Let the Shows Begin

Television has something for everyone this summer--more series than usual and a plethora of specials and movies, not to mention those once-every-four-years events--the Olympic Summer Games and the Republican and Democratic conventions.

As has become tradition in summer, cable is premiering several series and bringing back new episodes of such hits as HBO’s “Dream On” and “Tales From the Crypt.” And the four networks are following suit with a number of new series.

The most heavily hyped of the network entries is “Melrose Place,” Fox’s spinoff of the phenomenally successful “Beverly Hills, 90210.” Fox is expanding its prime-time lineup to Wednesday night to accommodate “Melrose,” which also is on Fox’s fall schedule.

“Melrose” focuses on the lives of eight twentysomething adults living in one of Los Angeles’ trendiest neighborhoods. Like “90210,” the series boasts an attractive ensemble cast of young up-and-comers, including Josie Bissett, Thomas Calabro, Andrew Sue, Amy Locane, Doug Savant, Courtney Thorne-Smith and Vannessa Williams. Grant Show, who plays construction worker Matt Fielding, is being touted as the new Jason Priestley-Luke Perry. He already has scored covers of People magazine and TV Guide.

The series makes its debut July 8 at 8:30 p.m. with a 90-minute episode. On July 15, it will move to its regular time of 9 p.m., where it will follow new episodes of “90210.”

One of the most interesting of CBS’ eight new series--and one of the few not targeted for a young audience--is “Middle Ages,” scheduled for August. Indescribable is the only way to describe this comedy-drama which chronicles the lives of a disparate group of men and women living in Chicago.

The series’ creators and executive producers are Stan Rogow, the man behind the 1990-91 cult NBC series “Shannon’s Deal,” and writer-director John Byrum of “Inserts” and “The Razor’s Edge.” The ensemble cast includes Peter Riegert, William Russ, James Gammon, Ruby Dee, Lisa Zane and Kyle Secor.

On cable, fans of the award-winning ‘70s British series “Upstairs, Downstairs” will want to check out the 12-part serial “The House of Elliott,” premiering July 12 on Arts & Entertainment, which comes from the same creators, actresses Jean Marsh and Eileen Atkins.

Set during the 1920s, the drama focuses on two sisters (Louise Lombard and Stella Gonet), left penniless after their father’s death, who become big names in the London fashion industry.

Comic Garry Shandling’s first series, Showtime’s “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show,” currently in reruns on Lifetime, was a critic’s darling. He’s hoping lightning will strike twice with his new comedy “The Larry Sanders Show Starring Garry Shandling,” premiering in August on HBO. In this 12-part series, Shandling plays a divorced late-night network talk-show host.

NBC is premiering one new series, the sitcom “Home Fires,” starring Kate Burton and Michael Brandon. The network also is promising new episodes of the hits “Seinfeld” and “Blossom” in mid-August.

The Peacock network’s big event is its 161 hours of the XXV Olympic Summer Games from Barcelona. From July 25 to Aug. 9, NBC will devote its morning, prime-time and late-night programming to the Olympics. Bob Costas, Dick Enberg, Katie Couric, Jim Lampley and Hannah Storm are the hosts.

And NBC is teaming with Cablevision for the “Olympics TripleCast,” the first pay-per-view presentation of the Olympics and the most extensive televised coverage of the Games in history. Three simultaneous channels will present 24-hour coverage--12 hours live beginning at 2 a.m. and 12 hours of prime-time replay at 2 p.m. The Red, White and Blue Channels will provide commercial-free, uninterrupted long-form coverage of all major events. Ahmad Rashad, Kathleen Sullivan, Don Criqui and Gayle Gardner will host. The pay-per-view will cost viewers $29.95 per day, or $125 for a special package that includes the 15 days.

In another first, NBC also is joining forces with PBS for its coverage of the Democratic Convention, July 13-16 in New York, and the Republican Convention, Aug. 17-20 in Houston. PBS will cover the conventions through a collaboration with NBC News and “The MacNeil/Lehrer News Hour.” The PBS coverage will begin at 5 p.m. and will use a reporting team lead by PBS’ Robert MacNeil and Jim Lehrer and Tom Brokaw of “NBC News.” NBC’s own coverage, sans PBS personnel, will begin at 7 p.m.

CNN will present live coverage of convention and political news daily from 2:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Its “beyond-the-gavel” coverage of the Democratic convention begins July 12 at 6 p.m. with a special edition of “Larry King Live.” Depending on the schedules, King is also set to present special programs throughout the convention. CNN will feature special convention editions daily of “Inside Politics ‘92,” “The World Today,” “Moneyline” and “Crossfire.”