Abc Draws On Disney For Fall Schedule
ABC Entertainment President Jamie Tarses figuratively donned Mouska-ears Monday in reprogramming the Disney-owned network to the tune of 11 new series and an extra “20/20.”
Four of the newcomers, including Sunday’s return of “The Wonderful World of Disney,” are from ABC’s parent company. They join the returning “Home Improvement,” “Ellen,” “Soul Man” and “Boy Meets World” to give the No. 3-rated network 5-1/2 hours of Disney product each week. Seven of ABC’s 12 sitcoms come courtesy of the house that Walt built.
Two long-running ABC series, “America’s Funniest Home Videos” and “Grace Under Fire,” are off the schedule but will return as midseason replacements, Tarses said. Gone for good are “Roseanne,” “Coach,” “Lois & Clark: the New Adventures of Superman,” “Step By Step,” “Murder One,” “High Incident,” “Relativity,” “Dangerous Minds,” “Common Law,” “Life’s Work,” “Gun,” “Leaving L.A.,” “Spy Game,” “Vital Signs” and “Townies.”
ABC also has dropped “Family Matters” and “Clueless,” but those are expected to be picked up respectively by CBS and UPN.
Presenting the new series:
“Timecop” (drama) - JeanClaude Van Damme gives way to T.W. King in the network’s weekly version of the 1994 sci-fi action film.
“Over the Top” (comedy) - Fired soap opera actor Simon Ferguson (Tim Curry) impulsively visits his ex-wife, Kate (Annie Potts), whom he left 20 years ago. She can’t get rid of him after he ingratiates himself with her two children.
“Hiller and Diller” (comedy) - Kevin Nealon and Richard Lewis play an odd-couple team of TV comedy writers. Hiller’s happily married; Diller’s divorced and “hyperneurotic.” Lewis plays Diller, of course.
“Dharma & Greg” (comedy) - Jenna Elfman segues from the canceled Townies to the role of Dharma Lowenstein, a quintessential “free spirit” raised by hippie parents. It’s love at first sight when she meets the blue-blooded Greg Montgomery (Thomas Gibson).
“Nothing Sacred” (drama) - ABC complements Dan Aykroyd’s “Soul Man” with a second show about ministry in the ‘90s. Kevin Anderson stars as troubled Father Ray, who has been “cursed with a God-given gift for touching people’s souls.”
“Cracker” (drama) - Murphy Brown alum Robert Pastorelli goes from painting houses to solving crimes. Adapted from the well-received A&E series.
“Genie” (comedy) - Think Jeannie but with the roles reversed. Harley Jane Kozak played a divorced single mom who unrolls a mystical rug to discover a genie named Genie (John Ales). Oh what fun.
“Teen Angel” (comedy) - Fifteen-year-old Marty (Mike Damus) eats a 6-month-old hamburger on a dare and wakes to find himself in heaven. When he returns to Earth, he’s invisible to everyone except his best pal, Steve (Jordan Brower).
“C16: FBI” (drama) - Edgy Eric Roberts stars as a rule-bending, elite G-man who hand-picks a crimefighting team.
“Total Security” (drama) - Has Jim Belushi ever fronted a successful movie or TV show? Didn’t think so. But he’s back to try again as a hotsy totsy L.A. security man.
“The Wonderful World of Disney” (comedy/drama) - ABC is promising some big-ticket broadcast network premieres, including “Toy Story,” “Babe,” and “Pochahontas.”
xxxx ABC fall schedule ABC’s new fall television schedule: Monday 8-9 “Timecop” 6 “ABC’s NFL Monday Night Football” Tuesday 8-8:30 “Soul Man” 8:30-9 “Over the Top” 9-9:30 “Home Improvement” 9:30-10 “Hiller and Diller” 10-11 “NYPD Blue” Wednesday 8-8:30 “Spin City” 8:30-9 “Dharma & Greg” 9-9:30 “The Drew Carey Show” 9:30-10 “Ellen” 10-11 “PrimeTime Live” Thursday 8-9 “Nothing Sacred” 9-10 “Cracker” 10-11 “20/20” Friday 8-8:30 “Sabrina, The Teenage Witch” 8:30-9 “Boy Meets World” 9-9:30 “Genie” 9:30-10 “Teen Angel” 10-11 “20/20” Saturday 8-9 “C16: FBI” 9-10 “Total Security” 10-11 “The Practice” Sunday 7-9 “The Wonderful World of Disney” 9-11 “The ABC Sunday Night Movie”