Deja Viewing

Reading through the networks’ descriptions of their new series for fall, we couldn’t help wondering: Haven’t we seen this somewhere before?

Some shows acknowledge their links to the past, such as Steven Bochco’s “Brooklyn South,” which CBS has compared to an earlier police drama produced by Bochco, “Hill Street Blues.” Bochco himself called it “serving old wine in a new bottle.”

From other vineyards come “Dellaventura,” in which a detective (Danny Aiello) helps those in need, just like “The Equalizer” did, and “The Gregory Hines Show,” in which a widowed dad raising a young son spurs faint echoes of “The Courtship of Eddie’s Father.” Throw in “Timecop” (adapted from a movie), “Cracker” (a British series) and yet another comedy starring Tony Danza as an on-his-own dad, and one might begin to suspect there’s nothing new under the sun--or at least on the dial.

“There are only a handful of basic ideas,” says Fred Silverman, who once headed programming at ABC, CBS and NBC and now is an independent producer. “Past that you are really into derivation.”

The key is finding some twist on what’s worked before, resulting in shows that might be dubbed “but-withs”--as in, “It’s a lot like ‘I Love Lucy,’ but with...”

Formulaic as that sounds, producers point out that real measure of success ultimately comes down to the execution. “MASH” and “All in the Family,” after all, sprang from existing material, and as “Fired Up” co-creator Arleen Sorkin reminded a panel about television last month, “a guy with three daughters” can describe “Empty Nest” or “King Lear.”

So where do the roots of next season’s series hopefuls reach? Here’s a sampling, using the networks’ own descriptions:

“Genie”

ABC, Friday 9-9:30 p.m., comedy, joins “TGIF” lineup following “Boy Meets World.”

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From Michael Jacobs, the executive producer of “Boy Meets World” and “Dinosaurs,” comes a modern look at an ageless character, the Genie. Gillian Apple (Harley Jane Kozak) has no room for magic in her life. A divorced mom raising two kids on her own, she prides herself on her self-sufficiency and grounded approach to everyday life. Little does she know that when she steps into a strange shop to pick up a bathroom rug, her life will be turned upside down when one rug unrolls to reveal an outrageous, incorrigible Genie (John Ales). Genie has been rolled up in this rug for 2,000 years, and he needs a wish from a new master to remain free. Needless to say, her kids are delighted by the presence of their new friend, and despite her best efforts, Gillian is charmed by Genie’s inimitable spirit and relentless enthusiasm.

“Meego”

CBS, Friday 8:30-9 p.m., comedy, part of new family block, follows “Family Matters.”

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Bronson Pinchot stars as an alien, wise beyond his 9,000 years, whose spaceship crashes on earth. He’s discovered by the Parker children--Alex (Jonathan Lipnicki), Maggie (Michelle Trachtenberg) and Trip (Erick Von Detten)--who convince their single dad, Dr. Edward Parker (Ed Begley Jr.), that Meego is the perfect caretaker. Intending to stay only until his spaceship can be repaired, Meego becomes emotionally attached to the kids, moves in and reveals an out-of-this-world knack for child rearing on Planet Earth.

“Union Square” a.k.a. “Cheers in New York”

NBC, Thursday 8:30-9 p.m., comedy, follows “Friends (and precedes “Seinfeld”).

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Spunky and determined Mel Suarez (Mel Gorham) flees Miami for New York to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a Broadway actress. Paying the rent, however, is another matter, leading her to Union Square, a restaurant where the eclectic regulars prove to be both friends and supporters. They include Union Square owner Vince (Jeffrey Anderson-Gunter), a Rastafarian cynic; dimwitted waiter Albie (Jonathon Slavin); waitress and wannabe rock star Carrie (Christine Burke); and short-order cook and resident hunk Jack (Jim Pirri), a ladies’ man who was recently paroled for stealing a car. Regular patrons include struggling playwright Michael (Michael Landes), who was recently dumped by Mel’s best friend, and Suzanne (Harriet Sansom Harris), a bitter real estate agent constantly on the prowl for her next big deal.

“The Visitor”

Fox, Friday 8-9 p.m., drama, follows “Millennium.”

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In this gripping one-hour action drama, Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin, creators of “Independence Day,” “Stargate” and the upcoming “Godzilla,” turn their talents to television. In the dark skies above Utah, the Air Force is tracking the crash of an unidentified aircraft. Crash-landing on a mountainside, Adam MacArthur (played by John Corbett of “Northern Exposure”) mysteriously emerges from the wreckage of the downed craft, seemingly unscathed. His sudden appearance sparks a manhunt by opposing national security departments, each with its own agenda to find out who Adam is, how he survived, and why he returned. It appears that Adam, missing in action since World War II, is still the strapping young man he was 40 years ago before disappearing into the Bermuda Triangle. Outwardly unchanged by his mysterious absence, Adam was abducted by an alien race that tapped into the largely unused portion of his brain. On the run from both human and otherworldly forces, with a mysterious mission to complete, Adam eludes his pursuers to embark on a harrowing quest of enormous proportions that will take him in and out of the lives of strangers -- all of whom will find themselves changed by their contact with the Visitor.

“George & Leo”

CBS, Monday 9:30-10 p.m., comedy, follows “Cybill.”

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Bob Newhart (George) and Judd Hirsch (Leo) star as an incredibly mismatched pair of in-laws. When George’s son brings Leo, his future father-in-law, back into the family, it’s a major problem for the future wife: Her long-lost father is “long lost” by choice. Leo’s a small-time hoodlum who’s fled Vegas with some of the mob’s money. And now he’s a problem for George too [because they start living together].

“Teen Angel”

ABC, Friday 8:30-9 p.m., comedy, precedes “Genie.”

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From the Emmy Award-winning executive producers of “The Simpsons” and “The Critic” comes an irreverent look at high school life and teen friendship. On a summer day like any other, 15-year-old Steve Beauchamp (Jordan Brower) turns down a dare from his best friend, Marty (Mike Damus), to eat a 6-month-old hamburger they find under Steve’s bed. “What’s the worst that could happen?” Marty asks, as he takes a bite. He is answered when he wakes up and finds himself in heaven. The two boys are quickly reunited, however, when Marty is sent back to Earth, invisible to all but Steve, as Steve’s guardian angel. Steve is thrilled to see his friend again and delighted at the endless fun they’re going to have. After all, what could be better than having a best buddy with special powers to give a wedgie to a shocked school bully or pull a prank on a hated teacher? However, after Marty’s less-than-heavenly guidance gets Steve into hot water, the boys realize it’s going to take more than a pair of wings to make this troublemaker an angel.