Despite its cancellation by CBS, the president...

Despite its cancellation by CBS, the president of the company that makes “Kay O’Brien” hopes it will be back.

“People say that’s a pipe dream,” admitted Richard Rosenbloom of Orion Television, “but with our ‘Cagney & Lacey’ experience behind us, we’re entitled to have pipe dreams.”

Orion is the company that makes “Cagney & Lacey,” which was canceled not once but twice by CBS, which in each case was persuaded to change its mind. The police series subsequently established a solid foothold in the ratings and went on to win Emmys for its stars and as TV’s best drama series.

In the case of “Kay O’Brien,” Rosenbloom said the company is completing work on the 13 episodes that CBS originally ordered, only eight of which have been broadcast. He hopes to convince CBS to play the remaining five in a different time period later in the season, and if they should catch on, the series could be resurrected for next season, he believes.

In addition, he said, the British Broadcasting Corp. has expressed interest in buying the series for English TV, so he intends to explore the possibility of a joint venture for further production--possibly with a Canadian partner, since the show is being produced there.

That too is a long shot, he readily conceded. “But having been through the ‘Cagney & Lacey’ twice-canceled syndrome,” he said, “I always maintain hope that a series isn’t dead until it’s dead.”

A series that is dead is “The A-Team,” NBC’s once-popular action show about an unusual group of mercenaries.

A spokeswoman for Stephen J. Cannell Productions, which makes the series, confirmed Thursday that NBC has decided not to commission any more episodes beyond the 13 it initially ordered this season.

The five remaining installments will be played off and then another series will move into the 8 p.m. Friday slot, probably in January. NBC officials declined to say what it will be.

“The A-Team,” which premiered in January, 1983, had tried to ignite new interest this season by adding new characters and having the team go to work for the government, but to no avail. The show ranked 51st two weeks ago and fell to 53rd last week.