URCHINS!
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Edward Bene (Edward Woodward) is a typical Wall Street investment banker: rich, powerful and coping with a penthouse apartment full of adopted inner- city youth! The wild world of clashing cultures is brought to hilarious life in the new this network TV comedy, Urchins!

Long obsessed with accumulating only wealth and power, Edward's social consciousness is wakened by spunky and sassy social worker LaTonja Watson (Anne Marie Johnson). Told of the hundreds of inner-city minority children that will never find real homes, Bene resolves to adopt them -- all of them, one a week!

Hilarity ensues, as first Mr. Bene's straight-laced English butler, Willmont (Sebastian Cabot), and then his snooty upper-crust neighbors (Peter Scolari and Julia Duffy) are confronted with the joyful chaos caused by the dozens of huggable African-American, Latino and Far Eastern children that invade their lives and hearts.

Urchins! marks the return of many of America's favorite actors to television, including Woodward, Scolari and Duffy. "I'm very excited about this show," says Woodward. "The children are just wonderful, and the way the handlers keep them out from underfoot is amazing."

"We're overjoyed to be working together again," added Scolari. "Julia and I just can't seem to find decent jobs without each other."

Not only is the show packed with old favorites, but new ones as well. A new Urchins! cast member will be introduced every week, each an adorable new orphan for the Bene household -- and all of America -- to fall in love with. Scheduled guest appearances include ice-skating phenom Tara Lapinski as Adra Moltosotick, a Bosnian refugee, and Gary Coleman as Rufus Johnson, a hilariously militant pre-teen.

Urchins! They'll steal your heart!

LIEUY LIEUY
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Lou Farrow (Louis Gossett, Jr.) is a lieutenant in the Philadelphia police force. His roommate, Larry Washington (John Amos), is also a lieutenant in the Philadelphia police force. And when their friend -- a Philadelphia police lieutenant named Ray Turner (Richard Roundtree) -- is thrown out of his house by his wife and has to move in with Lou and Larry, that's one apartment that's going to be lousy with lieutenants. And laughs!

Every day is a new challenge for the guys manning the 43rd Precinct. There's morning roll calls to attend. And there's that snooping I.A. officer (Kim Wayans) to keep at bay. There's investigations to be kept up to speed on, and lots and lots of paperwork to file. And every now and again, there's a down- and-out officer (Alan Autry) who needs to be told, "I'll keep a good thought for you."

Lou, Larry and Ray do it all -- with a vengeance!

"We searched long and hard for a premise that would give us the chance to portray African-Americans as positive authority figures," explained some network TV chief programmer. "And then we thought, 'Hey... police lieutenants!' There's something you don't see a lot of on TV today."

But it's not just gripping police work and a pioneering social conscience that sets apart Lieuy, Lieuy. There's also comedy -- and lots of it.

Fussbudget Lou is always trying to keep the apartment spick-and-span. Slovenly Ray hasn't been in a room that isn't a disaster area by the time he leaves. And suave Larry is quite the ladies' man, always bringing his latest foxy friend home for a little romance -- only to find Lou and Ray there bickering!

"It's like a whole new version of The Odd Couple," Littlefield said. "Only now, there's three characters. And all of them are black!"

When these three lieutenants are on the case, you won't have the right to remain silent. You'll be too busy laughing! And that's why we know you keep a good thought for "Lieuy, Lieuy."

MY THREE BITCHES
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Life in the' 90s is mighty complicated for unemployed schemer and confirmed bachelor Tyrone Baxter (Tommy Davidson). Not only does he have to stay a step ahead of his nosy landlord (Sherman Helmsley), a step ahead of the police, but he has to keep his three Afro-licious girlfriends from finding out about each other! From the producers of The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfieffer comes a jive-larious jab at contemporary romance sure to resonate with African-American audiences everywhere -- My Three Bitches.

Fresh from his triumph on last summer's The Magic Show, comic sensation Davidson shines as Baxter, a raconteur who has just got too much lovin' to keep for just one woman. Kellie Shanyge Williams (Family Matters) is girlfriend No. 1, Laticia Johnson, a single mom with a single devotion to her man. Erika Alexander is girlfriend No. 2, Mary Roosevelt, a college professor who wants Tyrone to leave behind his rambling ways and settle down. Girlfriend No. 3, played by Tichina Arnold, is Gina Colon, a fly girl with a sassy mouth and a big behind that drives men -- and especially Tyrone -- wild.

Locked in constant battle with Tyrone is Mr. Cornell (Helmsley), an uptight landlord whose mission in life is to see his shiftless tenant thrown in jail. But, fortunately, with the help of his crusty Uncle Charley (William Demarest), Tyrone is able to foil Mr. Cornell's schemes while having enough time to get his freak on with his three lovely ladies.

"After the all the protests over 'Pfieffer,' we decided to stay away from controversy," said executive producer Barry Fanaro. "I mean I don't see how the black community could get upset with this show. Tyrone is one of the least stereotypical black characters I've ever worked with. And we've actually even hired a couple of black writers! I'm really upbeat about this project."

Get ready, homes, 'cause Friday's will never be the same. Grab a forty, sit back and relax -- My Three Bitches is guaranteed to rock your world! Sho 'nuff!

BLACK LAW
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Johnnie Corkern (Michael Dorn) is the best at what he does. Street-smart and market-wise, in the courtrooms of American or on his own syndicated talk-show, he's a one-man injustice-fightin' machine!

The best African-American criminal defense attorney in the country, Corkern will go to any lengths to prove his clients innocent... Even if they aren't!

Assisted by his conflicted second-chair, Abel Goldstein (Rob Morrow), Corkern can be found wherever police conspiracies and societal injustice are keeping good folks down. Despite growing up rich and privileged in an affluent suburb of Denver, Corker identifies with anyone on the wrong end of a TV camera, and will fight for their acquittal -- even at the cost of constant media exposure!

Controversial and out-spoken, fast with a citation and faster with a put-down, Corkern doesn't let "The Man" stop him. Constantly feuding with honest but strict District Attorney "Uncle" Thomas Umbedu (Steven Williams) and racist cop John Wasp (Pat Sajak), Corkern will use every trick in the book to win, win, win!

"This show is sure to be a smash," said some network programming chief, "And accurate, too, because it's based on a real person!"

Littlefield added, "I can't tell you who, because then we'd have to pay him."

Black Law marks the first television appearance of Michael Dorn since Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ended three weeks ago. Dorn is looking forward to bringing the intensity he's become known for to his new series. "And with a lot less make-up!" he laughs.

This fall, find yourself guilty of loving Corker! Because if the glove doesn't fit, it must be a hit!

THE G.O.D. SQUAD
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Like action? Well get ready for a interdenominational can of whup-ass! From the mind of famed televsion producer Glen Larson come the tale of men of the cloth who band together to become men of action to fight crime in inner-city Detroit.

John Spencer (L.A. Law) plays Father Tommy O'Boyle, the crusading Catholic priest and demolitions expert who forms the G.O.D. Squad -- short for Gnostic Operations Division -- after one of his parishoners is brutally murdered by gang members. Richard T. Jones is Rev. Spencer Hooks, a retired boxer turned Baptist preacher who joins the group after drug lords overrun his neighborhood. Daniel Benzali (Murder One) is Rabbi Elias Goldberg, a former member of Mossad who joins after his synagogue is desecrated by white supramicists. George Takei (Green Berets) is Peter "Tiger" Ku, a buddist priest and master of the mysterious "Ku-chi," reluctantly joins up after his temple is ransacked by drug addicts.

Seperately, they're as dangerous as they are devout. But put them together, and they're a holy terror!

Overseeing this motley group of holy men is Police Chief Goodman (Alan Rachins), a gruff cop who initially disapproves of their holy crusade, but soon rallies to their side, making the G.O.D. Squad the centerpiece of his department.

"The success of shows like Touched by an Angel indicates that people want to explore more of their own spirituality," Larson said. "But they also want bone-crunching action. With The G.O.D. Squad, they can have it all in spades."

Starting this fall, criminals everywhere better watch their backs. Because these men of the cloth don't turn the other cheek!