Upfronts 2010: Fox Unveils Fall Primetime Schedule

Glee gets post-Super Bowl slot, will anchor Tuesday comedy block this fall

By Melissa Grego -- Broadcasting & Cable, 5/17/2010 8:35:00 AM

Upfront Central: Complete Coverage from B&C

Fox ordered seven new series for the 2010-11 TV season and slated a push behind new hit Glee that includes a post-Super Bowl slot and a move this fall to the 8 p.m. anchor position for a night of comedy on Tuesdays, according to the schedule network executives announced May 17.

The Glee-anchored Tuesday lineup, with new comedies Raising Hope and Running Wilde, "is the best lineup we've had in a long time to be a platform for new comedies," Fox Entertainment President Kevin Reilly told reporters on a conference call Monday morning, touting Glee's status as the top-rated newcomer in adults 18-49. "I love the night. I think it's our chance to turn the lights on again in live action comedy. We've got another one coming in spring."

The network also slated a shift for American Idol to longer, 90-minute performance shows on Tuesdays and paring results shows on Wednesdays down to 30 minutes in response to viewer feedback and ratings patterns. Idol of course remains the top-rated show in TV but has seen ratings declines this season and faces the task of mounting its next season without judge Simon Cowell, who is segueing to X Factor. The new season of Idol will start shooting in September, said Peter Rice, chairman, entertainment, Fox Networks Group, in a conference call with reporters Monday morning. "There's no bigger question for the summer that we're going to have than replacing Simon Cowell," Rice told reporters.

Reilly says it was not Fox's strategy to spend more on development net-net this year, rather it shifted things around, going more "lean" on the drama side, with three new drama series, while they "beefed up" on comedy, where there are four new series this season. The budget shifting also allowed for a big swing on high-concept midseason entry Terra Nova, a prehistoric drama from Steven Spielberg, Peter Chernin, Brannon Braga and David Fury, which does not yet have a premiere date.

The exec also said the relative stability of the schedule, protecting shows with strong lead-ins and compatible lineups, will best position Fox to market its lineup. "Nothing is hanging out there on its own," he said, noting that the fanfare of launching a dozen new shows - in a comment apparently directed to the 14 new series NBC announced May 16 it ordered for the new season -- is tough to support from a marketing standpoint. He noted that given Bones and Fringe will come back on Thursdays in the same place as this season marks the first time that night has come back completely intact. "Traditionally Fox doesn't lead the market in spending," he said of the network's marketing budget, "but leads in innovative ways to get the message out."

The two new comedies that will follow Glee on Tuesdays this fall are: Raising Hope, from writer-executive producer Greg Garcia (My Name Is Earl), at 8:30 p.m.; and Running Wild, the new romantic comedy from Arrested Development's Jim Vallely, Mitch Hurwitz and Will Arnett. Raising Hope stars Lucas Neff, Martha Plimpton, Garret Dillahunt and winner Cloris Leachman. It follows Jimmy Chance (Neff), a well-meaning screw-up trying his best to raise his infant daughter. Running Wilde stars Arnett as an immature playboy trying to win over his childhood sweetheart, played by Keri Russell.

After Glee airs following Super Bowl XLV on Sunday, February 6 it will then make its spring premiere Wednesdays following American Idol, a time slot Reilly says will likely be Glee's home going forward.

The other two new comedies, animated series Bob's Burgers and live-action Mixed Signals, will air in 2011. Bob's Burgers, from creator Loren Bouchard (Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist), is about a man, his family and their floundering burger joint. Mixed Signals, scheduled for a spring premiere, is a relationship comedy created by Bob Fisher (Wedding Crashers) about three longtime friends and their attempts to balance their committed relationships with their desire for freedom. The ensemble comedy stars Nelson Franklin, David Denman, Kris Marshall, Liza Lapira and Alexandra Breckenridge.

One of the new dramas, Lonestar, will debut this fall on Mondays at 9 following House. Lonestar, set against the backdrop of big Texas oil, is from Chris Keyser and Amy Lippman, writer Kyle Killen and directed by Marc Webb. It stars newcomer James Wolk as a charismatic and brilliant schemer.

The other two dramas, set to debut in 2011, are Ride-Along, from creator Shawn Ryan (The Shield, The Unit), and Terra Nova. Ride-Along is slated to take Lonestar's slot after that show runs uninterrupted. It is shot entirely on location in Chicago and stars Jason Clarke, Jennifer Beals and Delroy Lindo. Reilly says Ryan is the single-best cop show creator working today and expects Ride-Along to stand out among the many new cop shows scheduled to debut in primetime next season.

Terra Nova is an epic family action-adventure that follows an ordinary family on an extraordinary journey back in time to prehistoric Earth as a part of a massive expedition to save the human race.

FOX FALL 2010 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE

(All Times ET/PT)

MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM    HOUSE  
9:00-10:00 PM   LONESTAR (new)

TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM    GLEE
9:00-9:30 PM    RAISING HOPE (new)
9:30-10:00 PM   RUNNING WILDE (new)

WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM    LIE TO ME      
9:00-10:00 PM   HELL'S KITCHEN         

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM    BONES  
9:00-10:00 PM   FRINGE         

FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM    HUMAN TARGET
9:00-10:00 PM   THE GOOD GUYS

SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM    COPS   
8:30-9:00 PM    COPS   
9:00-10:00 PM   AMERICA'S MOST WANTED  

SUNDAY
7:00-8:00 PM    THE OT (NFL post-game) 
8:00-8:30 PM    THE SIMPSONS   
8:30-9:00 PM    THE CLEVELAND SHOW     
9:00-9:30 PM    FAMILY GUY     
9:30-10:00 PM   AMERICAN DAD           

FOX MIDSEASON 2011 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE

(All Times ET/PT)

MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM    HOUSE  
9:00-10:00 PM   LONESTAR (new) / RIDE-ALONG (new)              

TUESDAY
8:00-9:30 PM    AMERICAN IDOL Performance Show
9:30-10:00 PM   RUNNING WILDE (new) / MIXED SIGNALS (new; spring)

WEDNESDAY
8:00-8:30 PM    RAISING HOPE (new)             
8:30-9:00 PM    AMERICAN IDOL Results Show
9:00-10:00 PM   GLEE   

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM    BONES
9:00-10:00 PM   FRINGE

FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM    HUMAN TARGET
9:00-10:00 PM   KITCHEN NIGHTMARES             

SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM    COPS   
8:30-9:00 PM    COPS   
9:00-10:00 PM   AMERICA'S MOST WANTED  

SUNDAY
7:00-7:30 PM    THE SIMPSONS (encores)
7:30-8:00 PM    AMERICAN DAD
8:00-8:30 PM    THE SIMPSONS   
8:30-9:00 PM    BOB'S BURGERS (new)
9:00-9:30 PM    FAMILY GUY     
9:30-10:00 PM   THE CLEVELAND SHOW