Fox Plans Ambitious Fall Season, Adds Cowell, Spielberg Shows
The Fox network -- the longtime industry leader among 18-49 viewers, the ones advertisers desire most -- will look for a much stronger fall start than it has had in the last few years.
Key to this plan is Simon Cowell's performance-competition show "The X Factor," which hopes to pull in near-"American Idol"-type viewers. After much marketing buildup, it will finally get its big launch this fall, starting on Wednesdays at 8 p.m., for a 90-minute show and an hour results show at 8 p.m. on Thursday.
"X Factor" takes on the same time periods as "American Idol," which will get its usual seasonal start in January. Last year, "Idol" moved to a Wednesday-Thursday schedule from a Tuesday-Wednesday plan. The result was a decline in viewership -- although it remains the overwhelming No. 1-rated broadcast series.
After somewhat of a delay -- another big show will look to push up Fox in the upcoming season -- Steven Spielberg's futurist, dinosaur-laden adventure series "Terra Nova" will fill the 8 p.m. Monday time slot before "House" comes on at 9 p.m. "Terra Nova" was supposed to come onto the scene in the present broadcast year, midseason.
One concern is the NFL season -- and a possible lockout that could disrupt many fall network TV schedules, including Fox's. Peter Rice, chairman of Fox Entertainment, says: "We are planning on there being an NFL season, and are working on contingencies if there isn't."
Two new comedies will also begin this fall. "New Girl" debuts Tuesday at 9 p.m., right after "Glee." It is a single-camera ensemble comedy starring Zooey Deschanel, who -- after a bad breakup -- moves in with three single guys. After "X-Factor" on Wednesday, there is "I Hate My Teenage Daughter," which stars Jaime Pressly and Katie Finneran as single moms, lifelong friends and former nerds.
"Building out our comedy is our main goal," says Kevin Reilly, president of Fox Entertainment.
Another big drama from J.J. Abrams starts up midseason -- "Alcatraz" is a crime drama surrounding the famed West Coast prison. That airs Monday at 9 p.m. with "House" moving back to 8 p.m.
Also in midseason is "The Finder," a new procedural drama about an Iraq war veteran who has the ability to find those classified as unfindable. It comes on after "Idol" on Thursdays at 9 p.m.
Fox will also see a return of Kiefer Sutherland to the schedule -- but there is no timetable right now. The star of "24" comes back with "Touch," which centers on the relationship between a single father and his 11-year-old son.
Fox will also send out two new animated series on Sunday. "Allen Gregory" concerns a pretentious 7-year-old about to embark on his greatest challenge -- attending elementary school with children his own age. It goes at 8:30 p.m. and is voiced and created by Jonah Hill. Then in midseason, "Napoleon Dynamite," based on the theatrical movie, goes at 8:30 p.m. replacing "Gregory."
Given the big changes in this schedule, Reilly says Fox is taking more chances: "We could have been more conservative." Instead, he notes a number of Fox shows that were canceled could have been placed on other networks. Fox did not renew "Human Target," "Lie To Me," "Traffic Light," "Chicago Code" and "Breaking In" -- some of its modestly rated shows that did not make the schedule.
Fox Fall 2011 Prime-Time Schedule
(All Times ET/PT)
Monday
8:00-9:00 p.m. TERRA NOVA (new)
9:00-10:00 p.m. HOUSE
Tuesday
8:00-9:00 p.m. GLEE
9:00-9:30 p.m. NEW GIRL (new)
9:30-10:00 p.m. RAISING HOPE
Wednesday
8:00-9:30 p.m. THE X FACTOR Performance Show (new)
9:30-10:00 p.m. I HATE MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER (new)
Thursday
8:00-9:00 p.m. THE X FACTOR Results Show (new)
9:00-10:00 p.m. BONES
Friday
8:00-9:00 p.m. KITCHEN NIGHTMARES
9:00-10:00 p.m. FRINGE
Saturday
8:00-8:30 p.m. COPS
8:30-9:00 p.m. COPS
9:00-10:00 p.m. ENCORES / AMERICA'S MOST WANTED (specials)
Sunday
7:00-7:30 p.m. THE OT (NFL post-game)
7:30-8:00 p.m. THE CLEVELAND SHOW
8:00-8:30 p.m. THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 p.m. ALLEN GREGORY (new)
9:00-9:30 p.m. FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 p.m. AMERICAN DAD
Fox Midseason 2012 Prime-Time Schedule
(All Times ET/PT)
Monday
8:00-9:00 p.m. HOUSE
9:00-10:00 p.m. ALCATRAZ (new)
Tuesday
8:00-9:00 p.m. GLEE
9:00-9:30 p.m. NEW GIRL (new)
9:30-10:00 p.m. RAISING HOPE
Wednesday
8:00-9:30 p.m. AMERICAN IDOL Performance Show
9:30-10:00 p.m. I HATE MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER (new)
Thursday
8:00-9:00 p.m. AMERICAN IDOL Results Show
9:00-10:00 p.m. THE FINDER (new) / BONES (spring)
Friday
8:00-9:00 p.m. KITCHEN NIGHTMARES
9:00-10:00 p.m. FRINGE
Saturday
8:00-8:30 p.m. COPS
8:30-9:00 p.m. COPS
9:00-10:00 p.m. ENCORES / AMERICA'S MOST WANTED (specials)
Sunday
7:00-7:30 p.m. ANIMATION DOMINATION (encores)
7:30-8:00 p.m. THE CLEVELAND SHOW
8:00-8:30 p.m. THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 p.m. NAPOLEON DYNAMITE (new)
9:00-9:30 p.m. FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 p.m. BOB'S BURGERS
Recent MediaDailyNews Articles
-
Original 'Voice' Judges Return May 17, 5:41 p.m.
The original quartet of coaches for “The Voice” will return for the fifth season this fall. ... -
Van Wagner Partners With CineSport For Online Video May 17, 5:34 p.m.
Van Wagner Communications’ Sports and Entertainment division is joining forces with CineSport, partly owned by Van ... -
'Idol' Falls, 'Bang' Leads Thursdays May 17, 3:38 p.m.
TV broadcast networks environment is definitely shifting -- as evidence of last major night of the ... -
Sapient Revs Up 12%, Optimistic About 2013 May 17, 2:47 p.m.
Marketing services company Sapient reported first-quarter revenues of $292.6 million, up 12% from the same period ... -
KSE Finalizes Outdoor Channel Buy May 17, 11:08 a.m.
An entity controlled by sports entrepreneur Stan Kroenke has finalized its acquisition of the Outdoor Channel ... -
'Tonight' Still King Of Late-Night TV May 17, 10:49 a.m.
While NBC proceeds to sets up its late-night changes for next year, "The Tonight Show with ... -
U.S. Open Going Cable-Only, Moves To ESPN May 17, 9:18 a.m.
After decades on the network that saw stars from Ashe to Navratilova to Federer win, the ... -
USA Looks To Make Comedy King In The New Season May 16, 10:22 p.m.
What do you do when you’re the last network putting on the last event of the ... -
Comedy Central Goes Dark To Simulcast New Radio Channel May 16, 6:12 p.m.
For the first time since its tribute to Johnny Carson 20 years ago, Comedy Central will ... -
MGM Doubles Revs, 'Hobbit' Helps May 16, 5:56 p.m.
A big positive swing for MGM Holdings was seen in its first-quarter earning results, thanks to ...
Be the first to comment on "Fox Plans Ambitious Fall Season, Adds Cowell, Spielberg Shows"
Leave a Comment