UPN Zeros In on Fall Lineup as WB Sets Slate

The UPN Network is expected to boldly go from Monday to Wednesday with its anchor show “Star Trek: Voyager” in the fall.

The start-up network will also establish a two-hour block of African American comedies on Tuesday to counter sitcoms on ABC and NBC. UPN is expected to schedule another hour of comedy featuring African Americans on Monday, hoping to pick up former viewers of NBC’s “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” which is going off the air.

UPN’s four new sitcoms are “Top of the Stairs,” starring “The Cosby Show” alumnus Malcolm-Jamal Warner; “Goode Behavior,” featuring Sherman Hemsley as a con-man dad; “Sparks, Sparks, Sparks,” a comedy set in a law firm starring Robin Givens; and “Homeboys in Outer Space,” a buddy comedy on another planet.

The lone returning sitcom is “Moesha,” while UPN adds the former NBC show “In the House” to its lineup.

A new one-hour drama about researchers studying deadly viruses, “The Burning Zone,” will also join the schedule, while “The Sentinel” returns, paired with “Star Trek.” UPN will officially announce its schedule Thursday.

The WB Network also confirmed its fall prime-time lineup, expanding to Monday night while adding a new Aaron Spelling drama about a minister and his family starring Stephen Collins, “7th Heaven.” New comedies include shows starring Jamie Foxx (“In Living Color”), Steve Harvey (“Me and the Boys”) and Mitch Mullany. The scheduling means that UPN and WB will compete head-to-head on two nights this fall.

The WB schedule is as follows:

* Monday: “The Parent ‘Hood,” “The Steve Harvey Show,” “Savannah.”

* Wednesday: “Sister, Sister,” “Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher,” “The Wayans Bros.,” “The Jamie Foxx Show.”

* Sunday: “Kirk,” “Brotherly Love,” “7th Heaven,” “Life With Roger,” “Unhappily Ever After.”