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Friday, January 08, 1999 12:26:22 PM EST

From Correspondent Ron Tank

HOLLYWOOD (CNN) -- Harry Hamlin comes back to TV. So does John Larroquette, Mike Farrell and William Devane. JoBeth Williams and Richard Roundtree take on the small screen, too. Add to that a lot of new faces and you've got the year's first midseason replacements.

Among the newcomers, Melina Kanakarades sheds some light on NBC's "Providence," a drama about coming back home. "M*A*S*H" alumnus Mike Farrell plays Melina's father.

Another new show is about four teen-agers who live in New York City. Some suggest it ought to be called "Seinfriends," but it really has another name -- "Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane." The WB hopes the sitcom will attract the high-school crowd.

"None of us are really these sexy perfect people you see on TV," says Selma Blair, one of the show's stars. "We're really someone you can really relate to, really accessible. I mean that's not really something I wanted to say about myself."

William Devane leads a group of young cops in the CBS drama "Turks," while firefighters are the subject of the WB's "Rescue 77" with Richard Roundtree.

"I thought I had an appreciation (for firefighting) prior to doing this, but learning who and what a captain does, what firemen actually do from day to day and what the rescue paramedics do, is mindboggling," says Roundtree.

John Larroquette is starring on CBS in "Payne," an American makeover of the British TV series "Faulty Towers."

"I think what it shares in common with 'Faulty Towers' is the aspect of farce, and physical farce," says JoBeth Williams, who stars opposite Larroquette.

In contrast, the jokes are about Hollywood in the upcoming WB sitcom "Movie Stars."

The comic strip "Dilbert" comes to UPN, voiced by Daniel Stern. And Fox continues the cartoon genre with "Family Guy."