THIRD-RATED ABC PLANS EIGHT NEW SERIES FOR FALL

NEW YORK —  “Our World,” which looked at contemporary history, is history now. But Dennis Weaver, Dabney Coleman and John Ritter, part of TV’s past, are in the network’s future. So is Dolly Parton. All have new series slated for next fall on low-rated ABC.

ABC’s new schedule, which, with Parton’s show, returns the long-absent music-variety format to TV, also will bring back the futuristic “Max Headroom.” But that show, which had an unspectacular six-week run on Tuesdays this spring, may face similar ratings woes next season. It’s been shifted to Fridays opposite CBS’ durable “Dallas” and NBC’s cool-hued “Miami Vice.”

A total of eight new series--four sitcoms, three dramas and Parton’s variety show--are in the fall lineup for ABC, which has fallen on hard times in the Nielsens. It came in third in the prime-time ratings last season for the third consecutive season.

In girding for September battle, the network axed ABC News’ “Our World” after one season. While critically acclaimed, the Linda Ellerbee-Ray Gandolf effort, aired opposite NBC’s hit comedies “The Cosby Show” and “Family Ties,” had ratings so low it was said that divers were dispatched each week to find them.

Another ABC casualty, one that got a weak lead-in from “Our World” on Thursdays, was “The Colbys,” a “Dynasty” spinoff that lasted 1 1/2 seasons. Also dropped: “Mr. Belvedere,” “Webster,” “Jack & Mike,” “Mariah,” “Harry,” “Sidekicks,” “Starman” and ABC’s Sunday-night movie. In addition, “The Disney Sunday Movie” was cut from two hours to one.

A veteran ABC News series, “20/20,” survived. But it was shifted from Thursdays to a different night--Friday, part of an all-new ABC lineup on that evening.

Five other returning series also will be in new time periods, including “Spenser: For Hire,” which now will face CBS’ hit “Murder, She Wrote” on Sundays at 8 p.m.

“Spenser” will be followed by the Parton variety show, then Weaver’s new series, “Buck James,” in which the folksy former “McCloud” star plays a trauma center’s “crack surgeon,” one who has an estranged wife and children. Those roles aren’t cast yet, ABC said.

Another newcomer, this slated for Tuesdays at 10 p.m. after “Moonlighting,” is “Thirtysomething.” A yuppie drama-comedy, it stars Ken Olin and Mel Harris as a 30ish couple who’ve given up one of their incomes and urban life for suburbia and a new baby.

Two new sitcoms will check in on Wednesday. The first, “Hooperman,” from “L.A. Law” creators Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher, stars John Ritter of “Three’s Company” as a plainclothes cop in San Francisco who also owns an apartment building full of lively tenants.

The second, “Slap Maxwell,” stars Dabney Coleman, formerly the loveably nasty host of NBC’s cheered but short-lived “Buffalo Bill.” For ABC, he’ll play a crusty sportswriter--CBS also has one in its new “Frank’s Place”--who divides his free time between his estranged wife and his girlfriend. Those roles haven’t been filled yet, ABC said.

Friday will bring “Full House,” a sitcom about a widower (John Posey) with three daughters aged 10, 5 and 6 months. He’s aided in raising his kids by his rock ‘n’ roll star brother-in law (John Stamos) and a young stand-up comic (David Coulier).

Another new Friday sitcom, also featuring a widower with children, is “I Married Dora.” The kids (Juliette Lewis and Jason Hurst) have a nanny (Elizabeth Pena) from El Salvador. Upon learning she faces deportation, the widower (Daniel Hugh Kelly) marries her.

ABC’s eighth newcomer, “True Color,” a fantasy drama-comedy, stars Jim Turner as a cartoon character, Capt. Justice, who somehow gets loose in the real world with his faithful sidekick Gumshoe, played by Robert Forster. Tony Award-winning actor Milo O’Shea plays the cartoonist who created Capt. Justice.

The release of ABC’s fall roster late Friday afternoon mirrored the hectic haste of CBS last week in getting word out on programs that will face those of first-place NBC, which confidently unveiled its new fall line as scheduled on Wednesday.

CBS, which initially said its new schedule would be out by Friday, rushed things by a day. ABC, which originally said its schedule would come out today, decided to release it Friday, saying it didn’t want the new lineup to leak out over the weekend.

With all three schedules out now, CBS has the most new series, nine, while NBC has the fewest, five.

NBC next season will field 12 sitcoms, 12 one-hour series and have movie nights on Sundays and Mondays.

CBS, which dropped two movie nights but retained its Sunday movie slot, will offer six sitcoms, 15 one-hour entertainment shows, and, unless it decides to delete “West 57th,” two newsmagazine series--the other being the high-rated “60 Minutes.”

ABC’s fall roster has ABC News’ “20/20,” “Monday Night Football,” eight sitcoms, a variety show, a returning Thursday-night movie and 11 hourlong series.

Here is ABC’s night-by-night schedule (subject to change before the season begins in September):

Monday: “MacGyver,” “Monday Night Football.”

Tuesday: “Who’s the Boss?,” “Growing Pains,” “Moonlighting,” “Thirtysomething.”

Wednesday: “Perfect Strangers,” “Head of the Class,” “Hooperman,” “Slap Maxwell,” “Dynasty.”

Thursday: “Sledge Hammer!,” “The Charmings,” “ABC Thursday Night Movie.”

Friday: “Full House,” “I Married Dora,” “Max Headroom,” “20/20.”

Saturday: “True Colors,” “Ohara,” “Hotel.”

Sunday: “The Disney Sunday Movie,” “Spenser: For Hire,” “The Dolly Parton Show,” “Buck James.”