Thursday's new shows

Moloney
CBS, 9-10 P.M.

Concept: TV-movie titan Peter Strauss as a police psychiatrist. The Scoop: Feature-film writer Ronald Bass (Rain Man, Waiting to Exhale) makes a move into series television with this show. ”Someone once told me that the only shows that work on TV are cop shows, doctor shows, and lawyer shows,” executive producer Bass says. ”This is basically all three: Moloney is definitely a cop, he’s definitely a doctor, and because he’s a shrink, he negotiates his way out of everything, so he really has to act like a lawyer.” Bottom Line: Okay, then he’d better negotiate himself a new time period, away from Seinfeld.

Suddenly Susan
NBC, 9:30-10 P.M.

Concept: Brooke Shields as a pretty, funny magazine writer. The Scoop: They scrapped the pilot, in which Shields was a pretty, funny book editor (she was pretty funny, too). They also scrapped the supporting cast, ditching Elizabeth Ashley’s romance novelist and bringing in Judd Nelson as Shields’ editor and possible romancer. But the Susan character remains the same: a solid, strong woman. ”She feels as if she’s been either a daughter or a girlfriend her entire life,” says Shields, who might well be describing her own history. ”She’s really taking charge now.” Bottom Line: The cushiest slot in TV — between Seinfeld and ER — guarantees Susan instant success, but that won’t last if this much-fussed-over show ain’t funny.