Alan Thicke, who hosted an ill-fated talk...

Alan Thicke, who hosted an ill-fated talk show before landing the starring role in “Growing Pains,” will try hosting again--but only in a TV movie this time. He plays a talk-show host who is shot on the air in the next Perry Mason film for NBC, “The Case of the Shooting Star.” Also appearing with Raymond Burr, Barbara Hale and William Katt in the third TV movie are Joe Penny, Jennifer O’Neill and Ron Glass.

“Webster” will begin its fourth season with a new episode Aug. 20, a month before other series return for the fall season. The program will feature a crime-fighting character named McGruff who was created in 1979 by the National Crime Prevention Council. McGruff goes to Webster’s school and helps him take care of a bully.

Martin Balsam, Florence Henderson and Jackie Cooper are among the guest stars in a two-part episode of “Murder, She Wrote” that will be seen on CBS this fall. The story involves Jessica (Angela Lansbury) visiting a small circus in hopes of finding her brother-in-law.

Brad Davis has the title role in “Vengeance: The Tragedy of Tony Cimo,” a movie for CBS about a young bricklayer who decides to take the law into his own hands after his parents are murdered. Also starring are William Conrad, Roxanne Hart and Brad Dourif.

Tom Brokaw will anchor an hourlong NBC News special Sept. 5 about the increasing use of cocaine. The program, due to air at 10 p.m., will report on how the drug has found its way into every level of American society and what the experts think can be done to combat it.

Gospel singing is the backdrop for “The Gift of Amazing Grace,” the 100th production of the “ABC Afterschool Specials” that is scheduled for broadcast in November. It stars Tempestt Bledsoe, who plays Vanessa on “The Cosby Show,” as a singer who wants out of her family’s group. Della Reese portrays her aunt.