Roster includes six new shows

by Andrew Wallenstein

  What a difference a year makes at 8 p.m. for ABC. Changes are in store in that time slot for every night of the week this fall except Sunday.
   In stark contrast to NBC, which emphasized the return of its 8 p.m. anchors, the network will shake up its schedule in order to plug holes left by series, including ``Home Improvement,'' which ended its run, and ``Two of a Kind,'' which was cancelled due to poor ratings.   But with more shows than any other network in the 20 top-ranked series among adults 18 to 49—nine in all--ABC made no other big adjustments for the 1999-2000 season.    Six new shows were purchased, many of them odd choices considering some of the higher-profile pilots ABC passed over for unspecified reasons.    Four of ABC's top-rated comedies will switch time slots to 8 p.m. In its third move in as many years, ``Spin City'' will be pushed back an hour to replace ``Home Improvement'' on Tuesday. ``Improvement's'' lead-out, ``The Hughleys,'' will take the slot ``Two of a Kind'' vacated on Friday. ``Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place'' and ``Whose Line Is It, Anyway?'' will anchor Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.   These shifts are gutsy--and possibly stupid. While ``Spin City'' has proven itself a worthy competitor at any time slot and ``Pizza Place'' has scored surprisingly well in young-adult demos, the other two transfers are head-scratchers.    The ``Hughleys'' coasted through its rookie season, thanks to having ``Improvement'' as a solid lead-in. But ABC may have overestimated its allure as anchor for the``T.G.I.F.'' lineup, which looks in bad shape. ``Whose Line'' benefited from having its host's popular sitcom, ``Drew Carey,'' as a lead-in, but may suffer head to head with NBC's ``Friends.''   ABC's other two 8 p.m. changes are Monday and Saturday. ``Monday Night Football'' is back at 9 p.m. after this season's early start brought it pitiful ratings, particularly on the West Coast.    ABC will play it safe on Saturday, which has been a ratings disaster all decade long (remember the new ``Fantasy Island?''), by turning the night into a movie showcase.   Returning to the schedule at its Tuesday, 9:30 p.m. slot is the critically acclaimed "Sports Night", which could get a badly needed ratings boost from new lead-in ``Dharma & Greg.'' (remember the new ``Fantasy Island?''), Modest midseason successes ``The Norm Show'' and ``It's Like, You Know.'' are also back. ABC didn't specify any midseason additions for this coming January, although it previously announced an animated version of Kevin Smith's film ``Clerks'' will launch as a series, possibly the night of the Super Bowl, which the network will broadcast this year.   For its pilots ABC leaned on some of TV's top talents. ``Ally McBeal'' creator David E. Kelley will executive produce ``Snoops,'' a detective ``dramedy'' that will precede another one of his projects, ``The Practice,'' on Sunday. Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick, creators of ``thirtysomething,'' delivered ``Once & Again,'' a romantic drama that will take ``NYPD Blue's'' Tuesday time slot before the cop drama makes its November debut. ``Dawson's Creek'' mastermind Kevin Williamson is aiming for another hit with ``Wasteland,'' which could be a sleeper success Thursday at 9 p.m.    Rounding out the pilot list are sitcoms ``Then Came You '' (Thursday, 8:30 p.m.), ``Odd Man Out'' (Friday, 9:30 p.m.) and ``Oh Grow Up'' (Wednesday, 9:30 p.m.).   ABC's six selections are a curious bunch, considering what was left behind in development: Dramas from ``Twin Peaks'' creator David Lynch and ``Chicago Hope'' actor Peter Berg, as well as sitcoms featuring movie stars Charlie Sheen and Joan Cusack.    Curiously, ABC prefers big names behind the camera, not in front of it.