(Check out the fall schedules for ABC, CBS and NBC.)
Fox announced a fall schedule Monday that was marked by bullishness for reality show “So You Think You Can Dance,” bold ambition to expand its profile on Thursday nights — and no sense of urgency regarding its new slate of shows.
Notable Monday was the network’s holding back of much of its new series until midseason, with dramas “Human Target” and “Past Life," and comedy “Sons of Tucson” not premiering until early 2010.
New shows that are going forward in the fall include “Brothers,” a family comedy about a retired pro footballer featuring former New York Giants star Michael Strahan, CCH Pounder and Carl Weathers. That series will air Friday’s at 8 p.m., followed by Fox’s journeyman comedy “ ‘Til Death.”
Joss Whedon-produced Sci-Fi drama “Dollhouse,” which barely survived cancellation, will run at 9 p.m.
“We still believe in Fridays,” declared Kevin Reilly, president of entertainment for Fox Broadcasting.
On Saturdays, Fox will attempt to compete in the late-night arena with hourlong variety show starring comedian Wanda Sykes, fresh off her biting, headline-making turn at last week’s White House Correspondence Dinner.
“Wanda’s been on fire lately,” Reilly noted.
And on Sunday, the network will add to its animation block in the fall, with “Family Guy” spinoff “The Cleveland Show” leading out of “The Simpsons” at 8:30.
Also new this fall — but making its premiere Tuesday night following “American Idol” — musical dramedy “Glee” will run Wednesdays at 9 p.m., following a results installment of “So You Think You Can Dance.”
“We see (Tuesday night’s screening of ‘Glee’) as the biggest grassroots screening of all time,” Reilly noted. “If half of ‘Idol’s’ audience sticks around to sample it, that will be great.”
“Dance” has established itself over the years as a solid reality-competition performer during the summer, but Fox will try to extend it into the fall this year by giving it “Idol”-like tentpole positioning. The series will have a two hour performance episode on Tuesdays, with the hourlong “results” installment running Wednesdays at 8 p.m.
Meanwhile, Fox will further develop its incursion into Thursday nights, an initiative it began last year when it moved “Bones” to 8 p.m.
Next fall, the network will move the J.J. Abrams-produced sophomore sci-fi drama “Fringe” from Tuesdays to Thursdays, where it will compete against NBC’s “The Office,” CBS’ “CSI” and ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” at 9 p.m. — assuming those three networks don’t move their shows when they make their upfront presentations later this week.
On Mondays, the network will have “House” lead into “Lie to Me,” with Shawn Ryan taking over as showrunner of the latter project this year.
In January, “Lie to Me” will give way to “24” Mondays at 9 p.m., with new reincarnation-themed hourlong “Past Life” debuting at 9 p.m. on Tuesdays following “American Idol.”
On Wednesdays, McG-produced thriller “Human Target," starring Mark Valley, Chi
McBride and Jackie Earle Haley as proprietors of a high-end security firm, will premiere at 9 p.m., leading out of the “Idol” results show. “Glee” will get that spot back in the spring.
Fox will also run new live-action comedy “Sons of Tucson” Sundays at 8:30. That series stars Tyler Labine as a deadbeat who takes over paternal duties for boys whose real father went to prison.
Keifer Sutherland, star of Fox’s “24,” kicked off the network’s presentation Monday at New York City’s Center theater, with the recent DUI convict encouraging amused advertisers and media members to “join me at the bar after the show.”
Also on hand was recently appointed entertainment chair Peter Rice, who used his stage time Monday to explain to the audience why a career film executive would be enticed by a job in television.
“In the last eight weeks, I’ve come to realize that a $100 million movie translates to about 10 million viewers,” Rice said. “That’s what Fox reaches on a single night of television.”
Monday
8-9 p.m.: “House”
9-10 p.m.: “Lie to Me”
Tuesday
8-10 p.m.: “So You Think You Can Dance” (performances)
Wednesday
8-9 p.m.: “So You Think You Can Dance” (results)
9-10 p.m.: “Glee”
Thursday
8-9 p.m.: “Bones”
9-10 p.m.: “Fringe”
Friday
8:-8:30 p.m.: “Brothers”
8:30-9 p.m.: “‘Till Death”
9-10 p.m.: “Dollhouse”
Saturday
8-8:30 p.m.: “Cops”
8:30-9 p.m.: “Cops”
9-10 p.m.: “America’s Most Wanted”
11 p.m.-Midnight: ‘The Wanda Sykes Show”
Midnight-12:30 a.m.: “Animation Domination” encores
Sunday
7-8 p.m. “The OT” (NFL post-game)
8 -8:30 p.m.: “The Simpsons”
8:30-9 p.m.: “The Cleveland Show”
9-9:30 p.m.: “Family Guy”
9:30-10 p.m.: “American Dad”
