of Eagles”--Spring, 1986 on NBC; five hours. This is based on Ken Follett’s book about the real-life rescue of two American businessmen from Iran during the 1978 revolution by millionaire industrialist H. Ross Perot. Richard Crenna is Perot and Burt Lancaster is “Bull” Simons, the retired Army colonel who led the rescue mission. Paul Le Mat also stars. From Taft Entertainment.

“If Tomorrow Comes”--Spring, 1986 on CBS; seven hours. High adventure follows the heroine of Sidney Sheldon’s novel through France, London, Amsterdam, New Orleans and Southern California. Stars Madolyn Smith, Tom Berenger, Richard Kiley. A CBS production.

“Dream West”--Spring, 1986 on CBS; eight hours. Richard Chamberlain is adventurer John Charles Fremont, who explored the Old West and became the first Republican presidential candidate. Chamberlain also serves as one of the executive producers for Sunn Classics.

“Dress Gray”--Spring 1986 on NBC; four hours. The murder of a military cadet and its cover-up are the basis of this production based on Lucian K. Truscott IV’s novel and with a teleplay by Gore Vidal. From Warner Bros. Television.

“Blood and Orchids”--CBS; four hours. Based on Norman Katkov’s novel about corruption surrounding the rape of a U.S. Navy man’s wife in the 1930s. Stars Kris Kristofferson, Sean Young, Jane Alexander, Jose Ferrer. From Lorimar Productions.