ABC Moves ‘Matlock’ In, ‘Delta’ Out : Television: ‘Room for Two’ and ‘Homefront’ are also placed on hiatus as the network changes its Thursday night lineup.

ABC on Wednesday announced changes in its struggling Thursday night schedule that will bring back Andy Griffith as “Matlock” and take away Delta Burke as “Delta.”

“Matlock” and “Jack’s Place,” a one-hour romantic comedy that was a surprise hit last summer, will join the schedule Jan. 14, replacing “Delta,” “Room for Two” and “Homefront,” which will all be placed on hiatus following tonight’s episodes.

“Matlock” will air at 8 p.m., and “Jack’s Place” will follow at 9 p.m. “PrimeTime Live” will continue to round out the Thursday ABC lineup at 10.

The move marks the return of “Matlock” as a series, following its removal from the NBC schedule last season along with “In the Heat of the Night” and “The Golden Girls.” “Matlock” TV movies this season have scored well in the ratings.

Although “Matlock,” “In the Heat of the Night” and “The Golden Girls” had loyal followings on NBC, they did not fit in with the network’s plan to attract a younger audience. CBS now airs “In the Heat of the Night” on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. and the revamped “Golden Girls”--”Golden Palace”--on Fridays at 8 p.m.

“Matlock” stars Griffith as the witty country lawyer with a down-home style and a fascination for murder mysteries. “Jack’s Place” stars Hal Linden as a successful musician who gave up life on the road to become the owner of a restaurant and bar, where romance blooms among the cast and guests.

New episodes of “Delta,” “Room for Two” and “Homefront” will air in the spring, ABC said.

“Delta,” starring Burke as an aspiring country music singer, was one of this season’s highly anticipated series because of controversies surrounding Burke and her heated departure from her former series, “Designing Women.” But the media spotlight never translated into high ratings, with the show ranking 77th out of 114 shows in the season-to-date ratings.

“Room for Two,” a comedy in its second season starring Linda Lavin as a mother who seeks to dominate her grown daughter, ranks 85th in the ratings, while “Homefront,” a drama about several families in the post-World War II era, which was also in its second season, ranks 82nd.

In other network news, CBS said “Space Rangers,” a new and irreverent science-fiction comedy, will premiere Wednesday, Jan. 6, at 8 p.m., replacing “The Hat Squad,” which will move to Saturdays at 10 p.m. on Jan. 2.

“The Hat Squad,” which premiered this season, ranks 79th in the season-to-date standings. The series will take the time slot previously inhabited by “Angel Street,” which was the first show of the season to be canceled.

On Jan. 2, the network will also premiere “Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman,” starring Jane Seymour, at 8 p.m., and will bring back “Raven,” an action-adventure series that aired during the summer and early fall. The network currently airs movies in the 9-11 p.m. slot.

NBC still has not firmed up any changes in its January schedule, although it is expected to move “Seinfeld,” which currently airs on Wednesdays, to Thursdays.

Meanwhile, NBC seemed to be the winner in the derby with ABC and CBS, which are all making television movies based on the infamous Amy Fisher (“Lethal Lolita”) attempted murder case. The network said Wednesday that it has moved up the air date for “Amy Fisher: My Story” fromJan. 24 to Dec. 28.

CBS said it was still planning to broadcast its film, “Casualties of Love: The ‘Long Island Lolita’ Story,” on Jan. 26. ABC has not yet set an air date for “Beyond Control: The Amy Fisher Story.”

All the films will tell different versions of the case, which revolves around Fisher, a teen-ager who was convicted this year of shooting the wife of her alleged lover. The woman survived.

Changes on ABC

ABC is juggling its prime-time Thursday schedule effective Jan. 14, dropping two comedies and a drama and adding the one-hour “Matlock” and comedy-drama “Jack’s Place.”

Out In 8 p.m. “Delta” “Matlock” 8:30 p.m. “Room for Two” 9 p.m. “Homefront” “Jack’s Place”

Note: “PrimeTime Live” remains at 10 p.m.

Source: ABC