European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 14, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                To briefs Classy show gets classier with a scotsman there a a lot of babble about unconventional to shows nowadays mainly by people who talk about but done to watch twin peaks. But there Are some truly unconventional shows about. Case in Point abcs Veteran series about High school life head of the class which began its fifth season last month. Its Well crafted literate a and even funny. This can t be said of the newer High school sitcoms no cd a Ferris Bucl Lerand foxes Parker Lewis can to lose. They re so conventional that the students Are smarter than their teachers and High school principals. Abcs class on the other hand is set in an honors program class its students Are there to learn and As in the earlier Era of abcs Long running Welcome Back Kotter the teacher knows More than they do. Now class has added another another unconventional touch a a new history teacher from Scotland played by comedian Billy Connolly. Connolly who even is from Scotland brings a wonderful warmth and exuberance to the show. Full of Good will with a musical lilt to his voice he belies the Rumor that All scots Are dour. As Oxford educated Billy Macgregor Connolly succeeds Howard Hesseman who played the  Billy Connolly and Jeannetta Arnette on a head of the  original More Laid Back teacher Charlie Moore but left to pursue a various non series  Howie Mandel at one Point was the announced Choice for Hessemann a successor but Connolly got the Job in the end. In the class premiere Moore a departure was explained As an exit to take a shot at acting. As one student jokes he left to be in a a Low budget musical a seven brides for one brother Quot there is some resentment of the newcomer with the strange accent and obvious eyes for the Lovely vice principal Jeannetta Ament. Mast of the resentment is by Dennis Dan Schneider the rotund chemistry Whiz who berates the class nerd Arvid Dan Frisch Manfor taking such an immediate liking to the new teacher. But its hard not to like a Guy who not Only knows his history but also describes the first Westward Rush of East germans after the Berlin Wall came Down As a a tangled wave of bad  yep this is unconventional television. Done to know if it la survive. Why the kids done to even say a surfs . But take a look at this class. You May enrol in it a Jay Sharbutt a associated press and now the cancellations to paraphrase a top 40 song of Long ago does anybody know what times the new fall shows Are on does anybody really care there is an undeniably restless had it up to Here feeling among viewers. They want something new something More and they Arentt getting it from the networks. Perhaps that is Why so Many a 14 million people a night for five nights in a Row a responded to pm so the civil War an 11-hour history documentary without no actors. If nothing else happens this season that May be enough to at least restore some Faith in television. Meanwhile Back at the networks the cancellations begin. Lbs the no. 3 network announced that  Force is no longer with us the Blue Collar Lenny has been Laid off but will get work soon in another time Slot. The Flash a show lbs has High Hopes for is on the run moved to a new time thursday nights away from no cd a the Cosby show and foxes the Simpsons. And sons and daughters the Lucie Amaz family drama that was intended for thursday nights and has yet to premiere has been yanked until further notice. Lbs also called in the first of the mid season replacements the new cop show broken badges As Well As reconstituted versions of top cops and Wise Guy which now stars Steven Bauer. Viewers who Long ago lowered their expectations when they sat Down to watch the big 3, can to seem to Tell the difference anymore. And who can blame them even so called dramatic departures and ground breaking television begin to look the same or Are greeted with a nationwide shrug. The Public understandably is standing Pat playing the same prime time hand in some cases that it has for years. Cheers 60 minutes Murphy Brown the Golden girls the Cosby show and Roseanne remain top 10 shows. With so Little of substance out there the audience seems to be taking the Popcorn approach grabbing indiscriminate handfuls of familiar fare half watching half interested. So americans funniest people abcs mindless video clone is performing Well. Hype and a fresh face in an otherwise tired setting have helped no cd a the fresh Prince of Bel air. And Sharon Gless is affectionately received in cd so the trials of Rosie of Neill even though it is not half the show that Cagney amp Lacey was. Clearly  lbs and  Are fighting for their very survival in a television landscape where they look More and More like the dinosaurs Many predicted they would become. Fox for its part is having some serous growing pains the result no doubt of coming too far too fast. True colors a comedy starring an interracial family can to get anyone Over for a visit and Fox is starting to Embarrass itself with Bottom of the barrel shows like Good grief. And if the Simpsons take it on the Chin from Cosby Fox could Start looking like lbs. Or worse. A James Endrst a Hartford courant Nielsen what they re watching the following Are the latest available rankings of television shows in America starting with the top shows As compiled by the . Nielsen co. The season to Date ranking is in parentheses or an Quot a a for first time showing and the final figure is the rating which notes the percentage of the nations 92.1 million Homes where people watched the show. 1 cheers 1  21.1 rating.2 the Cosby show 3  19.5.3 a different world 7  19.4.4 americans funniest Home videos 10  18.9.5 designing women 4 lbs 18.2.6 Roseanne 5  18.1,7 America s funniest people 13  18.0.8 Murphy Brown 6 lbs 17.7.9 unsolved mysteries 12  17.2. 10 Golden girls 8  17.1. And these Are the least watched shows the ones at the Bottom of the Nielsen ratings.81 Hull High  6.8. 81 Lenny tie lbs 6.8. 83 doctor doctor lbs 6.7.84 americans most wanted Fox 5.7.85 Parker Lewis Fox 5.4. 86 cops Fox 4.8.87 totally hidden video Fox 4.7. 87 True colors tie Fox 4.7.89 haywire Fox 4.1. 90 Dea Fox 3.7.91 against the Law Fox 3.5. 91 american chronicles tie Fox 3.5, Page 4 c to plus sunday october 14,1990