Check It Out: 36 Peeks at Fall’s All

The 1997-98 TV season has been off and running since late August, with the curtain already rising on one-third of the 36 new series to be unveiled by ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, UPN and WB. But Monday is when the race begins officially: That’s when everyone has new programming to offer--and when the ratings start counting.

It shapes up as a season showcasing single gals, divorced guys, lots of cops, odd couplings, a few fantasies and clusters of comedies. Diverse actors such as Gregory Hines, Danny Aiello, James Remar and Ice-T are making their series debuts, while others are back for a second, third or (gulp) fourth tour of duty. Tony Danza falls in the latter category.

Which shows will break out from the pack? And which, for want of a substantial audience, will just break down?

ABC has employed a dubious ad campaign rallying support for 11 new shows, while top-rated NBC, which will introduce six fresh sitcoms, seems to think laughter is the best medicine. Meanwhile, the CBS goal is to attract younger viewers with a broader base of programming.

In terms of potental hits (NBC’s “Veronica’s Closet”) or misses (UPN’s “Head Over Heels”), our trusty crystal ball can only tell us so much at this juncture. Actually, it’s up to the viewer--or at least those monitored by Nielsen Media Research--to determine which ventures will rise or fall.

That said, here is a night-by-night overview of what one can expect as autumn arrives.

SUNDAY

“The Wonderful World of Disney” / 7 p.m. ABC. Premieres Sept. 28

Disney chairman Michael Eisner presents a family friendly mix of theatrical and made-for-TV movies in this revival of a cherished favorite. The lineup will be launched with the box-office smash “Toy Story,” while Kirstie Alley (“Toothless”), Whitney Houston and Whoopi Goldberg (“Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella”) and Richard Dreyfuss (“Oliver Twist”) lend their star power to originals.

The outlook: A potentially popular franchise of which Walt would approve.

****

“The World’s Funniest!” / 7 p.m. Fox. Premieres tonight

More rollicking clips--or so Fox would like us to think--of TV shows, movies, kids and animals. Host James Brown (“NFL Sunday”) introduces the bloops and blunders, providing a bridge from the network’s coverage of pro football. If nothing else, it’s a less violent alternative to new editions of “When Animals Attack.”

The outlook: Should tackle the diminished audience formerly drawn to “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” which ABC is revamping for midseason.

****

“Jenny” / 8:30 p.m. NBC. Premieres Sept. 28

Jenny McCarthy as a single, small-town woman from New York who moves to Hollywood, where she seeks a connection to her late father, with help from her best friend (Heather Paige Kent). George Hamilton is McCarthy’s ne’er-do-well dad, a B-movie actor she comes to know through old film clips, commercials and home movies.

The outlook: McCarthy could turn up in a bikini every week, but she would remain a heavy underdog to CBS’ divinely rated “Touched by an Angel” and “King of the Hill,” the animated hit on Fox.

****

“The Tom Show” / 9 p.m. WB. Already premiered

Tom Arnold returns to prime time as a divorced dad raising two daughters in Minnesota, where he tries to revive his career as a TV producer on a morning show hosted by a local icon (Ed McMahon). Arnold is less annoying--OK, he’s actually quite likable--and the writing is snappier than in his previous series (“The Jackie Thomas Show,” “Tom”), but an overworked premise is no help.

The outlook: And neither is a time slot opposite “The X-Files” and network movies.

****

“Alright Already” / 9:30 p.m. WB. Already premiered

Carol Leifer fronts this Seinfeldian sitcom as a thirtysomething single woman with odd friends and family. The pilot supplies inspired material about Carol’s younger sister (Stacy Galina), who’s spent so much time with their overbearing parents (Jerry Adler and Mitzi McCall) that she’s “turned into one of the Golden Girls.” Off-center but generally on the mark, it’s a comedy whose wacky plots may remind you of that other sitcom on NBC. But that’s a given since the veteran Leifer had a hand in many of “Seinfeld’s” zaniest scripts.

The outlook: A dreadful slot for a series with an absurd sense of humor, and there’s nothing funny about bringing up the rear in the Nielsens each week.

MONDAY

“Ally McBeal” / 9 p.m. Fox. Already premiered

An appealing drama from producer David E. Kelley (“The Practice,” “Chicago Hope”) with quirky interludes about a savvy yet vulnerable lawyer (Calista Flockhart) given to witty, Mittyesque fantasies. As the newest member of a Boston law firm, Ally is reunited with a former flame (Gil Bellows), who is now married to a perfect beauty (Courtney Thorne-Smith), which poses an obvious conflict for each of the characters.

The outlook: Or in this case, the unfortunate verdict--”McBeal” will be mangled by other, ahem, ladies of the evening on “Cybill,” “Caroline in the City” and perhaps even “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

****

“Good News” / 9 p.m. UPN. Already premiered

Young, eligible and enthusiastic, David Randolph (David Ramsey) is an acting pastor striving to win over the congregation of his church. The stirring gospel music lifts one’s spirits, but exaggerated portrayals leave a bad taste.

The outlook: Critics were hardly singing the praises of this sitcom, which the network expects to improve on the numbers of the canceled “Goode Behavior” with Sherman Hemsley. Ironically, Hemsley once starred in “Amen,” a similar comedy about a deacon and fellow minister.

****

“George & Leo” / 9:30 p.m. CBS. Already premiered

Bob Newhart, as bookstore owner George, and Judd Hirsch, as small-time hood Leo, are oil-and-water in-laws brought together by George’s son (Jason Bateman), who’s about to marry Leo’s daughter (Bess Meyer). Perfect timing in this sitcom from two old pros, and Newhart is his usual buttoned-down self, but Hirsch’s Leo is too abrasive, a trait that turns tiresome quickly.

The outlook: Sitting pretty between “Cybill” and “Brooklyn South,” the older duo figures to foil its foes, including returnees “The Naked Truth” and “Sparks.”

****

“Brooklyn South” / 10 p.m. CBS. Premieres Monday

Cut from the cloth of “Hill Street Blues” and “NYPD Blue,” this ensemble drama from producer Steven Bochco follows the street cops of the 74th Precinct. Jon Tenney, Michael DeLuise, Yancy Butler and “Hill Street” stalwart James B. Sikking are the most familiar faces. Though the pilot boasts atmospheric location shooting, crisp dialogue and a solid lead in Tenney, its riveting opening includes explicit violence in which the back of an officer’s head is shot.

The outlook: Bochco can be upbeat about his chances here, unless viewers have tired of the cop show ensembles of “NYPD Blue,” “Homicide: Life on the Street” and “Law & Order.”

****

“Timecop” / 10 p.m. ABC. Premieres Monday

Self-assured Jack Logan (T.W. King) charges through the past, ever on the prowl for bad guys anxious to alter the course of history, in this small-screen version of Jean-Claude Van Damme’s action film.

The outlook: ABC hasn’t had a hit in this perennially difficult slot since the 1992 departure of “MacGyver,” leading us to a simple conclusion: Time is not on the side of this cop.

TUESDAY

“Over the Top” / 8:30 p.m. ABC. Premieres Oct. 21

An unemployed, immature actor (Tim Curry) moves into a small Manhattan hotel with his ex-wife Kate (Annie Potts) and her two children in this sitcom produced by “Late Night With David Letterman” alum Robert Morton. Curry, who played a Transylvanian transsexual in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” is no stranger to larger-than-life roles, but Potts, a winner in “Designing Women,” is coming off “Dangerous Minds,” a loser last season on ABC.

The outlook: Nice placement between “Soul Man” and “Home Improvement” may not be enough to salvage this rookie facing stiff competition from “JAG,” “NewsRadio” and “Moesha.” And “Something So Right,” the Jere Burns-Mel Harris comedy ABC picked up from NBC, is waiting in the wings.

****

“Michael Hayes” / 9 p.m. CBS. Already premiered

“NYPD Blue” defector David Caruso resurfaces in the title role of this drama about an honest, idealistic federal prosecutor in New York. A realistic setting and capable cast are assets, but the pilot had predictable plot turns from writers with credits that include the streetwise crime films “Goodfellas” and “Casino.”

The outlook: A certainty to trail the entrenched sitcoms “Home Improvement” and “Frasier.” And will viewers warm to the subtle, nuanced acting style of Caruso the second time around?

****

“Hitz” / 9 p.m. UPN. Already premiered

Brash Busby Evans (Claude Brooks) and insecure Robert Moore (Rick Gomez) are young hustlers at a Los Angeles recording company run by Jimmy Esposito (Andrew Dice Clay), the sexist, swaggering president. Lowbrow and sometimes lunkheaded, this sitcom finds the crass Clay squarely in his element as the resident bully who intimidates all with lines like “Shut your piehole, snapperhead.”

The outlook: No match for the superior sitcoms in its slot, but hopeful of retaining the demographically desirable audience it picks up from “Moesha.”

****

“Hiller and Diller” / 9:30 p.m. ABC. Premieres Tuesday

Comedy about the responsible Ted Hiller (Kevin Nealon) and compulsive Neil Diller (Richard Lewis), a team of veteran sitcom writers and longtime best friends. The underwhelming first script has surprisingly few laughs from creators Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, whose credentials range from “Parenthood” to “City Slickers.” And only Lewis fans will get chortles out of his trademark neuroses.

The outlook: Nealon and Lewis are no Martin & Lewis, which means they could end up squandering the ample lead-in from “Home Improvement” in what the network considers its most coveted time slot.

****

“Head Over Heels” / 9:30 p.m. UPN. Already premiered

Bickering brothers Jack (Peter Dobson) and Warren (Mitchell Whitfield) run a video dating service in Miami Beach. Jack is an oversexed womanizer; Warren is supposedly a stud with sensitivity.

The outlook: Preoccupied with sex and little else, this insipid sitcom should keep its head under water. A lock to be the network’s lowest-rated show, and deservedly so.

****

“Dellaventura” / 10 p.m. CBS. Premieres Tuesday

Danny Aiello as private eye Anthony Dellaventura, a former police detective helping New Yorkers “who have nowhere else to go.” His team consists of another ex-cop (Ricky Aiello, Danny’s son), an attractive charmer (“Mad About You’s” Anne Ramsay) and a surveillance expert (Byron Keith Minns). Its premise recalls “The Equalizer,” another New York-based CBS drama about people in need.

The outlook: The only way Aiello can survive is if “NYPD Blue” fans have tired of Jimmy Smits and Dennis Franz, who had their hands full last season with “Dateline NBC.”

WEDNESDAY

“The Tony Danza Show” / 8 p.m. NBC. Premieres Wednesday

In his fourth sitcom, Danza plays a recently separated New York sportswriter raising two daughters. One (Majandra Delfino) cuts class, the other (Ashley Malinger) complains about ailments. Maria Canals supplies sass and sexiness as technophobic Tony’s able assistant and Dean Stockwell was a late addition as his father, but a hackneyed premise yields been-there, done-that situations.

The outlook: Michael J. Fox (“Spin City”), Fran Drescher (“The Nanny”) and the cast of “Beverly Hills, 90210” will make it tough for Danza to slug his way toward renewal.

****

“Dharma & Greg” / 8:30 p.m. ABC. Premieres Wednesday

Comedy about the whirlwind romance of an unlikely, love-at-first-sight couple: a straitlaced assistant U.S. attorney (Thomas Gibson) and the free-spirited daughter (Jenna Elfman) of two hippies (Alan Rachins, Mimi Kennedy). Contrived yet captivating, the pilot benefits from bright writing, engaging performances and a swell supporting cast, with Susan Sullivan and Mitchell Ryan as Greg’s rich, stodgy parents. Coming over from the histrionic “Chicago Hope,” Gibson must prove he can handle light comedy.

The outlook: Very good, since it faces a wheezing “Murphy Brown,” the new “Built to Last” and long-in-the-tooth “90210.”

****

“Built to Last” / 8:30 p.m. NBC. Premieres Wednesday

Comedian Royale Watkins plays a devoted son who volunteers to run his family’s construction business after his father (veteran Paul Winfield) suffers a heart attack. Newcomer Watkins has presence and appeal as the nominal lead of this sitcom, but the characters are otherwise lackluster, particularly a precocious tyke who spouts lame lines such as “Country music ... it speaks to me!”

The outlook: As Danza goes, so go the fortunes of this old-fashioned entry, which will not last long without bigger laughs.

****

“Public Eye With Bryant Gumbel” / 9 p.m. CBS. Premieres Oct. 1

Newsmagazine focusing on “issues of the day” with a blend of in-depth reporting and live interviews. Bernard Goldberg and former MTV reporter Alison Stewart are among the correspondents. Getting plopped between the comedy of “Murphy Brown” and the melodrama of “Chicago Hope” makes for unconventional scheduling, to say the least.

The outlook: Hopes to pull in older viewers alien-ated by NBC’s “3rd Rock From the Sun” or ABC’s hot combo of “The Drew Carey Show” and “Ellen.”

****

“Working” / 9:30 p.m. NBC. Premieres Oct. 8

Ensemble comedy set in a cold, callous corporation where Fred Savage (“The Wonder Years”) scales the ladder of success. Occasionally clever dialogue and a sharp, satirical view of management (which refers to its employees as “Mongol hordes”). On the downside: an uneven, sometimes predictable approach and characters that could wear thin over time. For example, the unethical boss (Maurice Goldin) claims to know everything but in reality knows nothing.

The outlook: Must work hard to avoid getting lost among the five other sitcoms airing from 9 to 10 p.m.

THURSDAY

“Nothing Sacred” / 8 p.m. ABC. Already premiered

Kevin Anderson portrays Father Ray, a glib, fervent and fallible priest in a financially beleaguered parish. He’s a pastor who jokes a lot (“there’s no heavy lifting” on this job) and sometimes barks at belligerent parishioners (“Go fax yourself!”) while grappling with abortion, celibacy and other hot-button social issues. Full of fresh, well-drawn characters, this drama may rankle some, yet it scores points as the most distinctive hour on the fall schedule. Ray’s colleagues include Sister Maureen (Ann Dowd), a feminist who resents sexist talk about God, and a business manager (Bruce Altman) who’s an atheist.

The outlook: A long shot to lure viewers from the once-almighty “Friends” as well as “Promised Land,” a sophomore CBS drama whose weekly themes also turn on faith and religion. Mere faith, however, cannot ensure the show’s survival.

****

“Union Square” / 8:30 p.m. NBC. Premieres Sept. 25

Ensemble sitcom set at a New York diner where an aspiring Latina actress (Constance Marie) befriends an assortment of characters: a struggling playwright (Michael Landes), a pushy real estate agent (Harriet Sansom Harris) and a macho short order cook (Jim Pirri) among them. It’s a joint where the jokes fly fast and furiously. Unfortunately, few are funny. Check, please.

The outlook: High expectations, given its prime real estate between “Friends” and “Seinfeld,” places pressure on producers to deliver the goods--or be square.

****

“Between Brothers” / 8:30 p.m. Fox. Already premiered

Kadeem Hardison, Dondre T. Whitfield, Kelly Perine and Tommy Davidson play upwardly mobile young men in Chicago. Hardison is a sportswriter who is meticulous about planning every aspect of his life. Whitfield, who portrays his younger brother, is a carefree real estate salesman who loves the ladies.

The outlook: Between us, these brothers may be in for a long season, but having “Living Single” running interference is a plus.

****

“Cracker” / 9 p.m. ABC. Already premiered

Robert Pastorelli, who played the artsy Eldin on “Murphy Brown,” assumes the title role of crackerjack criminal psychologist Gerry “Fitz” Fitzgerald in this American version of the brilliant British drama. It’s a reasonable facsimile of the first-rate original, which starred the wry Robbie Coltrane as a sinful, self-absorbed shrink with a shaky marriage and a penchant for booze and gambling.

The outlook: Bleak, considering the show’s dark nature and its bright NBC foe, the top-rated “Seinfeld.”

****

“413 Hope St.” / 9 p.m. Fox. Already premiered

Ensemble drama focusing on a New York youth facility offering housing, legal assistance, AIDS education and recreational classes. Richard Roundtree plays its terse, tough-minded founder, a businessman whose only son was murdered over a pair of sneakers. Earnest and well-intentioned, the first episode nevertheless had a synthetic feel with do-good characters who did not ring true.

The outlook: With “Between Brothers” as a lead-in, the series can only hope to match the reliable ratings posted in past seasons by “New York Undercover,” which sits on the network’s bench awaiting another at-bat.

****

“Veronica’s Closet” / 9:30 p.m. NBC. Premieres Thursday

Kirstie Alley is Veronica Chase, a vain though highly successful woman running a lucrative lingerie business. Known as the queen of romance, Chase nevertheless has a stormy marriage with a philandering husband (Christopher McDonald). Tart, saucy dialogue from the creators of “Friends” and a well-oiled ensemble (already in midseason form), led by Kathy Najimy as Veronica’s witty assistant. Not funny: an overdone gag about a possibly gay colleague (Wallace Langham) that is not amusing the fourth time around.

The outlook: A shoo-in to be the season’s top new series, thanks in large part to its catbird seat between “Seinfeld” and “ER,” television’s highest-rated shows.

FRIDAY

“Players” / 8 p.m. NBC. Premieres Oct. 17

Lighthearted action series in which a trio of paroled convicts (Ice-T, Costas Mandylor and Frank John Hughes) work for the FBI to wipe their slates clean. The pilot has huge holes (where do these guys get their hardware on such short notice?), but that doesn’t diminish the fun in an otherwise zesty, fast-moving slice of escapism.

The outlook: Packs potential as a playful alternative to the comedy blocks on ABC and CBS, but will women gravitate toward this hour instead of its Fox counterpart “The Visitor”?

****

“The Visitor” / 8 p.m. Fox. Already premiered

“Starman” meets “The Fugitive” in this derivative drama from the producers of “Independence Day,” about Adam MacArthur (“Northern Exposure’s” John Corbett), a World War II pilot who crashes in an unidentified aircraft after disappearing into the Bermuda Triangle and being abducted by space aliens. Nothing farfetched about that, eh?

The outlook: A short-term visitor if it cannot catch on in a slot previously occupied by the sci-fi show “Sliders.”

****

“Meego” / 8:30 p.m. CBS. Already premiered

In this comedy, onetime perfect stranger Bronson Pinchot plays a stranded extraterrestrial who becomes the guardian for three youngsters (Erik Von Detten, Michelle Trachtenberg and Jonathan Lipnicki). Ed Begley Jr. is their single father. Another cutesy accent from Pinchot, who played a Frenchman last season on “Step by Step,” which coincidentally has moved to CBS. Not much originality, either, as the show is a cross between “My Favorite Martian” and “Mork & Mindy.”

The outlook: Young ones may go for this gooey family fare, but older kids would be wise to hit the Internet.

****

“You Wish” / 9 p.m. ABC. Premieres Friday

A single mom (Harley Jane Kozak) with two children (Nathan Lawrence and Alex McKenna) is the reluctant master of a wisecracking 2,000-year-old genie (John Ales). Kozak’s character is a strong-willed parent who guides her youngsters with a firm hand. Ales, a comic with long, untamed locks, is no Robin Williams as the jolly, jokey genie.

The outlook: If ABC made a wish, it would be that this comedy could run for several seasons. That’s a possibility since it will follow “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch” (which moves to 8 p.m. opposite former “TGIF” mate “Family Matters”) and “Boy Meets World.”

****

“The Gregory Hines Show” / 9 p.m. CBS. Already premiered

The actor and dancer hoofs it to prime time in his series debut as a widower with a 12-year-old son (Brandon Hammond). Wonderful chemistry between Hines and Hammond, who are entirely believable as father and son. Wendell Pierce and Bill Cobbs are fine as the star’s brother and father, but Robin Riker and Mark Tymchyshyn are duds as Hines’ friends.

The outlook: The network’s most promising new sitcom, it may have problems building an audience much like “Everybody Loves Raymond,” the acclaimed comedy that earned a renewal after a slow start--and a move to Mondays following “Cosby.”

****

“Teen Angel” / 9:30 p.m. ABC. Premieres Friday

One bite of a bad burger lands troublemaking Marty (Mike Damus) in heaven, where he eagerly agrees to prove himself back on Earth as guardian angel for his best friend Steve (Corbin Allred). Producers Mike Reiss and Al Jean (“The Simpsons”) have lost their satirical touch in this witless wonder co-starring Maureen (Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!) McCormick as Steve’s mother.

The outlook: It’ll take more than Marty’s retractable wings to make this sitcom fly by “Dateline NBC” or “Step by Step,” the former ABC show that has leaped over to CBS as part of its new family block.

SATURDAY

“C-16” / 8 p.m. ABC. Premieres Saturday

Eric Roberts heads a major case squad of seasoned FBI veterans (D.B. Sweeney, Christine Tucci, Zach Grenier) and untested recruits (Angie Harmon, Morris Chestnut) working on kidnappings, hostage crises and terrorist threats. Credible, well-rounded characters who are capable yet flawed and a strong lead in Roberts as the driven but judicious John Olansky. The one thing producers can’t control: a Saturday slot they wouldn’t wish on their worst enemy. Otherwise, few shortcomings in a polished drama whose chief challenge will be to avoid the cliches of other cop shows past and present.

The outlook: Doomed to lag behind its opposition, even back-to-back editions of Fox’s “Cops,” unless ABC can help with heavy promotion, which it deserves. Our wishful thinking: a shift to Mondays, where it would be an ideal complement to “Monday Night Football.”

****

“Total Security” / 9 p.m. ABC. Premieres Saturday

Longtime baddie James Remar (“48 HRS.,” “The Warriors”) goes straight(man), with James Belushi as a shady P.I. at an agency promising personal protection and crime prevention to anyone who can afford it. Remar has a roughed-up face that serves as a welcome contrast to the pretty boys on other series. Essentially, however, this is an ordinary detective show, and Belushi is not convincing as a smooth-talking ladies man. Meanwhile, producer Steven Bochco, one of four creators of this seriocomic drama, recycles tired phrases from his other series. How many times, for example, have we heard dialogue about guys being “jammed up” on “NYPD Blue” or “Murder One”? Enough!

The outlook: Given the dearth of viewers on Saturday nights and longstanding dominance by the CBS lineup, it’s a safe bet that cast members may be feeling totally insecure about their future.

****

“Sleepwalkers” / 9 p.m. NBC. Premieres Nov. 1

Bruce Greenwood (“St. Elsewhere,” “Nowhere Man”) plays Dr. Nathan Bradford, a scientist and founder of an institute exploring dreams “that can manifest themselves in the waking world.” Bradford’s team, which can take part in the imaginary experiences of its clients, includes an interpreter (Naomi Watts), a technician (Abraham Benrubi) and a research subject (Jeffrey D. Sams). The concept is offbeat, but not entirely original, recalling the 1984 film “Dreamscape.” And the pilot has a tendency to take itself too seriously.

The outlook: Assuming the network’s new “thrillogy” drama doesn’t induce slumber in its audience, the hour has a chance to tiptoe toward respectable ratings behind “Early Edition” on CBS. Otherwise, it’s beddy-bye, baby.

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CONTENTS

It’s hard enough to keep track of all the TV channels that are available in our homes these days, much less the bounty of programs each of them spews forth every day. The task is doubly difficult at this time of year, when scores of new series, movies and documentaries are unveiled on the networks, in syndication and on cable.

What’s a viewer to do?

We’re here to help. This issue of TV Times is your guide to the 1997-98 season--a roundup of what’s new and where to find it. Some of the programs have premiered already, but this week is the official beginning of the season, when what you watch helps spell life or death for the newcomers.

-------------------------------

Network Series ... 1

Prime-Time Chart .... 2

Casting Call .... 8

Cable ..... 10

Returning Series ... 12

PBS ..... 13

Spotlights ... 14-17

Movies ... 18

Syndication ... 20

Specials ... 22

This week’s Family shows .... 23

This week’s highlights .... 25