Heather Locklear, TV's favorite cleanup hitter, will get finally get to be the lead-off batter. The actress, whose late entry to ''Melrose Place'' and ''Spin City'' gave those shows renewed life, is about to have a series that's hers from day one. According to Variety, she's signed to star in an NBC sitcom called ''Once Around the Park,'' which promises to be an unconventional look at a divorced family.
Locklear has spent several months entertaining network offers since ''Spin City'' wrapped last year. NBC, where she boosted ratings earlier this season with a multi-episode guest arc on ''Scrubs,'' had sent her a number of scripts. The one that clicked was ''Once,'' which will star Locklear as a divorced mother of two kids. The twist: Unlike the usual ''Parent Trap'' narrative, the kids are happy with the status quo and try to keep the parents from reuniting. Now, there's a plot twist even ''Melrose Place'' writers never thought of.
