Jeff Sagansky, announcing his first fall schedule since taking over as president of CBS Entertainment, made sweeping changes in the Big Eye's lineup - adding nine new shows, moving five returning shows, revamping five nights and canceling nine series.
CBS, which has languished in the ratings basement for three years in a row, has had particular difficulty coming up with shows to lead off the evening's schedule. Sagansky is taking his shot there, leaving only two of last season's 7 p.m. shows in place."There are new shows in the 7 to 8 p.m. time periods on five nights," he said. "Four are engaging new comedies with break-out star potential. Our new 7 p.m. drama series, "The Flash," is distinguished by a look and production values that won't be seen anywhere else in series television this year."
Sagansky hasn't been shy about canceling shows since he joined the network early this year. Among the shows getting the ax are "City," "The Famous Teddy Z," "His and Hers," "Normal Life," "Max Monroe: Loose Cannon," "Small Talk," "Sugar and Spice," "Sydney" and "Tour of Duty." "Newhart" ended its eight-year run because of contract disputes between the network and the production company.
"Wiseguy" is not on the fall schedule, but will return at midseason. However, star Ken Wahl will be phased out and Steven Bauer will replace him. "Paradise" might also return later.
"Major Dad" is the only survivor among last fall's eight series. And the only spring tryout to make it is "Bagdad Cafe."
One big surprise was the renewal of "Doctor, Doctor," the very funny, off-the-wall series that hasn't been on the CBS schedule in months. The network has also picked up "The Hogan Family," which has spent the last four seasons on NBC.
Connie Chung , who's been a ratings bomb on Saturday nights, moves to Mondays this fall, where two "Face to Face" specials did extremely well earlier this month. Another CBS News show, "48 Hours," moves from the death slot opposite NBC's "Cosby" into the death slot Chung is vacating.
CBS' new comedies are:
-UNCLE BUCK (7 p.m., Mondays): Kevin Meaney takes over the role John Candy played in the movie. He's the ill-mannered, irreverent uncle who takes over his brother's household and three kids. Audrey Meadows has a recurring role as the grandmother.
-LENNY (7 p.m., Wednesdays): In what appears to be CBS' answer to "Roseanne," Lenny Clark stars as a blue-collar guy who's got the answer to all of life's problems. Among Lenny's problems - his wife, three daughters, his parents and his deadbeat brother.
-EVENING SHADE 7 p.m., Fridays): Burt Reynolds bounces back quickly from the cancellation of ABC's "B.L. Stryker." Here he's a ex-NFL player who returns to his hometown in Arkansas with his wife and three children to coach the high school football team. His father-in-law (Hal Holbrook) runs the local newspaper. From the producers of "Designing Women."
-FOUR ALARM FAMILY (7 p.m., Saturdays): Gregory Harrison ("Trapper John, M.D.," "Falcon Crest") stars as a widowed father trying to raise his four kids and run the local fire station. Al Molinaro ("The Odd Couple," "Happy Days"), his father-in-law, helps out.
CBS' new hour-long dramas are:
-WIOU (Wednesdays, 9 p.m.): John Shea heads this large ensemble cast - 12 members strong - as a young news director brought in to save fading big city television station WNDY. Among the cast members are Helen Shaver, Dick Van Patten and Mariette Hartley.
-THE FLASH (Thursdays, 7 p.m.): John Wesley Shipp stars as the comic book hero who acquires superhuman speed during a accident in the laboratory. Although he at first wants to lose his newfound ability, the death of his policeman brother turns him into a crimefighter.
-THE HAMMERSMITHS (8 p.m., Thursdays): This comedy/drama boasts another ensemble cast, headed by Luci Arnaz, Rick Rossovich and Don Murray. It's the story of a large family, their individual lives and interactions.
-OVER MY DEAD BODY (8 p.m., Fridays): Edward "The Equalizer" Woodward returns to series television as a burned-out crime novelist who solves mysteries with a woman (Jessica Lundy) who works as an obituary writer at a San Francisco newspaper in this drama/comedy.
-THE GREEN MACHINE (7 p.m., Saturdays): Gil Gerard heads a team of top-notch professionals from different fields who are selected to fight against threats to the world's environment.
The fall 1990 CBS prime time schedule:
-SUNDAY: 6 p.m., "60 Minutes;" 7 p.m., "Murder She Wrote;" 8 p.m., "CBS Sunday Movie."
-MONDAY: 7 p.m., "Uncle Buck;" 7:30 p.m., "Major Dad;" 8 p.m. "Murphy Brown;" 8:30 p.m., "Designing Women;" 9 p.m., "Face to Face with Connie Chung."
-TUESDAY: 7 p.m., "Rescue: 911;" 8 p.m., "CBS Tuesday Movie."
-WEDNESDAY: 7 p.m., "Lenny;" 7:30 p.m., "Doctor, Doctor;" 8 p.m., "Jake and the Fatman;" 9 p.m., "WIOU."
-THURSDAY: 7 p.m., "The Flash;" 8 p.m., "The Hammersmiths;" 9 p.m., "Knots Landing."
-FRIDAY: 7 p.m., "Evening Shade;" 7:30 p.m., "Bagdad Cafe;" 8 p.m., "Over My Dead Body;" 9 p.m., "Dallas."
-SATURDAY: 7 p.m., "Four Alarm Family;" 7:30 p.m., "Hogan Family," 8 p.m., "The Green Machine;" 9 p.m., "48 Hours."