Fox's Fall 2008 Schedule: Six New Shows For America's Shortest Prime Time
Because Fox has one less hour of prime time each night than competing networks, it's big news when the American Idol network OKs six new TV shows - as much new product as any other network this year.
Part of the problem, frankly, is the same one Fox struggles with every year -- other than American Idol, House and 24, the network has a tough time developing hits. Even the shows introduced this year which are coming back -- The Terminator spinoff Sarah Connor Chronicles and lie detector game show Moment of Truth -- started strong and finished weaker in their debut runs.
The big buzz is reserved for Fringe, the new series from entertainment's new Midas, J.J. Abrams (Lost, Mission Impossible III, Star Trek), about a trio who uncover a deadly mystery involving a plane which lands with everyone on board dead (shades of Lost!). Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon has Dollhouse, featuring Eliza Dushku as an action hero who has her mind wiped after every mission. And Secret Millionaire is a permutation of Oprah's Big Give, in which a real-life millionaire goes undercover as a common person to find people who need their help.
Headed to the showers: Canterbury's Law, Back to You, New Amsterdam, K-ville, Next Great American Band and Nashville.
FOX PRIMETIME SCHEDULE: FALL 2008
(All Times ET/PT)
New shows in bold, WT stands for Working Title, which means the name may change.
MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM TERMINATOR: SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES
9:00-10:00 PM PRISON BREAK
TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM HOUSE
9:00-10:00 PM FRINGE
WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM BONES
9:00-9:30 PM ‘TIL DEATH
9:30-10:00 PM DO NOT DISTURB (wt)
THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM THE MOMENT OF TRUTH
9:00-10:00 PM KITCHEN NIGHTMARES
FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5th GRADER?
9:00-10:00 PM DON’T FORGET THE LYRICS!
SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM COPS
8:30-9:00 PM COPS
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA’S MOST WANTED
11:00 PM-Midnight MADtv
Midnight-12:30 AM TALKSHOW WITH SPIKE FERESTEN
SUNDAY
7:00-8:00 PM THE OT (NFL post-game)
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM KING OF THE HILL
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM AMERICAN DAD
Click on the link below to see Fox's January schedule, including American Idol and 24:
FOX PRIMETIME SCHEDULE: BEGINNING JANUARY 2009
(All Times ET/PT) New shows in bold.
MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM DOLLHOUSE
9:00-10:00 PM 24
TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL
9:00-10:00 PM FRINGE
WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM HOUSE
9:00-9:30 PM AMERICAN IDOL Results Show
9:30-10:00 PM TBA Comedy
THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM HELL’S KITCHEN
9:00-10:00 PM SECRET MILLIONAIRE
FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM BONES
9:00-9:30 PM ‘TIL DEATH
9:30-10:00 PM DO NOT DISTURB (wt)
SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM COPS
8:30-9:00 PM COPS
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA’S MOST WANTED
11:00 PM-Midnight MADtv
Midnight-12:30 AM TALKSHOW WITH SPIKE FERESTEN
SUNDAY
7:00-7:30 PM COMEDY ENCORES
7:30-8:00 PM COMEDY ENCORES
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM KING OF THE HILL (January) / SIT DOWN, SHUT UP (wt) (spring)
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM AMERICAN DAD (January) / THE CLEVELAND SHOW (wt) (spring)
The Feed is a blog on TV, media and modern life by St. Petersburg Times TV/media critic Eric Deggans. Possibly the most critical guy at the Times, he has served as music, media and TV critic at various times over 10 years.
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i loved new amsterdam.
stupid fox.
Posted by: Amanda D | September 23, 2008 at 09:11 PM
What ever happend to NCIS. Was it a cancelled and put in reruns after the death of the director last season.
Posted by: tom richardson | August 29, 2008 at 01:23 AM
Damn- that's another show that I liked, The Black Donnelly's. We'll see if Dushku's show lasts longer than Tru Calling.
Posted by: former tampanian | May 16, 2008 at 11:01 AM
i agree -- though she always seemed in danger of landing on a gossip girl-type teen drama -- Whedon's show looks much more interesting....
Posted by: Eric Deggans | May 16, 2008 at 09:12 AM
Really glad to see Eliza Dushku coming back to the small screen on a regular basis. Too bad it isn't until January.
Posted by: Tim | May 16, 2008 at 08:53 AM
Crystal,
That is Mark Valley from the (criminally under-recognized) Keen Eddie as well as Boston Legal, E-R, All My Children, and a few dozen other shows and movies.
The cast of Fringe looks really good: Valley, Joshua Jackson (Dawson's Creek), Kirk Acevedo (Oz, L&O: Trial by Jury and Black Donnelly's), Blair Brown (Molly Dodd) and the awesome Lance Reddick (Oz, The Wire, and Lost--where I think he's actually playing God and controlling everything, but I think that only because he's Lance Reddick!).
Now we'll just have to see if it's a show with one gimmick that doesn't translate well to a full season (like the Nine or Reunion) or if it's more like Lost and can carry the storyline over a few years. I'm just worried that someone thought "let's cross Lost with X-Files!" and this was the result.
Posted by: Mark | May 15, 2008 at 10:41 PM
2 things that I noticed: New Amsterdam cancelled and House moving to 8pm. Amsterdam was a good show and should have been given another year. If memory serves me correct, it was supposed to be a fall premiere but got pushed back to mid-season replacement status. House is not an 8pm show. How the heck am I supposed to watch it now? I guess the kids will have to go to bed earlier that night. But there's one thing I've learned, Fox never keeps its original schedule or lineup in tact from the initial roll out. Maybe my shows will come back.
Posted by: former tampanian | May 15, 2008 at 08:39 PM
I want to know more about Fringe! Is that the guy from Keen Eddie in the picture? I loved Keen Eddie - I still watch reruns on Sleuth!
Posted by: Crystal | May 15, 2008 at 07:36 PM
that's the blessing and curse of hitsd like American Idol. It usually saves Fox's year with a gigantic boost to it 18-49 rating, but there are very few shows which can hold an audience before or after, so they don't last...
Posted by: Eric Deggans | May 15, 2008 at 06:07 PM
That's too bad about New Amsterdam. It was actually a decent show.
Fox pulls the plug too quickly on series...usually after bouncing them around the schedule to make sure they can't develop an audience.
Are we sure they're not following "The Producers" model of show development?
Posted by: Chuck Welch | May 15, 2008 at 06:04 PM
sorry...WT stands for Working Title -- which means the name may change....
Posted by: Eric Deggans | May 15, 2008 at 05:14 PM
What does "WT" stand for?
Posted by: Mark | May 15, 2008 at 05:12 PM