[Televisionary]

While FOX isn't due to unveil their fall schedule until tomorrow, the network got a head start this weekend by announcing several series orders, a series renewal, and a surprising cancellation. FOX is slated to announce their fall slate on Tuesday but word got out about a few expected orders, including J.J. Abrams-executive produced drama Fringe --starring Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, John Noble, and Mark Valley--which had received a series commitment from the net last fall. (You can read my original review of the pilot script here .) Project, from Warner Bros. Television, creators Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci ( Transformers ) and director Alex Graves ( Journeyman ) is viewed by many as the network's best hope at recapturing the sci-fi audience it once commanded back in the day with The X-Files ; the drama revolves around a female FBI agent paired with an estranged father and son team of rogue scientists who investigate cases involving unexplained phenomena. Joss Whedon's &

This has been an odd development season, to say the least. While networks claim to be moving towards year-round development, it's put an odd crimp into this season, which struggled through the writers strike and truncated the time necessary to develop and produce a whole slew of pilots for network and cable, many of which will now be shot this summer... after the network upfront presentations next week. Which means that while the broadcasters will announce their fall schedules--which stand to include quite a few familiar faces along with a few new, high-profile projects--look for them to be deliberately coy about plans for midseason as they'll likely wait to make decisions about midseason pickups until late summer when these late pilot orders will be completed. So, other than NBC (which made their announcements about fall, winter, and next summer already, ordering most projects to series directly from the script stage), what can we anticipate will end up on the networks then? L

As promised, NBC has gone ahead and made its announcements for the 2008-09 season today, with more than a few surprises, including the long-rumored untitled spin-off of The Office , which will launch after the Superbowl, and the return of low-rated Lipstick Jungle . Only four new series will launch this fall, including the Christian Slater action vehicle My Own Worst Enemy , comedy Kath & Kim , Knight Rider , and Crusoe . Much buzzed about drama Kings will air this fall as a backdoor pilot and, if picked up to series, may air on Sunday nights at 10 pm. Schedule, which is sure to raise a few eyebrows, can be found in its entirety below. NBC PRIMETIME SCHEDULE FOR FALL 2008-09: *New programs in UPPER CASE (with the exception of ER) MONDAY 8-9 pm: Chuck 9-10 pm: Heroes 10-11 pm: MY OWN WORST ENEMY TUESDAY 8- 9:30 pm: The Biggest Loser: Families 9:30-10 pm: KATH & KIM 10-11 pm: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit WEDNESDAY 8-9 pm: KNIGHT RIDER 9-10 pm: Deal or No Deal 10-11 pm: