In addition to the nearly three dozen new series on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox this season, there will be lots of changes among the returning shows.
Of 59 series returning to the four networks, 15 will be seen on new nights and/or times. And one, "In the Heat of the Night," will even be seen on a new network. (It's moving from NBC to CBS.)And, as usual, lots of those returning series will make changes - some major, some minor - in an attempt to keep the audience interested.
Here's a quick look at what to expect each night of the week.
Sunday
Becca and Jesse will break up on Life Goes On, but Corky and Amanda will get married. Becca gets a job, and Libby will become interested in another man.
A 6-year-old boy named Seven is the newest Bundy on Married . . . With Children. He's Peg's nephew, abandoned by his parents. Bud goes to college, and Kelly finally gets a job - at a burger joint.
In Living Color will be without Damon Wayans and Steve Park, and creator/producer/star Keenen Ivory Wayans has decreed that all the old characters are gone for good. In addition to new characters, the show will add several new cast members, including Alexandra Wentworth.
Arleen Sorkin has been replaced by Tawny Kitaen ("The New WKRP In Cincinnati") as co-host of America's Funniest Home Videos.
Roc is going "live" this season for all 22 episodes (although it will be on tape-delay in this time zone.)
Monday
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles will concentrate more on the teenage Indy and less on the pre-adolescent Indy as it moves to Mondays. Upcoming adventures will feature Mata Hari, Lenin, Al Capone and George Gershwin.
Evening Shade's season begins with a new baby - the offspring of grandfatherly Evan and ex-stripper Fontana.
Will has a new girlfriend on Fresh Prince of Bel Air; cousin Hilary has a new job as a weather reporter; Aunt Vivian is pregnant; and Uncle Philip is running for a judgeship.
David Lascher joins the cast of Blossom as the title character's full-time boyfriend.
Murphy Brown has to deal with her new baby and being a working, single mom, but the producers promise not to turn this into a domestic comedy. And the "FYI" gang will get a new network boss.
On about the fifth episode of Northern Exposure, Anthony Edwards joins the cast as a hypo-allergic lawyer who lives in a plastic bubble.
Tuesday
Joey and Jesse form a radio team on Full House, where love comes to both 16-year-old D.J. and her father.
Sam will have competition on Quantum Leap - a female "evil leaper" bent on creating unhappy endings as "Leap" moves to Tuesdays.
The Connors have it rough as Roseanne's new season begins. The motorcyle shop goes under, forcing Dan to return to the drywall business and Roseanne to get serious about her job hunting. And Becky runs off and marries her boyfriend, Mark. (Both will return as occasional guest stars.)
Kay Lenz joins the regular cast of Reasonable Doubts, playing the tough defense attorney she introduced as a guest star last season. Dicky's ex-girlfriend, Kay, is shot, and a new woman enters his life on this new night.
The Coach and Christine finally tie the knot this season. The team's winning streak ends, but the Screaming Eagles do go to another bowl game. Kelly takes a part-time job at the athletic department, and Luther considers retirement.
Wednesday
It's 1972 on The Wonder Years, and 16-year-old Kevin begins his junior year. He's still going with Winnie, and interested in the Nixon-McGovern race. Wayne goes to work at his father's plant, and moves into the rec room downstairs.
The kids on Beverly Hills, 90210 begin their senior year of high school and deal with race relations, child molestation and classroom sexism as well as homecoming and the prom. Joining the cast as semi-regulars are a sophomore transfer student; a freshman computer whiz; the sister of Scott, who was killed in a handgun accident last season; and a new teacher who's the newspaper adviser. And expect big fallouts among the regulars.
Doogie Howser, M.D. turns 19, moves out of the house and decides on his medical specialty - trauma surgeon. And his father joins the staff at Eastman Medical Center.
Tim gets a new boss - and she's a woman - as Home Improvement moves to Wednesdays. Meanwhile, on the homefront, Jill goes to work and Tim spends more time doing the housework and raising the boys.
The interracial romance between the chief and the councilwoman heats up on In the Heat of the Night, which changes nights, times and networks.
Jerry Orbach is replacing Paul Sorvino, and a female police psychologist joins the cast of Law & Order, now seen on Wednesdays.
Sydney and Charlie decide to date other people on Civil Wars, and Eli returns to work full time - but concentrates on non-divorce cases.
Thursday
Several new cast members join A Different World, including Karen Malina-White, whose Charmaine character moves over from "The Cosby Show." And newlyweds Whitley and Dwayne share quarters with Ron.
Baby Maggie will finally speak on The Simpsons. Other upcoming highlights include Homer having a heavenly conversation, Lisa meeting Bob Hope and Marge making her singing debut. Guest voices will include Tom Jones, Linda Ronstadt, Hugh Hefner, Leonard Nimoy, Adam West and Sara Gilbert.
Room for Two will spend more time outside the workplace, as Edie starts dating more and daughter Jill continues her on-again, off-again relationship with her boyfriend.
On Homefront's new night and time, Charlie and Gina discover they're in love, but Caroline fights Charlie's divorce petition because it would mean her deportation. Abe and Gloria struggle to make a go of their new business, and their son, Robert, returns with a French wife. Jeff is still struggling with the Cleveland Indians, and his fiancee, Ginger, gives up radio for that newfangled television experiment. Linda goes to work for a newspaper, and Al and Anne become over-40 parents.
Street Stories adds a correspondent - former "Today" show co-host Deborah Norville.
A fire strikes the bar in the season-opener of Cheers, leaving Sam in a struggle to keep the business going. Also, Frazier and Lilith have marital problems, and Norm gets a job - at a brewery!
Val is missing (Joan Van Ark quit), and Frank will be written out (Larry Riley died) as the 14th - and apparently last - season of Knots Landing begins. Look for Gary to get involved with another woman - a current member of the cast. Also, the triangle of Greg Sumner and the mother-daughter duo of Anne and Paige heats up; Alex departs; and Nick returns and teams up with that awful Vanessa.
The cast survives the plane crash cliff-hanger on Wings, but Sandpiper Airlines is in big trouble. A female chopper pilot joins the cast.
John Tinker and John Masius, who used to run things on "St. Elsewhere," attempt to revive L.A. Law this season. Gone are Grace, Susan, Frank - and Zoey won't be around for long. And coming aboard are A Martinez ("Santa Barbara") as a tough litigator and an as-yet uncast female trial lawyer, who'll show up in the sixth episode. Among returnees, Tommy will move to the D.A.'s office, Gwen will become sort of an assistant lawyer, Jonathan plays politics, and Leland spends more time in the courtroom.
Friday
America's Most Wanted introduces a new set and new theme music, and will concentrate more on up-to-the-minute reports.
Major Dad's wife runs for mayor as the show moves from Mondays. And the major is promoted to lieutenant colonel (although the show won't be retitled).
Julia Duffy is gone from Designing Women (another Monday stalwart switched to Fridays), but Judith Ivey joins the cast - and the financially struggling design firm - as a rich, bored Texas widow. Anthony gets married, but not to Jackee, to whom he was engaged at the end of last season.
Nathan rebels as I'll Fly Away moves to a new night, while Forrest accepts a position as U.S. attorney. And a family tragedy awaits.
Saturday
Brooklyn Bridge moves to Saturdays, and it will focus more on stories from Grandma Sophie's point of view, and less on the kids. And James Naughton and Constance Macashin, who appeared last season as Katie Monahan's parents, become semi-regulars.
Paul Provenza joins the cast of Empty Nest as Carol's artist boyfriend, and takes up residence in the Weston's garage.
Nurses adds two new cast members - a white-collar criminal (David Rasche of "Sledgehammer") who is sentenced to work in the hospital, and a male paramedic transferred to nursing because of his "unorthodox antics." Jeff Altman has left the series.
The Commish becomes a father for the second time. And Melinda McGraw joins the cast as a detective.
On Sisters, young Reed marries an aspiring filmmaker. A millionaire businessman becomes interested in Teddy and her line of clothes. And Georgie carries a surrogate baby for Frankie and Mitch.
*****
(Additional information)
Fall premiere dates
Aug. 10: "Blossom"
Aug. 15: "Cops," "Code 3"
Sept. 4: "America's Most Wanted"
Sept. 9: "Beverly Hills, 90210" (fall episodes)
Sept. 10: "Top Cops"
Sept. 11: "America's Most Wanted," "Sightings"
Sept. 13: "Brooklyn Bridge," "Married . . . With Children," "Herman's Head"
Sept. 14: "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"
Sept. 15: "Rescue 911," "Roseanne"
Sept. 16: "Unsolved Mysteries," "Home Improvement," "Seinfeld" (fall episodes), "Coach"
Sept. 17: "Homefront"
Sept. 18: "Family Matters," "Step by Step," "Dinosaurs"
Sept. 19: "Empty Nest," "Nurses"
Sept. 20: "Life Goes On," "America's Funniest Home Videos," "America's Funniest People"
Sept. 21: "Young Indiana Jones Chronicles," "Evening Shade," "Murphy Brown."
Sept. 22: "Full House"
Sept. 23: "The Wonder Years," "Doogie Howser, M.D.," "Civil Wars," "Law & Order"
Sept. 24: "A Different World," "The Simpsons," "Room For Two," "Cheers," "Wings"
Sept. 25: "Major Dad," "Designing Women," "I'll Fly Away"
Sept. 26: "The Commish," "Sisters"
Sept. 27: "Murder, She Wrote"; "In Living Color"
Sept. 28: "Northern Exposure"
Oct. 6: "Quantum Leap"
Oct. 13: "Reasonable Doubts"
Oct. 28: "In the Heat of the Night"
Oct. 29: "Knots Landing"; "L.A. Law"