TELEVISION - March 4, 1992

Out to Pasture: NBC confirmed Tuesday that the cagey veteran “Matlock” will not be returning next season, as the network continues its strategic shift to develop programs for younger viewers. ABC is currently in discussions to pick up the courtroom drama series that stars Andy Griffith, provided Griffith agrees to return for a seventh season. NBC also has let go of the older-skewing drama “In the Heat of the Night,” which CBS has snatched up as a weekly series for next season. Both series drew solid ratings for NBC, but did not attract the younger viewers that advertisers look for, the network said.