Sam and ‘Frasier’ to Reunite, ‘Travels’ Part of NBC Lineup : Television: Ted Danson will guest star on the sitcom next month and star in the four-hour miniseries, which will air in the fall.

Old “Cheers” pals Sam Malone and Frasier Crane will reunite next month when Ted Danson guest stars on “Frasier” in a special episode for the ratings sweeps, NBC Entertainment President Warren Littlefield announced Monday during the semi-annual gathering of national television writers and critics.

Danson, who rose to stardom on the acclaimed “Cheers” series, which ran on NBC from 1982 to 1993, will also star in a four-hour miniseries for the network, which will be filmed this spring in Europe and will air in the fall, Littlefield said. Special effects for “Gulliver’s Travels” will be handled by Jim Henson Productions.

The story line for Danson’s appearance on the “Frasier” episode was not disclosed. It will be directed by James Burrows, who has won Emmys for directing both “Cheers” and “Frasier.”

While Danson was one of the highest-paid stars on television during “Cheers,” his post-series film career has been spotty, ranging from the hit “Made in America” to the bombs “Getting Even With Dad” and “Pontiac Moon.”

In other announcements, Littlefield said that producer-director Francis Ford Coppola will produce a one-hour drama series for next fall titled “The Conversation,” based on his 1974 film about an ex-government operative in the world of electronic and videotape surveillance. The series will star Kyle MacLachlan, who has appeared in ABC’s “Twin Peaks” and numerous films, including “The Flintstones.”

NBC has also signed a deal with Lynda La Plante, writer of the British “Prime Suspect” police dramas that have won wide acclaim on PBS, to develop a one-hour series called “The Prosecutor.” The courtroom drama will center on three female prosecutors and will mark the British writer’s first project created specifically for American television.

In addition, actor Tom Hanks has been named as the host for the 23rd American Film Institute Life Achievement Award special that will be taped March 2. Filmmaker Steven Spielberg is being presented with the honor and is the youngest person ever to win the award.

Littlefield also said that Martin Short will return to the NBC lineup soon in a revamped version of “The Martin Short Show,” which was yanked off the air after three airings last fall. The new edition will be a sketch comedy series, poking fun at the world of entertainment, abandoning the previous format that centered around the off-stage life of a television host.