NEW FALL TV SEASON : PBS PROMISES OLD AND NEW

The new season on public television promises much the same kind of thinking-person’s programming that has come to be expected from the non-commercial network--only more of it, with 13 new series and a dizzying array of specials joining the well-known returning programs.

The new season marks the 15th anniversary of two of public television’s most popular staples, “Nova” (premiering Oct. 6) and “Great Performances” (debuting Oct. 16). Also returning are “Nature” (Sept. 20), “Mystery!” (Oct. 1) and “Masterpiece Theatre” (Oct. 11), along with continuing series such as “The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour,” “Washington Week in Review” and “Sesame Street.”

But the 1987-88 season also promises viewers a break from PBS’ traditionally demanding schedule of cultural, scientific, nature, news and public-affairs programs, with two new series that place less-familiar accents on humor and on teen-agers.

The first new entry of the fall season, an 11-part environmental series called “Only One Earth,” already has premiered on most stations. Most of the other series--more than have been offered in several years--are due to premiere later this month and in October.

Coming Saturday is an unusual drama series about the trials and tribulations of growing up in the 1980s, “Degrassi Junior High.” Produced by Boston’s WGBH, the half-hour shows mark an attempt to broaden public television’s traditional audience to include teen-agers.

One month later, public television’s first attempt at a home-grown, American comedy series, “Trying Times,” is due to premiere (Oct. 19).Produced by KCET Channel 28 in Los Angeles, the off-beat series of six half-hour comedies marks the culmination of years of attempting to launch such a series. It draws on some of the most original talents in the entertainment industry, including writers Beth Henley, Christopher Durang and Spalding Gray; directors Jonathan Demme, Alan Arkin and Michael Lindsay-Hogg, and actors David Byrne, Swoosie Kurtz and Rosanna Arquette.

“I think we’re touching more bases than ever before,” said Suzanne Weil, senior vice president for programming at PBS. “I also think there’s more life to the season, which is something that has evolved.

Weil said PBS has attempted to become “more accessible, more entertaining, easier to watch,” without becoming trivial or sacrificing its serious search for “truth and beauty.”

Other new series scheduled to premiere this month are: “America by Design” (Sept. 28 on KCET), a five-part series about architecture; “The Health Century” (Sept. 22), a four-parter examining the fight against diseases of this century, such as polio and AIDS; and “We the People” (Sept. 22), a four-part documentary series exploring the impact of the U. S. Constitution on the daily lives of Americans. It will be hosted by ABC News anchor Peter Jennings.

October will bring more new series: “Motorweek ‘88,” a weekly magazine show about new cars and the auto industry; “Oil,” an eight-part series about the history, economics and influence of the precious resource; “Heimat,” an eight-part dramatic account of three generations of families in Germany over a 63-year period; and “Make Prayers to the Raven,” a five-part series about native Alaskan Indians.

Also due in late October is “The Ring of Truth,” a six-part series that Weil called “a keystone” of the new public-TV season. The hourlong, weekly science series features Philip Morrison, a renowned physicist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in an exploration of how scientists arrive at what they know. Noting Morrison’s “playful approach” to his lofty subject, Weil said that the series exemplifies PBS’ attempt to make learning and knowledge more enjoyable and accessible.

“The First Eden,” the latest series to be hosted by naturalist Sir David Attenborough, is scheduled for November. His previous series such as “The Planet Earth” proved popular with public television audiences. The new, four-part series focuses on the earliest Mediterranean civilizations.

Also planned for November is a new “how-to” show, “Growing a Business.” Hosted by author Paul Hawken, the eight-part series is aimed at offering “practical and accessible” advice on running a business.

One of the few new series in the upcoming season to promise controversy is a trilogy of specials focusing on apartheid, to be presented by PBS’ weekly documentary series, “Frontline,” on three consecutive nights in December. The regular season of “Frontline” does not begin until January, 1988.

Among the specials coming this fall are: “Legacy of the Hollywood Blacklist,” documentary produced by KCET and hosted by actor Burt Lancaster, marking the 40th anniversary of the House Committee on Un-American Activities’ investigation of suspected Communist activities in Hollywood; “Born Again: Life in a Fundamentalist Baptist Church” (Sept. 23); “The Secret Government: The Constitution in Crisis,” a Bill Moyers special scheduled for Nov. 4; “AIDS: Changing the Rules,” a documentary on AIDS-prevention, hosted by Ron Reagan Jr., scheduled for November, and “Heartstrings,” a documentary that follows the folk trio of Peter, Paul and Mary on a trip to strife-torn Central America, also planned for November.

“We’re still not rich,” Weill summed up, “but we’ve learned how to use our money more effectively, and I think this has led us to take more chances and try some new things.”