Preview ’92 : Wanted: Baby Tuners : The networks (except CBS) aim their prime-time guns at the 18-to-49ers

Think young.

That seems to be the prevailing state of mind for three of the networks, which are offering a wave of new programs this fall aimed at the youthful audience so eagerly sought by advertisers.

While NBC, ABC and Fox will aggressively pursue viewers in the key demographic age range of 18 to 49, look for 1991 prime-time ratings champion CBS to maintain its strategy of trying to reach the largest number of viewers of all ages.

With that in mind, here is our guide to this year’s roster of 34 new series, which includes 19 comedies, 12 dramas and three reality shows.

And as we all know, most of these series won’t be around next fall. Now that’s reality.

“GREAT SCOTT”

Sundays 7-7:30 p.m. Fox.

Premieres Sept. 27.

Shy and insecure, Scott Melrod (Tobey Maguire) is your typical teen next door. He likes girls, hates gym and has an overprotective mom. Did we say typical? Scott also has the most overactive imagination this side of Walter Mitty. The youngster’s penchant for broad fantasies and daydreams will provide the high points to this amiable little comedy that chooses to respect its audience by foregoing a laugh track. Imagine that.

Shop talk: Realizing they are going up against the first half of “60 Minutes,” the show’s producers only can fantasize about a better time slot for now. But if the series reaches its target audience of teens and adolescents, Fox will be content and everyone at the network can dream of a renewal.

“SECRET SERVICE”

Sundays 7-8 p.m. NBC.

Premiered last month.

Host Steven Ford guides viewers through stories “inspired” by actual cases drawn from files of the Secret Service.

Shop talk: CBS has its “Top Cops” and now NBC has its top “Secret” cops. Both shows are produced by the team of Sonny Grosso, a 20-year veteran of the NYPD, and Larry Jacobson.

“THE BEN STILLER SHOW”

Sundays 7:30-8 p.m. Fox.

Premieres Sept. 27.

Stiller, the son of comedians Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, serves up a mix of TV and movie parodies in his half-hour comedy.

Shop talk: As the bridge between “Great Scott” and “In Living Color,” Stiller’s mandate is simple: make ‘em laugh. Judging from a few clips furnished by Fox (Stiller plays “Tom Cruise on Broadway” in one of them), he’s off to a promising start.

“I WITNESS VIDEO”

Sundays 8-9 p.m. NBC.

Premiered last month.

Unusual videotape of unstaged events--natural disasters, crime and the like--is the drawing card of this reality show that taps into the use of camcorders, much of it by amateurs.

Shop talk: This is NBC’s attempt to boost its lowly Sunday night viewership by grabbing loyal fans of ABC’s “America’s Funniest Home Videos.” It’s the oldest trick in the book: If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. And to borrow a line from “Home Videos” host Bob Saget: Keep those cameras safely rolling.

“FLYING BLIND”

Sundays 10-10:30 p.m. Fox.

Premieres Sunday.

A college grad (“thirtysomething’s” Corey Parker) lands a job at his father’s company. While lunching away from the office on his first day, he’s smitten by a sexy redhead who skips out on her own date and gives the kid the kiss of his life. Now he’s in an emotional quandary. Work or play, work or play ... what’s a hormone-driven guy to do?

Shop talk: With heavyweight movies and miniseries opposing it on the Big Three networks, this is one comedy likely to be flying into oblivion with its eyes wide open.

“WOOPS!”

Sundays 10:30-11 p.m. Fox.

Premieres Sept. 27.

Six survivors of a nuclear holocaust accidentally triggered by a runaway missile crawl out of the rubble and find each other at a farmhouse situated in an isolated valley. While not always in agreement, the disparate characters (a teacher, feminist, stock analyst, homeless man, doctor and manicurist) seize the opportunity to build a new and better world.

Shop talk: Executive producer Paul Junger Witt, who bristles at the suggestion that his satirical comedy is a postnuclear “Gilligan’s Island,” told Entertainment Weekly: “The last thing we want to do is imitate something as insipid as ‘Gilligan’s Island.’ ”

“HEARTS AFIRE”

Mondays 8:30-9 p.m. CBS.

One-hour premiere Monday. Moves to its regular time slot Sept. 21.

Senatorial aide John Hartman (John Ritter) is in for a tough day. He’s set to interview a liberal journalist (Markie Post) applying for the post of press secretary to the conservative Southern senator who employs him. Before the show is over, however, Hartman not only will hire the down-on-her-luck writer, he’ll be sharing a bubble bath with her. Who said sex and politics make strange bedfellows?

Shop talk: CBS moved the popular “Major Dad” to make room for Linda Bloodworth-Thomason’s sitcom--part romantic comedy, part political satire--in its highly regarded Monday night lineup. Major mistake? Check with us in a few weeks.

“LOVE AND WAR”

Mondays 9:30-10 p.m. CBS.

One-hour premiere Sept. 21. Moves to its regular time slot Sept. 28.

Jay Thomas plays a blunt New York columnist. Susan Dey is a disgruntled divorcee. Their tenuous relationship will evolve slowly throughout the season in this sitcom from Diane English, the creator of “Murphy Brown.” The characters initially meet at a local bar which the depressed Dey decides to buy after drinking one too many double vodkas. It’s not the wisest transaction, but then Susan’s character, who did not fare well in her divorce proceeding, is clearly not having a good Dey.

Shop talk: Pegged by advertisers to be one of the season’s hits, “Love and War” to some degree tells the autobiographical story of English’s courtship with her producer-husband Joel Shukovsky. Their comedy stands to succeed in the ratings thanks to its cozy time slot between “Murphy” and “Northern Exposure.” Whether it retains “Murphy’s” millions of fans over the long haul ultimately may come down to the chemistry between the leads.

“CLASS OF ‘96”

Tuesdays 8-9 p.m. Fox.

Premieres Oct. 27.

First-year college students experience the joys and frustrations of finally being on their own in just one more of the network’s youth-oriented series. Lisa Dean Ryan (“Doogie Howser, M.D.”) is cast as a silver-spooned pupil who catches the eye of working-class frosh Jason Gedrick.

Shop talk: One could argue that “Class” has the advantage of good timing: Along with “Key West,” “Class” will surface after the other new shows have scratched and clawed to carve a niche for themselves on the fall schedule. In reality, the drama will face an uphill struggle to build an audience opposite ABC comedies, CBS’ “Rescue 911” and NBC’s “Quantum Leap,” which has moved to Tuesdays.

“HANGIN’ WITH MR. COOPER”

Tuesdays 8:30-9 p.m. ABC.

Premieres Sept. 22.

A cross between “Three’s Company” and “Welcome Back, Kotter,” this sitcom tries to wring humor from a premise involving a high school teacher (Mark Curry) who shares a household with two attractive roomies. The women are played by Dawnn Lewis (“A Different World”) and Holly Robinson (“21 Jump Street”). When Curry isn’t trading insults with Robinson at home, he’s being walked over by his students, one of whom applies super-glue to his chair.

Shop talk: Here’s one new comedy that may stick, if solely because of its placement between the network’s Top 10 hits “Full House” and “Roseanne,” plus the sassy sex appeal supplied by Robinson.

“KEY WEST”

Tuesdays 9-10 p.m. Fox.

Premieres Oct. 27.

Aspiring writer Seamus O’Reilly (Fisher Stevens) wins the New Jersey lottery and promptly moves to Florida, where a Rastafarian (T.C. Carson) serves as his guide to an assortment of odd characters who populate what they refer to as “the end of the world.”

Shop talk: Stevens perhaps is best known as the star of “Short Circuit 2” and the current mate of Michelle Pfeiffer. There are reasonable doubts that his series will take viewers from NBC’s Mark Harmon-Marlee Matlin drama or ABC’s dynamic duo of “Roseanne” and “Coach.”

“GOING TO EXTREMES”

Tuesdays 10-11 p.m. ABC.

Premiered Sept. 1.

There’s a shortage of deodorant and two-ply toilet paper, but the sun shines every day and the island’s goat milk will settle even the most fragile of stomachs. Welcome to Jantique, mon, a tropical Caribbean paradise whose medical school draws first-year students unqualified to enter a U.S. university. This ensemble drama’s cast of young characters ranges from a vegetarian who practices tai chai to a blond and beautiful instructor who swims in the nude.

Shop talk: If it can hold its own in the Nielsens opposite CBS movies and “Dateline NBC,” this Joshua Brand-John Falsey (“Northern Exposure”) entry has an extremely good chance to succeed. It may appeal to fans of “thirtysomething,” the splendid Emmy-winning drama that occupied the same time slot for several seasons.

“THE HAT SQUAD”

Wednesdays 8-9 p.m. CBS.

90-minute premiere Wednesday. Moves to its regular time slot Sept. 23.

Stephen J. Cannell’s new action series concerns a trio of bungee-jumping cops (Don Michael Paul, Nestor Serrano, Billy Warlock) who chase the baddies in stylish fedoras and dusters, hence the show’s title. The do-gooders are orphans raised by a foster father who now doubles as their commanding officer. Whenever he’s displeased, the oldest of the triumvirate grabs one of his brothers and whispers: “Don’t give me any grief on this one.”

Shop talk: Critics aren’t likely to tip their hats to the implausible premiere whose unintentionally funny climax must be seen to be believed. Don’t give us any grief on this one.

“MAD ABOUT YOU”

Wednesdays 9:30-10 p.m. NBC.

Premieres Sept. 23.

New York newlyweds Paul (Paul Reiser) and Jamie (Helen Hunt) are discussing the vagaries of matrimony a mere five months after tying the knot. He: “I put up with your crap and you put up with my crap.” She: “That’s marriage?” He: “This is what I’m thinking.” In spite of their occasional spats, here are two young people discovering how sweet it is to be mad about each other.

Shop talk: There’s that all-important chemistry between the leads, a must for any breezy romantic comedy, which this show yearns to be. If the inherent humor in the situation doesn’t become strained or overly coy, Paul and Jamie could wind up celebrating a few anniversaries in the future.

“LAURIE HILL”

Wednesdays 9:30-10 p.m. ABC.

Premieres Sept. 30.

Torn between her personal and professional life, the put-upon title character (DeLane Matthews) is hardly over the hill. Not just yet, at least. At home she serves the needs of her frisky writer-husband (Robert Clohessy) and energetic 6-year-old son. At work she doles out medical advice to concerned parents in her stressful job as a pediatrician. It’s a tricky balancing act that often tests her patience and willingness to compromise.

Shop talk: The prognosis is uncertain for this low-key comedy-drama from Neal Marlens and his wife Carol Black, whose track record for ABC includes “The Wonder Years” and “Growing Pains.” “Hill” will need a booster shot from “Home Improvement” if it has any hope of finding an audience opposite the second half of Fox’s “Melrose Place,” which got a jump on the competition by premiering in July.

“DELTA”

Thursdays 8-8:30 p.m. ABC.

Premieres Tuesday. Moves to its regular time slot Thursday.

With stardust in her eyes, Delta Bishop (Delta Burke) quits her mundane job at Mona’s House of Hair and moves to Nashville, where she dreams of being the next Patsy Cline. And if she can figure a way to beat out the other 75 aspiring country singers who signed up for Amateur Night at a bar run by her new boss (Earl Holliman), Delta may find herself on the road to fame, fortune and “truth with a beat.”

Shop talk: Two formidable obstacles face the former star of “Designing Women”: the firmly entrenched hits “A Different World” (NBC) and “The Simpsons” (Fox). The combined popularity of those two comedies, which will skirmish to establish a solid foothold on the entire evening for their respective networks, is likely to make Delta sing the blues.

“RHYTHM & BLUES”

Thursdays 8:30-9 p.m. NBC.

Premieres Sept. 24.

WBLZ, the so-called voice of black Detroit, needs a new deejay. The station owner (Anna Maria Horsford), who signed a hot prospect sight unseen, thinks she has the perfect man for the job. He’s hip. He’s wild. But stop the Motown music ... he’s white. Can talented Bobby Soul (Roger Kabler), who grew up on the sweet sounds of James Brown, Otis Redding and the Spinners, hook up with WBLZ? Stay tuned.

Shop talk: Kabler, a shaggy-haired comic whose impressions range from Redd Foxx to Richard Dreyfuss, gets his own shot at stardom in this NBC sitcom. In an interesting twist of fate, his show will oppose “Martin,” the new Fox comedy about a talk-radio host in Detroit. And they say there’s no originality on TV.

“MARTIN”

Thursday 8:30-9 p.m. Fox.

Premiered last month.

WTLK radio host Martin Payne (Martin Lawrence) is macho on the outside and mush on the inside. He puts up a good front around his friends, but his girl Gina (Tisha Campbell) knows better. He’s all bark--and no fight.

Shop talk: Shtick or jive? That’s the decision facing viewers given the choice of “Rhythm & Blues” or “Martin.” If neither sitcom suits them, there’s always the second half of “Top Cops” or the Linda Lavin comedy “Room for Two.” One thing is certain--there’s no room for more than two hits in this time slot.

“THE HEIGHTS”

Thursdays 9-10 p.m. Fox.

Premiered last month.

They sing. They gripe. They jam. Young working-class rockers struggle to find a groove in this contemporary ensemble drama echoing the 1991 film “The Commitments.”

Shop talk: Aaron Spelling’s revitalized company, which also produces “Beverly Hills, 90210” and its spinoff “Melrose Place,” reworks the formula that has thus far spelled success for his other Fox dramas, but hits a sour note in the process.

“THE GOLDEN PALACE”

Fridays 8-8:30 p.m. CBS.

Premieres Friday.

Minus Bea Arthur, “Golden Girls” Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty move to a new night and network as the owners of a troubled Miami Beach hotel. Cheech Marin joins the cast as a divorced chef whom the network hopes can provide a recipe for big laughs.

Shop talk: Will the trio’s time-tested appeal be enough to make the comedy competitive with ABC’s “Family Matters”? It matters in a big way to CBS, which is gambling that the veteran stars will spend their golden years with them.

“FINAL APPEAL”

Fridays 8-8:30 p.m. NBC.

Premieres Friday.

Based on a segment of NBC’s “Unsolved Mysteries,” this reality show explores cases of potential injustice involving convicted felons who may actually be innocent. Robert Stack of “Mysteries” is the host.

Shop talk: “Appeal” joined the schedule in June after NBC programmers decided to go with back-to-back reality shows (see “What Happened?” below) in place of two previously announced sitcoms.

“WHAT HAPPENED?”

Fridays 8:30-9 p.m. NBC.

Premieres Sept. 25.

Ken Howard hosts this reality show placing viewers at the scene of a disaster (i.e., a collapsing building) to determine what went wrong and why.

Shop talk: Why indeed?

“THE ROUND TABLE”

Fridays 9-10 p.m. NBC.

Premieres Friday.

The title setting is a Georgetown watering hole frequented by ambitious young professionals who see themselves as so-called Knights of the Round Table. The group includes an aspiring FBI agent, a prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s office, a Justice Department attorney, a Secret Service agent and a rookie cop. What, no Treasury agent?

Shop talk: Aaron Spelling strikes again. If this yuppified melodrama about upwardly mobile guys and gals in their 20s can generate the ratings of his company’s “Beverly Hills, 90210” or “Melrose Place,” NBC will be proud as a peacock. If not, the network will be crying in its beer.

“BOB”

Fridays 9:30-10 p.m. CBS.

Premieres Friday at 8:30 p.m. Moves to its regular time slot Sept. 25.

In his third sitcom for CBS, Bob Newhart plays affable Bob McKay, an artist who revives his old super hero by the name of Mad Dog. The comic books, which were yanked after 12 issues, focused on a mild-mannered veterinarian endowed with the superpowers of a Doberman. (Don’t ask the obvious question.) For the sake of conflict, McKay has been saddled with an overbearing partner whose twisted idea of updating the character is to make him a “maniacal vigilante.”

Shop talk: “Bob” has the benefit of a lead-in from “Designing Women” as CBS attempts to right itself on Fridays, a perennially weak night. Another potential plus: It’s written by three former producers of “Cheers.”

“CAMP WILDER”

Fridays 9:30-10 p.m. ABC.

Premieres Friday.

Life can be wild indeed at the Wilder residence, a haven-away-from-home for kids in the neighborhood. Ricky (Mary Page Keller) is a 28-year-old divorcee who’s moved back home with her own two kids since the recent death of her parents. As surrogate mom to a 16-year-old brother (Jerry O’Connell), she must lay down the law from time to time--whenever she isn’t acting like an adolescent herself.

Shop talk: Keller had a tough time raising one child in last year’s “Baby Talk.” Let’s see if she has better luck cavorting with a full house of kids.

“LIKELY SUSPECTS”

Fridays 9:30-10 p.m. Fox.

Premiered Sept. 11.

An attractive newswoman is electrocuted in her pool. Whodunit? As a veteran police detective, Sam McMurray gives the viewer a first-hand opportunity to solve the dastardly crime as one of his partners. You tag along on the investigation, piece together the clues, eliminate the red herrings and collar the criminal. Those without a clue need not not apply.

Shop talk: Giving armchair detectives the chance to follow in the footsteps of Columbo or Jessica Fletcher is a new twist on the tired old cop-show formula. Whether the gimmick holds up over an entire season will hinge on the mysteries they must solve.

“PICKET FENCES”

Fridays 10-11 p.m. CBS.

Two-hour premiere Friday. Moves to its regular time slot Sept. 25.

A small-town production of “The Wizard of Oz” comes to a screeching halt when the Tin Man suddenly keels over and dies. Is the Tin Man in need of a heart or is there foul play afoot? So goes the opening of this ensemble drama set in the fictional town of Rome, Wis., with Tom Skerritt and Kathy Baker as husband (he’s the sheriff) and wife (she’s a doctor).

Shop talk: David E. Kelley, an Emmy-winning alumnus of “L.A. Law,” tries to imbue his series with the outrageousness of “Law,” the oddball humor of “Twin Peaks” plus the mystery of “Murder, She Wrote,” a jumble of genres that never quite gels in the two-hour pilot.

“FRANNIE’S TURN”

Saturdays 8-8:30 p.m. CBS.

Premieres Sunday. Moves to its regular time slot Saturday.

Frannie (Miriam Margolyes) is an outspoken, overworked and unappreciated housewife worn down by years of serving a chauvinistic Cuban husband (Tomas Milian) who cavalierly treats her as his personal maid, cook and waitress. She has a 20-year-old daughter contemplating marriage and a wisecracking teen-age son adept at testing her will to kill. The frustrated Frannie has even reached a point where she fantasizes about setting her spouse on fire. The downside to acting on her impulse is that she’d be the only person around to sweep up the ashes.

Shop talk: Producers hate to see their new shows preempted early in the season for specials or sports, which is just what will happen to this Carsey-Werner (“Roseanne,” “The Cosby Show”) comedy when it gets bumped by the World Series next month.

“HERE AND NOW”

Saturdays 8-8:30 p.m. NBC.

Premieres Saturday.

Malcolm-Jamal Warner stars as Alexander James, an idealistic counselor doing volunteer work with inner-city kids at a Manhattan youth center. In the pilot, he contends with one bad apple whose intimidating older brother has a reputation as the “biggest dealer in the neighborhood.” And we aren’t talking about antiques.

Shop talk: Confident that former Cosby kid Warner can carry his own comedy series, NBC will use it to lead off the revamped Saturday night lineup. The show’s original title was “Crossroads,” which had to be scrapped since that’s the name of Robert Urich’s new ABC drama.

“COVINGTON CROSS”

Saturdays 8-9 p.m. ABC.

Premiered last month. Moves to its regular time slot Sept. 19.

Easily the most atypical new show on the fall schedule, this medieval family adventure is set in merry, and sometimes raucuous, old England. It tells the story of noble widower Sir Thomas Gray (Nigel Terry), his bickering sons and headstrong daughter (Ione Skye). With plenty of derring-do, spirited sword play, treacherous villains and flashes of humor, it’s a hybrid of “Robin Hood” and “Bonanza.”

Shop talk: On a prime-time schedule otherwise crammed with cops, sitcoms and reality shows, this well-crafted period piece stands out in the crowd. That doesn’t guarantee it will reach a wide audience, however, particularly since many of the young people to whom it might appeal generally go out on Saturday nights.

“OUT ALL NIGHT”

Saturdays 8:30-9 p.m. NBC.

Premieres Saturday.

NYU grad Jeff Carswell (“Boyz N the Hood’s” Morris Chestnut) is livin’ large. After one day in L.A., he’s found a great job and a stylish apartment in the building owned by his new boss, singer-turned-entrepreneur Chelsea Paige (Patti LaBelle). All would be well, if only the overly maternal Chelsea, who also owns the trendy dance club where Jeff works, would treat him like the responsible adult he claims to be.

Shop talk: TLC, Hammer, Bobby Brown, Gladys Knight, Boyz II Men and Jodeci are among the pop stars scheduled to perform on the show, which illustrates how NBC plans to lure young MTV-weaned viewers attracted by the premise ... or the tunes.

“THE EDGE”

Saturdays 9:30-10 p.m. Fox.

Premieres Saturday.

Julie Brown sends up a Mariah Carey video. A network executive unveils a ratings device that enables viewers to register instant displeasure with a TV pilot. And a Godzilla-sized Delta Burke look-alike rips the roof off the Sugarbakers office in a splendid spoof of “Designing Women.” That’s a sample of the edgy humor in this collection of comedy sketches featuring a cast of mostly fresh faces.

Shop talk: Here’s a show that will only be as good as its material. It would pair up nicely with the network’s “In Living Color” on Sundays, but that slot is already taken by “Roc.” As the season opens, “The Edge” follows “Code 3,” a reality show in its second season.

“CROSSROADS”

Saturdays 9-10 p.m. ABC.

Premieres Monday. Moves to its regular time slot Sept. 26.

At a turning point in life, chief deputy D.A. John Hawkins (Robert Urich) is destined for bigger and better cases in New York. There’s one small problem, however. Hawkins has just been given custody of the rebellious 16-year-old son (Dalton James) he hasn’t seen in 10 years. The idea here is that father and estranged son will solidify their bond each week while hitting the road atop Dad’s old Harley.

Shop talk: Then came Urich, again. The actor’s ninth prime-time series (not counting “National Geographic Explorer,” which he hosts), “Crossroads” may have a familiar ring for those who recall the 1969-70 drama “Then Came Bronson,” in which a reporter sought the meaning of life while traveling across the country on a motorcycle. Does that qualify as recycling?

“ANGEL STREET”

Saturdays 10-11 p.m. CBS.

Two-hour premiere Tuesday. Moves to its regular time slot Sept. 26.

Two female police detectives--one black (Robin Givens), the other white (Pamela Gidley)--reluctantly team up on an all-male homicide division in Chicago. When it comes to friendship, these two won’t be mistaken for true-blue Cagney and Lacey.

Shop talk: Aside from a cliched premise, this drama has a few things going for it: two strong women characters, gritty Windy City location shooting and good performances from Givens and Gidley.