“Cosby Show” fans, take note: There are...

“Cosby Show” fans, take note: There are changes in store on TV’s top-rated series as it enters its fourth season. The daughter played by Lisa Bonet, Denise, will be off at college (and starring in her own series, “A Different World”). The daughter played by Sabrina Le Beauf, Sondra, will have gotten married in the off-season to her oft-seen boyfriend, Elvin (played by Geoffrey Owens). In the first episode of the season, due Sept. 24, they’ll be returning from their honeymoon.

Patty Duke, who stars in her own series on Fox, “Karen’s Song,” will make a guest appearance in the opening installment of the new NBC series “J. J. Starbuck.” It premieres Sept. 26, with Dale Robertson cast as a Texas billionaire who solves criminal cases. Duke plays a woman who is thought to have helped kill the wife of her business partner, played by Bill Bixby.

Susan Lucci, who plays Erica Kane on “All My Children,” will host “The Working Women’s Survival Hour,” a special on Lifetime cable designed to help women succeed in the workplace. It covers such topics as office skills, organization and child care. Among those interviewed are Geraldine Ferraro, Gloria Steinem and Cheryl Tiegs.

NBC also has a special in the works catering to women’s interests. Merv Griffin will host “Secrets Women Never Share,” featuring interviews with Joan Collins, Carol Burnett and Shelley Long, among others. A few of the questions Griffin plans to pose: How does a successful woman get to the top? How can you tell if your husband is cheating? Does a face lift change a woman’s personality?

KCET Channel 28 plans to produce a series about the history of Los Angeles. The public-TV station says it is making a “multi-year commitment” to the project and will produce four half-hour programs a year, the first to air in May. Each installment will endeavor to tell a chapter in the area’s development through the story of an individual.

Ossie Davis narrates “The Negro Ensemble Company,” a documentary about the 20-year-old theatrical company that showcases the work of black playwrights. It will be seen Sept. 14 on public television’s “American Masters” series. Among the performers who are interviewed in the film about the significance of the company are Rosalind Cash, Denzel Washington and Esther Rolle.

The following week, “American Masters” will profile the late writer Truman Capote. The film, called “Unanswered Prayers: The Life and Times of Truman Capote,” will feature clips of the author’s appearances on TV talk shows and excerpts from dramatizations of his works, such as “In Cold Blood” and “A Christmas Memory.” Among those interviewed about him are George Plimpton, Liz Smith, Joanne Carson and Carol Matthau.

Robert Clohessy and Rachel Ticotin have joined the cast of ABC’s “Ohara,” which stars Pat Morita. Clohessy will portray Morita’s partner on the police force; Ticotin will play the head of the unit to which they report.

“Main Street,” the NBC newsmagazine for young people, kicks off its third season Sept. 22 with reports on teen-age homosexuality, pop star Lisa Lisa and Malcolm-Jamal Warner of “The Cosby Show.” Maria Shriver will host the program this season.