Fox's weak spot of the season is usually the fall line-up, but they could be better next season. They will probably go with stable shows with just a few new shows in the fall and more news shows for mid-season, when
American Idol and
24 return.
Here is the SitcomsOnline.com Fox 2008-09 preview:
New Series Already Picked-Up:
None
New Series We Think That Are Almost Good To Go:
Starting Under (sitcom) and
Fringe (drama)
New Series Perhaps Picked-Up for Mid-Season:
Dollhouse (drama),
Spaced (sitcom) Sit Down Shutup (animated sitcom) and
Cleveland (animated sitcom)
OUR FALL 2008 PREDICTION:Sundays7:00PM
NFL Overrun / Animated Encores
8:00PM
The Simpsons
8:30PM
King of the Hill
9:00PM
Family Guy9:30PM
American DadMondays8:00PM
Prison Break
9:00PM
Terminator: The Sarah Connor ChroniclesTuesdays8:00PM
Fringe (NEW!)9:00PM
HouseWednesdays8:00PM
Back to You8:30PM
Starting Under (NEW!)9:00PM
BonesThursdays8:00PM
The Moment of Truth
9:00PM
Kitchen NightmaresFridays8:00PM
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?9:00PM
Don't Forget the Lyrics!Saturdays8:00PM
Cops8:30PM
Cops9:00PM
America's Most WantedComments: It'll be once again a tale of two seasons within a season for Fox. Look for their mid-season line-up probably to be a lot different from fall, since
24 and
American Idol come in January. Sarah Connor and
Prison Break will air Mondays I think in the fall, with both possibly taking a break in January when
24 comes, and Fox can launch
Dollhouse, another promising drama they have. That will probably run for 6-9 episodes or so, and then they could being back
Sarah for its final batch of episodes from like March-May, paired with
24. I don't think
Prison Break will return after the fall ends...it doesn't really deserve to...maybe the potential spin-off could be introduced in an episode sometime in the fall. As for Tuesdays, I think the J.J. Abrams drama
Fringe will likely be paired with Fox's
House. If it hits, I wonder where
Fringe will go in January when
American Idol comes? Maybe Thursdays? More on that later. On Wednesdays, I think they will start with two comedies. Right now their best bet is
Back to You and the new Bernie Mac comedy
Starting Under...with
'Til Death likely a goner or saved for mid-season. I personally wouldn't bring back
Back To You, but Fox really doesn't have anything good in the sitcom development, except animated comedies and some single camera comedies. I think
Bones could be asked to air at 9:00pm. It could work, too. When January comes, we can expect
American Idol's Results Show at 9 and possibly
Bones moving down an hour to 8 or the comedies (perhaps one of the mid-season sitcoms in there)? Can they move
Bones once again by January? Fox is hard to figure. Thursdays I think Fox will remain reality, but maybe something different. I'm not sure if they have more episodes of
The Moment of Truth by the fall, since new airings are coming this summer, but that would be good for the fall at 8 followed by
Kitchen Nightmares, which is coming back in the fall for sure. Now by January, if
Fringe is indeed a hit, they might move it to Thursdays paired with maybe
Bones? I think Fox will have comedies at 8 (maybe a traditional sitcom in
The Inn or single camera ones like
Spaced or
Outnumbered could be aired here with either
Back or
Under) before
Idol or maybe
Moment of Truth, if it is not available in the fall.
5th Grader and
Don't Forget the Lyrics could be on the move to Fridays for the full season. As for Sundays, animation domination will continue, with the same shows in the fall, but perhaps as much as two new animated comedies will come by mid-season, for sure
Cleveland, the
Family Guy spin-off, and another new one such as
The Pitts or
Sit Down Shut Up...I hope the latter. They will likely replace
King of the Hill and
American Dad! for awhile, if not the rest of the season.
As a recap, for
Fox January, I'd do: Sundays: Animated Repeats,
The Simpsons, Sit Down Shut Up, Family Guy, and
Cleveland; Mondays:
Dollhouse/Sarah Connor and
24; Tuesdays:
American Idol and
House; Wednesdays: Sitcoms/
The Moment of Truth and
American Idol Results; Thursdays:
Bones and
Fringe; Fridays:
5th Grader and
Lyrics.
And so many series are goners next season:
K-Ville, Nashville, Search for the Next Great American Band, New Amsterdam, Canterbury's Law, Return of Jezebel James, Unhitched, & possibly 'Til Death. I think
Hell's Kitchen could likely return sometime in the season or next summer.
So, it looks like Fox will be decent year-round. Will
American Idol fall more next season? It might. But before that, let's see how Fox does in the fall. I still think CBS and ABC will share leadership for the fall in viewers/18-49, and Fox will have to rely on mid-season again, but maybe it will be a bit better next season.
Remember, next Thursday (May 15) is the actual date when we will find out Fox's plans for the 2008-09 season. So, come on back next Thursday and we will let you know the details and you can see how much we were right (or wrong). Stay tuned next week for the official fall line-ups for all the networks...will NBC edit anything on upfront day? We shall see. Also, we will try to give you all latest pilot rumblings on Saturday, so you will want to check with us! See if we have any inside buzz on this very slow development season.
Discuss your thoughts on our prediction and feel free to make suggestions of your own by clicking
HERE!
TV Land is having their upfront today...so if they announce anything later today, you can check here. If it is bit late then we will have a write-up for you tomorrow. So check back either way!
Throughout time, mothers have been revered for their love, nurture and support...not to mention their hard work. To celebrate Mother's Day on Sunday, May 11, Boomerang (Cartoon Network's 24-hour commercial-free sister network) gives birth to a 7-hour tribute to that modern Stone-Age matriarch, Wilma Flintstone. During the
Wilma Flintstone Mother's Day Marathon, which airs from 12-7 p.m. (ET), viewers will see Wilma Flintstone through the years-as she and Fred first court, during her pregnancy, as a new mother and, finally, as she becomes a grandmother. The holiday marathon kicks off with five and a half hours of Wilma-centric escapades from the original
The Flintstones animated series and concludes with the 90-minute animated feature
Hollyrock-A-Bye Baby (1993).
To see the episodes, click
HERE! Wilmaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
Don't forget to tune in tomorrow to the TV special
TV's All-Time Funniest airing 8-10pm ET/PT on ABC! It should be a fun special for all sitcom/comedy fans of all eras. I suggest you tune in!
Labels: ABC, Fox, The Flintstones, TV's All-Time Funniest, Upfronts