Preview ’92 : Wiseguys and Smart Gals : Perry Mason, Ken Wahl ‘Murphy Brown’ and ‘Roseanne’ join the land of reruns

Two of America’s favorite TV ladies, “Roseanne” and “Murphy Brown,” will enter the Retro zone this fall as local stations start airing repeats of the sitcoms. Several other still-popular prime-time series-- “The Wonder Years,” “Unsolved Mysteries” and “Designing Women”--also will be seen in reruns.

Fall Retro series also feature such chestnuts as “The Rockford Files,” “The Best of the Ed Sullivan Show” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.”

Here is a look at what’s new in Retro this season, including premiere dates in parentheses.

Broadcast

KCBS

“The Best of the Ed Sullivan Show”--Vintage performances from the 1960s edition of “The Ed Sullivan Show,” will undoubtedly feature the Beatles, Topo Gigio, various comedians and jugglers and excerpts from Broadway shows, Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. (already premiered).

“Wiseguy”--Ken Wahl stars as an undercover government agent. Ray Sharkey, Kevin Spacey, Jerry Lewis and Ron Silver are among the many guest stars, Sundays at midnight (Sept. 20).

KNBC

“HBO Comedy Showcase”--One-hour comedy specials, which originally aired on HBO, feature performances by such stand-ups as Joe Piscopo, Garry Shandling and Richard Lewis, early Sundays at 1 a.m. (Sept. 27). (Also Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. on San Diego’s KGTV).

KTLA

“Murphy Brown”--Vice President Dan Quayle can now catch repeats of the comedy series starring Candice Bergen as the feisty television anchor, weeknights at 7 p.m. (Monday). (Also Mondays-Saturdays on San Diego’s KNSD.)

“Designing Women”--Those wild and wacky Sugarbaker ladies make their syndication debut, Mondays-Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. (Sept. 21). (Also Mondays-Saturdays at 12:30 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 5:30 p.m. on San Diego’s KUSI.)

“In the Heat of the Night”--Carroll O’Connor and Howard Rollins star in the long-running detective series based on the Oscar-winning 1967 film, weekdays at 3 p.m. (Sept. 21). (Also weeknights at 7 on San Diego’s KTTY.)

KTTV

“The Beverly Hillbillies”--The Clampetts leave the Ozarks and move to Beverly Hills after they strike oil on the camp ‘60s CBS comedy series starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Max Baer Jr. and Donna Dixon, weekdays at 10 a.m. (already premiered).

“Perry Mason”--Raymond Burr, Barbara Hale and William Hopper star in the classic mystery series about Erle Stanley Gardner’s omniscient attorney, weeknights at midnight (already premiered).

“The Wonder Years”--Young Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage) experiences growing up in the late ‘60s in the award-winning comedy series, weeknights at 6:30 and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. (Sept. 21). (Also weeknights at 5:30 on San Diego’s XETV.)

KCOP

“Roseanne”--Repeats of prime-time’s current No. 1 sitcom star Roseanne Arnold and John Goodman, weeknights at 6 p.m. (Sept. 28). (Also Mondays-Saturdays at 7 p.m. on KUSI.)

Cable

A&E;

“The Rockford Files”--James Garner won an Emmy as the easygoing Los Angeles private detective Jim Rockford in this lighthearted mystery series from the ‘70s, weekdays at 3 p.m. (Monday).

The Family Channel

“Life Goes On”--The critically acclaimed series, currently entering its fourth season on ABC, focuses on the lives of the middle-class Thacher family. Down’s syndrome actor Chris Burke and Patti LuPone star, Mondays-Thursdays at 7 p.m; Sundays at 1 p.m. (already premiered).

“The Young Riders”--Josh Brolin, Stephen Baldwin and Brett Cullen star in this Western set in the 1860s about the Pony Express, Mondays and Thursdays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 8 p.m. (already premiered).

Lifetime

“Unsolved Mysteries”--Robert Stack hosts the long-running NBC reality-based series, weeknights at 7 p.m. (Oct. 5).

“Anything But Love”--Jamie Lee Curtis and Richard Lewis star in the romantic comedy series. (January, 1993).

Nickelodeon

“The Mary Tyler Moore Show”--The beloved, Emmy-winning sitcom joins the Nick at Nite lineup. This week Nick preempts all programming for “The Mary-Thon,” Monday-Thursday from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. and Friday from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. “MTM” will air weeknights at 9 p.m. and 2:30 a.m., Saturdays at 11 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 a.m. and 11 p.m. (Sept. 19).

TBS

“Three’s Company”--The sexy comedy series, which aired on ABC from 1977 to ‘84, starring John Ritter, Suzanne Somers and Joyce DeWitt as roomies, airs on Ted Turner’s cable network, weekdays at 3:05 p.m. (Monday).

USA

“Quantum Leap”--This week the Scott bakula time-traveling series joins the cable lineup, Mondays-Saturdays at 7 p.m. USA begins with a special Sunday airing of the two-hour pilot, 8 p.m.