Eight new series to debut

by Andrew Wallenstein

      With FOX introducing more pilots than any other network and moving several existing shows, don't be surprised if you don't recognize its primetime schedule this fall.
      Looking to repeat its success among males 18 to 49 with women, the network is overhauling Monday through Wednesday and dismantling its animation block. With five new dramas and three comedies--including a second abridged edition of the hit series Ally McBeal--FOX is mounting an aggressive strategy that may be a bit too drastic. Although its pilots are a particularly appealing crop, current series return to their 8 p.m. time slot on only two nights.
      Tuesday will bear the most radical reinvention; all four animated series that were there have been renewed but transferred to other nights. FOX also reversed its gutsiest gambit from last year: ''King of the Hill,'' which suffered a ratings meltdown after being moved from Tuesday to Sunday, is now back where it started. ''Futurama'' will also move to Sunday followed ''The Simpsons,'' where it fared better. ''The PJs'' didn't make the fall lineup, but will probably be the first series off the midseason bench, considering FOX recently ordered 22 more episodes.
      Shutting down ''Toonsday,'' as the industry referred to Tuesday, is a significant retreat but a smart one: The animation block met with uneven ratings results. In its place is a more female-friendly lineup, including ''That '70s Show'' at 8:30 p.m. and ''Party of Five'' at 9 p.m., which transfer from Sunday and Wednesday, respectively.
      Anchoring the evening will be a half-hour installment of ''Ally McBeal,'' a mix of never-before-seen scenes and ''repurposed'' footage. It's an unprecedented arrangement conceived of by its creator, David E. Kelley, but probably has a better chance of catching on than an untested pilot. However, FOX Entertainment president Doug Herzog warned he would closely monitor the network's double helping of ''Ally'' to ensure the second edition doesn't ''cannibalize'' the Monday edition.
      ''Ally'' will also get a new lead-in, the ''Party of Five'' spin-off ''Time of Your Life.'' The series, which stars popular actress Jennifer Love Hewitt, replaces ''Melrose Place,'' which ended its run. Herzog plans to package ''Ally'' and ''Time'' together as series for young women. On Wednesday, ''Beverly Hills 90210'' serves as a lead-in to another series aimed at female viewers, the new family drama ''Get Real.''
      The new lineup for Thursday almost equals the audacity FOX is showing on Tuesday. The teen-targeted pilot ''Manchester Prep'' will premiere in a tough time slot: 8 p.m., home of NBC's ''Friends.'' Even bolder is the placement of the sophomore animated series ''Family Guy'' opposite NBC's ''Frasier'' at 9 p.m.
      This time slot is shaping up to be the most competitive period of the entire week, but FOX may have the inside track here. ''Family'' scores well with young males, the same demographic that left ''Frasier'' in droves when FOX scheduled its notorious ''shockumentaries'' at 9 p.m. during the November sweeps. Stung by recent charges that these specials are staged, the network has no plans to add any new ones to its existing ''COPS'' franchise on Saturday.
      On Friday, two new pilots will take over for the canceled ''Millennium'' and ''Guinness World Records: Primetime.'' The cop drama ''Ryan Caulfield'' will be followed by ''Harsh Realm,'' a sci-fi series from Chris Carter, creator of ''The X-Files.'' Despite the pedigree, it's not a guaranteed hit; ''Millennium,'' which yielded poor ratings for two seasons, is also a Carter creation.
      The rap against FOX is that its only good comedy programs are animated, but there will be two new live-action sitcoms: ''Action'' (Thursday, 9:30 p.m.) and ''Malcolm in the Middle'' (Sunday, 7 p.m.). No movies or miniseries are in the works, but ''Titanic'' director James Cameron is producing one of its midseason entries, a sci-fi drama entitled ''Dark Angel.''