‘Family Ties’ vs. CBS’ ‘Murder’

NBC is splitting up its top-rated, Thursday-night comedy lineup in the fall, moving “Family Ties” to Sunday and replacing it with a “Bill Cosby” spinoff starring Lisa Bonet as daughter Denise off at college, network Entertainment President Brandon Tartikoff said today.

Tartikoff called the “Family Ties” switch “the single most important move of the schedule.” It represents a serious challenge to CBS’ top-rated but older-appeal “Murder, She Wrote.” Canceled shows are “Gimme a Break,” “Stingray,” “Amazing Stories,” “Tortellis,” “Roomies,” “Hill Street Blues” and “Easy Street.”