NBC insiders say there's a 50/50 chance the web will move veteran laffer "Frasier" back to Tuesday nights next fall as part of a new primetime sked expected to include four new comedies and three new dramas.
     Peacock execs won't lock in a schedule until late today at the earliest, but West coast-based execs at the web are said to be leaning toward a grid which features the NBC Studios-produced "Will & Grace" Thursdays at 9 p.m., with "Frasier" returning to Tuesdays at 9 p.m.
     As of late Thursday, however, NBC topper Bob Wright and other East coast execs had not signed off on the move; in addition, Par and "Frasier" star Kelsey Grammer are both said to be protesting the idea of taking the show off Thursdays.
     Meanwhile, UPN has closed a deal with Big Ticket Television for 13 segs of "Gary & Mike," the ani skein that had been set to bow on Fox later this month. UPN will get the six segs already produced for Fox and has ordered seven more segs.
     "Gary & Mike" is expected to bow in late fall or midseason. UPN and Fox reps could not be reached for comment. While NBC's sked is not set in stone yet, the Peacock has selected its frosh class for fall 2000.
     On the hourlong side, NBC has picked up the Dick Wolf-produced Oliver Platt starrer "Deadline" (Studios USA); the Bev Hills sudser "Titans" (NBC Studios/Spelling Television); and "Ed" (Worldwide Pants/Viacom/NBC Studios), an hourlong dramedy.
     NBC has four comedies set for fall, picking up the untitled Steven Weber project formerly known as "Cursed" (Artists Television Group); the David Alan Grier/Delta Burker starrer "DAG" (NBC Studios); an untitled Michael Richards detective comedy (Castle Rock); and "Tucker" (NBC Studios/Regency), a "Malcom in the Middle"-like domestic comedy. Touchstone's "Daddio," a midseason success story, will also be back.
     Midseason orders are likely for the DreamWorks hour "Semper Fi" and Par's John Markus-produced half-hour showcase for Broadway sensation Kristen Chenoweth. Greenblatt-Janollari's "News from the Edge" is also still in the running for a midseason slot.
     Gone from NBC is the quizzer "Twenty-One," a hasty attempt to cash in on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" fever which never caught on with auds.
     Also axed by Peacock execs: "The Others," "Profiler," "The Pretender," "Jesse," "Stark Raving Mad," "Veronica's Closet," "Battery Park," "Freaks and Geeks" and "God, the Devil and Bob."
     As for "Frasier," show has aired in three timeslots over the past seven seasons: Thursdays at 9:30 p.m. (1993-94), Tuesdays at 9 (1994-98), and Thursdays at 9 (1998-present.)
     While still a ratings giant, "Frasier" has weakened this season, particularly against ABC's "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire." By contrast, the Peacock-owned "Will & Grace" is still seen as a show on the rise, with the potential to blossom into a monster hit on Thursdays.
     Moving "Frasier" to Tuesdays carries plenty of risk, however. Shows in their eighth season almost always lose aud when moved, and there's no guarantee "Will & Grace" will have the same sort of broad appeal as "Frasier" or "Seinfeld."
     All NBC sked decisions are contingent on Warner Bros. Television reaching an agreement with the cast of "Friends" to return for a seventh season. No deal had been done as of late Thursday, though most industry insiders expect an agreement to be reached sometime this weekend.