Fox is shifting "Lie to Me" to summer, pairing it with new drama "The Good Guys" in an attempt to establish a scripted beachhead on Mondays during the off-season.
The network will announce a summer schedule Tuesday that boasts first-run fare Monday through Thursday for most of the off-season. "So You Think You Can Dance" and "Hell's Kitchen," as previously announced, will again be Fox's unscripted summer anchors.
But the interesting part of the Fox plan is on Mondays, where the network is setting the ground for a template which would keep it in originals virtually year-round -- and possibly establish a new June-December air pattern for scripted series.
Having originally hinted at a late spring return for "Lie to Me," Fox will now return the Shawn Ryan-run drama Mondays, June 7. It will occupy the 8 p.m. timeslot now home to "House."
"Lie" will be used to help launch the lower-cost (but not low expectation) action comedy "The Good Guys," the Matt Nix-created hour which stars Brad Whitford and Colin Hanks as mismatched detectives. "Guys" (formerly "Code 58") will air Mondays at 9 p.m., following a special in-season preview Wednesday, May 19 at 8 p.m. (right before "American Idol").
Right now, Fox has about 13 12 original episodes of "Lie" to air during the summer. It hasn't yet decided whether to make more. Instead, it will see how the show performs on Mondays this summer. If it does well, Fox could order more episodes and keep the show on the air and in originals from June through December.
This would be a major step toward Fox (and other networks') stated goal of figuring out a way to extend the traditional September-May season for scripted originals through the summer.
The other broadcast networks are all expected to try originals again this summer, though Fox's decision to put a high-profile, regular budget drama in the off-season could be a bit of a game-changer if it works.
Other Fox summer highlights:
--"Dance," as announced, bows Thursday, May 27. It will air Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays until June 10. That's when "Hell's Kitchen" returns on Thursdays.
--"Hell's" will air two-hour episodes all summer long.
--"Glee" will have its season finale Tuesday, June 8 at 9 p.m. Repeats will continue all summer Wednesdays at 8 starting June 15.
--"Past Life" gets burned off on Fridays, starting May 28. It airs originals through June 11. On June 18, repeats of "Bones" and "House" take over on Fridays.
FOX 2010 SUMMER SCHEDULE
(All times ET/PT except as noted)
MONDAY
Mondays, beginning June 7:
8:00-9:00 PM LIE TO ME (Summer Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM THE GOOD GUYS (Series Premiere)
TUESDAY
Tuesday, June 1:
8:00-9:00 PM SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE
9:00-10:00 PM GLEE
Tuesday, June 8:
8:00-9:00 PM SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE
9:00-10:00 PM GLEE (Season Finale)
Tuesdays, beginning June 15:
8:00-10:00 PM SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE
WEDNESDAY
Wednesday, May 19:
8:00-9:00 PM THE GOOD GUYS (Series Preview)
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL
Wednesdays, June 2 and 9:
8:00-10:00 PM SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE
Wednesdays, beginning June 16:
8:00-9:00 PM GLEE (Time Period Premiere) (Encores)
9:00-10:00 PM SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE (Time Period Premiere)
THURSDAY
Thursdays, beginning May 27:
8:00-10:00 PM SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE (Season Premiere)
Thursdays, beginning June 10:
8:00-10:00 PM HELL’S KITCHEN (Season Premiere)
FRIDAY
Friday, May 28:
8:00-10:00 PM PAST LIFE (Two-Hour Summer Premiere)
Fridays, June 4 and 11:
8:00-9:00 PM PAST LIFE (Time Period Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM HOUSE (Time Period Premiere) (Encores)
Fridays, beginning June 18:
8:00-9:00 PM BONES (Time Period Premiere) (Encores)
9:00-10:00 PM HOUSE (Encores)
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 THE WANDA SYKES SHOW
Midnight-12:30 AM ANIMATION DOMINATION (Encores)
SUNDAY
Sundays, beginning June 6:
7:00-9:30 PM ANIMATION DOMINATION
9:30-10:00 PM SONS OF TUCSON