CBS adding five new series with familiar stars

NEW YORK (AP) _ CBS is offering Rob Lowe as a doctor, Jason Alexander as a sportswriter and John Goodman as a family patriarch in new series that will come on in the fall. <br/><br/>The network will also

Wednesday, May 19th 2004, 9:22 am

By: News On 6

NEW YORK (AP) _ CBS is offering Rob Lowe as a doctor, Jason Alexander as a sportswriter and John Goodman as a family patriarch in new series that will come on in the fall.

The network will also set up a battle of the franchises, pitting its spinoff series ``CSI: NY'' against NBC's ``Law & Order'' Wednesday nights at 10 p.m.

CBS, the nation's most popular network this season, will introduce three new dramas and two comedies next season.

Alexander will be the latest ``Seinfeld'' alum to try and succeed in a new comedy. In ``Listen Up,'' he'll play a character based on Washington Post sportswriter Tony Kornheiser. The show was placed on CBS' successful Monday night comedy lineup.

Lowe, who failed last year as a lawyer in NBC's short-lived ``The Lyon's Den,'' will play a doctor at a Las Vegas casino in ``Dr. Vegas.''

``It's a traditional medical show during the day and during the night, he sleeps with chorus girls and gambles,'' said CBS Chairman Leslie Moonves. ``What could go wrong with that?''

In ``Center of the Universe,'' Goodman plays a security company owner with Ed Asner portraying his father, Olympia Dukakis his mother and Jean Smart his wife.

CBS is canceling the dramas ``Hack,'' ``The District'' and ``The Guardian.'' The comedy, ``Yes, Dear'' is off the schedule, but CBS has ordered 13 episodes for a midseason replacement.

After trying, with limited success, to build an audience with dramas on Saturday nights, CBS will save money on that night by programming the newsmagazine ``48 Hours Mysteries,'' the reality show ``The Amazing Race'' and reruns of one of the ``CSI'' shows.

With ``60 Minutes'' founder Don Hewitt stepping down, CBS is stripping the ``II'' from the Wednesday spinoff, ``60 Minutes II.''

Besides ``CSI: NY,'' the other new series will be ``Clubhouse,'' a feel-good drama about a 16-year-old boy who becomes a batboy for the mythical New York Empires.