Projecting that it will win its first adults 18-49 season crown ever, Fox will defend its title with a comedy-heavy fall schedule that also features five new dramas, two new sitcoms, but not a single new unscripted series.
While preaching "stability and balance" at a Thursday morning media conference call--in contrast to last year's three-separate-seasons approach--Fox Entertainment President Peter Liguori unveiled a lineup featuring a dozen comedies, with the venerable Saturday night block of Cops and Americas Most Wanted representing the lone reality offerings (it has several sitting on the bench, however).
As B&C reported last Sunday, Fox picked up new dramas are Prison Break, Bones (yet another forensic drama, TV's newest rage), dramedy Head Cases, and Reunion (a look at the lives of six friends over 20 years in only one season), plus another drama, The Gate (working title).
The new comedies, also as reported in B&C, are Kitchen Confidential and The War at Home, as well as The Loop, which will launch in January. On the bench for midseason is comedy Free Birds, plus returning reality shows Nanny 911 and Trading Spouses.
Still on the rather patriotic-sounding schedule for fall are American Dad, American Idol, America's Most Wanted, Arrested Development, The Bernie Mac Show, Cops, Family Guy, House, King of the Hill, MadTV, Malcolm in the Middle, The O.C., The Simpsons, Stacked and That ‘70s Show.
Of its 18-49 victory (CBS claims the crown if Fox's Super Bowl and baseball playoff ratings are excluded) Liguori says: "We don't know what it's like to be number one, but we certainly know that people are gunning. It is exciting and daunting all at the same time."
As usual, Fox's fall sked is a bit complex, tap-dancing around the MLB playoffs and then reshaping itself when hits American Idol and 24 return in January.
One of the most talked-about moves is the return of critical darling Arrested Development, slated to lead off Mondays at 8 p.m., giving way in January, when returning breakout star House moves from Tuesday at 9 to Monday at 8.
"The decision was based on this: quality, quality, quality," Liguori said of Arrested Development that was long-rumored to be on the chopping block. "I recognize that putting it on at eight o'clock is pretty much a bold, bodacious move."
As for the new fare, the most buzz has seemed to surround Prison Break, a drama in which a man gets arrested on purpose to help his brother, a death-row inmate, break out of jail.
Set for Mondays at 9, Fox will air seven hours of the show before the baseball hiatus, with the full run ending in time for 24 to reclaim its usual timeslot.
Following is the schedule.
Monday
8:00-8:30 PM ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT
8:30-9:00 PM KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL
9:00-10:00 PM PRISON BREAK
Tuesday
8:00-9:00 PM BONES
9:00-10:00 PM HOUSE
Wednesday
8:00-8:30 PM THAT ‘70s SHOW
8:30-9:00 PM STACKED
9:00-10:00 PM HEAD CASES
Thursday
8:00-9:00 PM THE O.C.
9:00-10:00 PM REUNION
Friday
8:00-8:30 PM THE BERNIE MAC SHOW
8:30-9:00 PM MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE
9:00-10:00 THE GATE (working title)
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
Sunday
7:00-7:30 PM Animated Encores
7:30-8:00 PM KING OF THE HILL
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM THE WAR AT HOME
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM AMERICAN DAD
BEGINNING JANUARY 2006
(All Times ET/PT)
Monday
8:00-9:00 PM HOUSE
9:00-10:00 PM 24
Tuesday
8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL
9:00-10:00 PM BONES
Wednesday
8:00-8:30 PM THAT ‘70s SHOW
8:30-9:00 PM STACKED
9:00-9:30 PM AMERICAN IDOL
9:30-10:00 PM THE LOOP
Thursday
8:00-9:00 PM THE O.C.
9:00-10:00 PM REUNION
Friday
8:00-8:30 PM THE BERNIE MAC SHOW
8:30-9:00 PM MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE
9:00-10:00 THE GATE (working title)
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
Sunday
7:00-7:30 PM Animated Encores
7:30-8:00 PM KING OF THE HILL
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM THE WAR AT HOME
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM AMERICAN DAD
