Pat Buchanan Returning As Co-Host On ‘Crossfire’

Pat Buchanan, who took a leave of absence from CNN two years ago this month to pursue the Republican nomination for president, returns as a co-host of “Crossfire” on March 3.

Buchanan, a “founding father” of the talk show, which since 1982 has pitted a conservative against a liberal in a discussion of the day’s major stories, will return to the conservative seat, in which he will alternate with John Sununu (Bob Novak, who has been Buchanan’s principal substitute, will continue to be on call).

Geraldine Ferraro, the first female vice presidential nominee, and Bill Press, former chairman of the California Democratic Party, will continue to carry the flag for the liberal side.

Buchanan said last week that he would submit a draft of his most recent book, on the history of U.S. trade and foreign policy, early in March, and on Feb. 1 he resumed his twice-a-week syndicated newspaper column.

The half-hour “Crossfire” airs weekdays at 4:30 p.m. on CNN.

‘Murphy’ opts for 10th season

The CBS comedy “Murphy Brown,” thought to be in its last season on the network, will return for a 10th season next fall, the network has announced.

The announcement was something of a surprise because CBS executives had expressed doubts as recently as a month ago that Candice Bergen, the star of the series, would be willing to return.

In addition, the series has become one of the most expensive comedies on television and its ratings, while still acceptable, have diminished sharply this season.

CBS had already decided to take “Murphy Brown” off the air during March and April, substituting the comedy “Cybill” in the longtime “Murphy Brown” slot at 9 p.m. Mondays.

CBS also announced that Diane English, the writer who created the series in 1988 and served as its executive producer for four years, will return as a consultant on the show.

Among television comedies, only “MASH,” “Cheers,” “The Jeffersons” and “Married … With Children,” at 11 seasons, will have had longer runs on the air than “Murphy Brown.”

‘EZ Streets’ returning

After a few months of head-scratching, CBS has finally found a time slot for its critically acclaimed but ratings-anemic new series “EZ Streets” - the exact same slot it yanked the show from a few months back.

Starting March 5, the program will air Wednesdays at 10 p.m., which is right where it started in October.

This time out, though, CBS believes the show is being paired with a better lead-in. “EZ Streets” will follow “Feds,” a new drama from prolific Gotham producer Dick Wolf (“Law & Order,” “New York Undercover”) that will air from 9 to 10.

CBS will actually start the new “EZ Streets” run with a one-time Monday outing on March 3 at 10 p.m. Before the reopening telecast, there will be a short recap of the series’ pilot and story lines.

‘The Crayola Kids Adventures’

In the latest example of television synergy” - otherwise defined as multiple money-making potential - CBS Entertainment, Hallmark Entertainment and Crayola crayons have announced that together they would create three one-hour family dramas to be shown in prime time on CBS in August.

The three stories are classics - “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” “The Trojan Horse” and “Gulliver’s Travels” - but will be presented under a thoroughly modern, marketing-conscious series title, “The Crayola Kids Adventures.”

The companies and several other commercial partners will produce and sell “home and classroom activity sets, interactive software, books, plush toys and other learning products to support the broadcasts,” the announcement said. Jim Henson’s Creature Shop has designed a lion and a toucan to serve as the hosts.