CBS REVAMPS THURSDAY-NIGHT LINEUP

CBS, acting a day after first-place NBC said it would move “Hill Street Blues” out of its longtime Thursday-night home, said Thursday it will revise its program lineup for that evening too.

CBS also is adding a new sitcom about an Irish-Catholic family, “The Cavanaughs,” to its Monday roster. The series, to start Dec. 1 at 9:30 p.m., stars a pair of respected Broadway actors, Barnard Hughes and Christine Ebersole.

In CBS’ Thursday changes, “Twilight Zone”--an hourlong Saturday series that had been temporarily taken off the schedule--will return, but in a half-hour format at 8 p.m. (That would seem to put it in oh-oh country; its major competition then will be NBC’s “The Cosby Show,” which has been rather successful.)

“Twilight” will be followed by the hourlong “Simon & Simon,” then the new situation comedy “Designing Women.” The night concludes with the veteran one-hour “Knots Landing” moving into the 10 p.m. slot being vacated by “Kay O’Brien.” That new hospital series has been canceled; its final broadcast was Thursday night.

CBS’ new Thursday lineup, from Dec. 4, will be in Nielsen battle against NBC’s powerhouse quartet of sitcoms led by Bill Cosby’s hit series, and a new Thursday entry, “L.A. Law.”

NBC has announced that “Law,” now airing Fridays, will move to Thursday nights Dec. 4, with “Hill Street Blues” reassigned from that night to a Tuesday-night beat opposite ABC’s hit, “Moonlighting.”

So far this year, CBS, which lost its six-year prime-time ratings crown to NBC last season, has canceled a rookie sitcom, “Better Days,” as well as “Kay O’Brien,” and has put the new “Together We Stand” on hiatus for concept repairwork.