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FOX is up first and this morning announced its plans both for fall and midseason, unveiling a schedule that includes several new scripted series, including dramas Past Life, Glee, and Human Target and comedies Brothers and The Cleveland Show.
What's immediately noticeable is the decision to shift sophomore drama series Fringe to Thursdays (where it will be paired with Bones) and hold off launching the majority of its new scripted series (other than Glee, The Cleveland Show, and Brothers) until the New Year, a wise move considering the massive promotional machine that is American Idol. (Traditionally, FOX has had a hell of a time trying to launch new series in the fall.)
Fridays, meanwhile, will remain the home of Dollhouse at 9 pm ET/PT, this time being paired with two live-action comedies, Brothers and 'Til Death, which take over the 8 pm timeslot vacated by the now-canceled Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
"As the No.1 network for the last five years, FOX is the first place viewers go to connect with the stories and characters they love," said Peter Rice, Chairman, Entertainment in a statement. "With next year's slate of distinctive shows, we're continuing to invest in creativity to give viewers the rich, emotional experience they can only get on television."
"The strategic moves we made last year to build off of our biggest assets are paying off," said Kevin Reilly, President, Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company. "We've created stability and consistently strong performance across the week. Next season, we're bringing back two top-rated sophomore dramas and using our hits to introduce a broad and compelling slate of new shows that will make our air even more vibrant and alive."
UPDATED: FOX's full fall and midseason schedules can be found below, along with the official press release from the network and photos and descriptions for the new fall and midseason series.... and now video promos as well.
FOX FALL 2009 SCHEDULE:
MONDAY
8-9 pm: HOUSE
9-10 pm: LIE TO ME
TUESDAY
8-10 pm: SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Performance Show
WEDNESDAY
8-9 pm: SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Results Show
9-10 pm: GLEE
THURSDAY
8-9 pm: BONES
9-10 pm: FRINGE
FRIDAY
8-8:30 pm: BROTHERS
8:30-9 pm: ‘TIL DEATH
9-10 pm: DOLLHOUSE
SATURDAY
8-8:30 pm: COPS
8:30-9 pm: COPS
9-10 pm: AMERICA’S MOST WANTED
11-12 am: THE WANDA SYKES SHOW (working title)
12-12:30 am: ANIMATION DOMINATION ENCORES
SUNDAY
7-8:00 pm: THE OT (NFL post-game)
8-8:30 pm: THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9 pm: THE CLEVELAND SHOW
9-9:30 pm: FAMILY GUY
9:30-10 pm: AMERICAN DAD
FOX also unveiled their midseason schedule:
MONDAY
8-9pm: HOUSE
9-10 pm: 24
TUESDAY
8-9 pm: AMERICAN IDOL Performance Show
9-10 pm: PAST LIFE
WEDNESDAY
8-9 pm: AMERICAN IDOL Results Show
9-10 pm: HUMAN TARGET (January) / GLEE (spring)
THURSDAY
8-9 pm: BONES
9-10 pm: FRINGE
FRIDAY
8-8:30 pm: BROTHERS
8:30-9 pm: ‘TIL DEATH
9-10 pm: DOLLHOUSE
SATURDAY
8-8:30 pm: COPS
8:30-9 pm: COPS
9-10 pm: AMERICA’S MOST WANTED
11-12 am: THE WANDA SYKES SHOW (working title)
12-12:30 am: ANIMATION DOMINATION ENCORES
SUNDAY
7-7:30 pm: ANIMATION DOMINATION ENCORES
7:30-8 pm: AMERICAN DAD
8-8:30 pm: THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9 pm: SONS OF TUCSON
9-9:30 pm: FAMILY GUY
9:30-10 pm: THE CLEVELAND SHOW
For those of you keeping track of such things, here's how the FOX schedule stacks up.
Returning Series:
24, American Dad, American Idol, America's Most Wanted, Bones, COPS, Dollhouse, Family Guy, Fringe, Glee, Hell's Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares, Lie to Me, The Simpsons, So You Think You Can Dance, 'Til Death
New Series:
Brothers, The Cleveland Show, Human Target, Past Life, Sons of Tucson, The Wanda Sykes Show
New Timeslots for Returning Series:
Fringe, So You Think You Can Dance, Lie to Me, 'Til Death
Midseason Launches/Returns:
American Idol, 24, Sons of Tucson, Human Target, Past Life
Cancelled/Ended:
Do Not Disturb, Hole in the Wall, Osborunes: Reloaded, Prison Break, Secret Millionaire, Sit Down, Shut Up, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Reactions:
Overall, not too many shocking announcements and I think that FOX was wise to hold off on launching its new series until the spring when it has the added support of American Idol. I don't necessarily agree with the thought that more So You Think You Can Dance in the fall (right after the conclusion of the summer cycle) is a good thing, as reality franchises typically do well resting between cycles. Will it be overkill? That remains to be seen; FOX clearly wants to mirror its spring schedule with So You Think You Can Dance taking over for American Idol as a launchpad and ratings boost.
I'm more curious about the decision to shift Fringe to Thursdays, where it will go up against ABC's Grey's Anatomy and CBS' CSI. While Grey's has a higher female audience, this move will either make or break Fringe, which returns for a second season. Will viewers follow Fringe to another night, where it doesn't have the support of an American Idol as a lead-in?
Fridays are another odd evening, with Dollhouse airing out of two live-action comedies, the dismal 'Til Death (somehow resurrected yet again) and new comedy Brothers. Not sure this is the best way to keep Dollhouse afloat on a tough night but I don't know what else they would have paired Dollhouse with as the network was upfront about its decision to keep Dollhouse put on Fridays. And the ratings didn't exactly sing when Dollhouse was paired with fellow genre series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
Smart decision to hold off on Hell's Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares and deploy these at a later date, giving FOX the ability to replace a sagging series with one of these series at any given time (they have a cycle of each already in the can). All in all, we're seeing a FOX making some safe moves and implementing scheduling that attempts to achieve stability in both the fall and spring segments.
The full press release from FOX, announcing its primetime schedule, can be found below:
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FOUR NEW COMEDIES, TWO NEW DRAMAS AND ONE LATE-NIGHT SHOW JOIN SCHEDULE
RYAN MURPHY'S NEW COMEDY "GLEE" TO PREMIERE IN FALL AFTER UNPRECEDENTED PREVIEW EVENT TOMORROW NIGHT
NEW COMEDIES "BROTHERS" AND "THE CLEVELAND SHOW" DEBUT IN FALL
NEW SATURDAY LATE-NIGHT ENTRY "THE WANDA SYKES SHOW" (working title) SLATED FOR FALL LAUNCH
NEW ACTION DRAMA SERIES "HUMAN TARGET," MYSTERIOUS DRAMA "PAST LIFE" AND COMEDY "SONS OF TUCSON" DEBUT MIDSEASON
"SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE" Returns in the Fall
"HUMAN TARGET" and "24" Premiere Sunday, January 17 Following NFC Divisional Playoff Game
New York (Monday, May 18, 2009) Peter Rice, Chairman, Entertainment; and Kevin Reilly, President, Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company, today unveiled the FOX primetime schedule for the 2009-2010 television season to the national advertising community during its annual Programming Presentation at New York City Center.
"As the No.1 network for the last five years, FOX is the first place viewers go to connect with the stories and characters they love," said Rice. "With next year's slate of distinctive shows, we're continuing to invest in creativity to give viewers the rich, emotional experience they can only get on television."
Reilly added, "The strategic moves we made last year to build off of our biggest assets are paying off. We've created stability and consistently strong performance across the week. Next season, we're bringing back two top-rated sophomore dramas and using our hits to introduce a broad and compelling slate of new shows that will make our air even more vibrant and alive."
After a special preview event airing Tuesday, May 19 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), GLEE, the distinctive new comedy from Ryan Murphy ("Nip/Tuck") starring Jane Lynch ("The 40 Year Old Virgin") and newcomers Matthew Morrison (Broadway's "Hairspray"), Lea Michele ("Spring Awakening") and Cory Monteith ("Kyle XY"), will enter its freshman year this fall. Combining biting humor with a soundtrack of hit music from past to present, the inventive series follows an optimistic high school teacher who against all odds attempts to restore McKinley High's fading Glee Club to its former glory, while helping a group of underdogs realize their true star potential.
Two additional new comedies will premiere this fall. From the producers of FAMILY GUY, comes THE CLEVELAND SHOW. The new Sunday night animated comedy follows everyone's favorite soft-spoken FAMILY GUY neighbor, CLEVELAND BROWN (Mike Henry), who moves with his son back to his hometown in Virginia and settles down with his high school sweetheart and her unruly kids. Copy/pasted from The Futon Critic BROTHERS, starring Michael Strahan ("FOX NFL Sunday") and Daryl "Chill" Mitchell ("Ed," "Veronica's Closet"), is a new half-hour comedy about a former big-city NFL hot shot who returns home to his family and his mother's house to get his life back on track.
On Saturday, Nov. 7 (11:00 PM-Midnight ET/PT), late night will never be the same when Emmy Award winner Wanda Sykes returns to FOX to host THE WANDA SYKES SHOW (working title). The irreverent Saturday late-night series will feature Sykes' outspoken comedic perspective on current events along with topical, high-energy roundtable discussions.
The new event drama, HUMAN TARGET, premieres with a special preview Sunday, Jan. 17 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) following the NFC Divisional Playoff game. HUMAN TARGET is a full-throttle, action-packed thrill ride from executive producers McG ("Terminator Salvation") and Simon West ("Con Air," "Tomb Raider"). Based on the popular DC Comics graphic novel and starring Mark Valley (FRINGE), Chi McBride ("Pushing Daisies") and Academy Award nominee Jackie Earle Haley ("Watchmen"), the series follows CHRISTOPHER CHANCE (Valley), a unique private contractor who will stop at nothing even if it means becoming a human target to keep his clients alive.
The other drama for midseason is PAST LIFE, a fast-paced emotional thriller inspired by the book "The Reincarnationist." The series stars Kelli Giddish ("All My Children") as a gifted psychologist and Nicholas Bishop ("Home and Away") as a former NYPD detective who work together to explore and unravel mysteries that must be solved in both the past and the present.
One new comedy is scheduled to premiere in midseason. From three-time Emmy Award winner Todd Holland ("Malcolm in the Middle"), the non-traditional family comedy SONS OF TUCSON stars Tyler Labine ("Reaper") as a charming but wayward schemer hired by three young brothers whose father is in prison.
Summer sensation SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE moves to the fall with its sixth season. Hosted by Cat Deeley and featuring renowned judges Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy, the original dance competition series will continue to inspire and amaze viewers as dancers skilled in styles ranging from hip-hop to ballroom compete to be named America's Favorite Dancer.
It was also announced that the eighth season of 24 will return to the FOX schedule with a two-night, four-hour premiere as part of a special extended primetime on Sunday, Jan. 17 (9:00-11:00 PM ET/PT), immediately following the premiere of HUMAN TARGET. The next installment of the Emmy Award-winning series starring Kiefer Sutherland will unfold in New York City, amidst the shadows of the Statue of Liberty and the United Nations.
Other FOX series returning in 2009-2010 include: AMERICAN DAD, AMERICAN IDOL, AMERICA'S MOST WANTED, BONES, COPS, DOLLHOUSE, FAMILY GUY, FRINGE, HELL'S KITCHEN, HOUSE, KITCHEN NIGHTMARES, LIE TO ME, THE SIMPSONS and 'TIL DEATH. Specials returning to the FOX schedule include: THE 41st NAACP IMAGE AWARDS, NEW YEAR'S EVE LIVE and TEEN CHOICE 2009.
NEW SERIES SYNOPSES
The following new comedies will premiere this fall on FOX:
GLEE
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PRODUCTION COMPANIES: 20th Century Fox Television, Ryan Murphy Television
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Dante Di Loreto
CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Ian Brennan, John Peter Kousakis
DIRECTOR: Ryan Murphy
CAST: Dianna Agron as Quinn, Chris Colfer as Kurt, Jessalyn Gilsig as Terri Schuester, Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester, Jayma Mays as Emma Pillsbury, Kevin McHale as Artie, Lea Michele as Rachel Berry, Cory Monteith as Finn Hudson, Matthew Morrison as Will Schuester, Amber Riley as Mercedes, Mark Salling as Puck, Jenna Ushkowitz as Tina
THE CLEVELAND SHOW
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PRODUCTION COMPANY: 20th Century Fox Television
CO-CREATORS/EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Seth MacFarlane, Rich Appel, Mike Henry
VOICE CAST: Mike Henry as Cleveland Brown, Rallo and others; Sanaa Lathan as Donna Tubbs; Reagan Gomez-Preston as Roberta Tubbs; Kevin Michael Richardson as Lester and Cleveland Jr.
GUEST VOICES: Arianna Huffington as Arianna, Jason Sudeikis as Holt
BROTHERS
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PRODUCTION COMPANIES: Sony Pictures Television; Tantamount Studios; Impact Zone Productions, Inc.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Eric Tannenbaum, Kim Tannenbaum, Mitch Hurwitz, Don Reo
DIRECTOR: Ted Wass
CAST: Michael Strahan as Mike, Daryl "Chill" Mitchell as Chill, CCH Pounder as Mom, Carl Weathers as Coach, Colton Dunn as Roscoe
The following new late-night series will premiere this fall:
THE WANDA SYKES SHOW (working title)
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PRODUCTION COMPANY: Fox Television Studios
HOST: Wanda Sykes
The following new dramas are slated for a midseason launch:
HUMAN TARGET
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PRODUCTION COMPANIES: Bonanza Productions Inc., Wonderland Sound and Vision, DC Comics, Warner Bros. Television
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Jon Steinberg, McG, Simon West, Brad Kern
CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Peter Johnson
DIRECTOR: Simon West
WRITER: Jon Steinberg
CAST: Mark Valley as Christopher Chance, Jackie Earle Haley as Guerrero, Chi McBride as Winston
PAST LIFE
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PRODUCTION COMPANIES: Bonanza Productions Inc., Warner Bros. Television
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: David Hudgins, Lou Pitt
DIRECTOR: Deran Sarafian
WRITER: David Hudgins
CAST: Kelli Giddish as Dr. Kate McGinn, Nicholas Bishop as Price Whatley, Richard Schiff as Dr. Malachi Talmadge, Ravi Patel as Dr. Rishi Karna
The following new comedy is slated for a midseason launch:
SONS OF TUCSON
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PRODUCTION COMPANY: 20th Century Fox Television
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Justin Berfield, Jason Felts, Harvey Myman, Todd Holland
DIRECTOR: Todd Holland
WRITERS: Tommy Dewey, Greg Bratman
CAST: Tyler Labine as Ron Snuffkin, Davis Cleveland as Robby Gunderson, Frank Dolce as Gary Gunderson, Troy Gentile as Brandon Gunderson, Natalie Martinez as Maggie Morales
Tomorrow: ABC and NBC.
Comments
They give and they take away...
And to those upset about the cancellation of TSCC--you understand it's a business decision, right? TSCC was a very expensive show earning very poor ratings (on Monday AND Friday)... it's not like FOX didn't give it a chance...
DH is just an unholy mess and how much better will a stripped-down DH be? FOX simply feels that they owe Joss one, and, of course, they do.
I've liked his guest roles on Burn Notice and In Plain Sight, but this new series looks terrible.
Til Death is the According To Jim of FOX.