This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Fox announced a fall schedule that includes two new dramas and one new comedy, along with four new midseason series and a pair of live musical events. But network executives spent a big chunk of a teleconference with the press addressing questions about a show that isn't on Fox any more — "American Idol."
Dana Walden and Gary Newman, chairmen and CEOs of the Fox Television Group, touted their network's stablity — returning 17 returning series (both in the fall and at midseason). "That's more than we've had in a decade," Walden said.
But seven returning shows are moving to new nights and/or times in the fall, so the schedule looks considerably different.
The new additions are:
• Fox teams up with Mavel Studios for "Gifted," an "X-men"-esque drama about a family that goes on the run when they discover their children have mutant powers.
• Seth McFarlane's ("Family Guy," "Ted') "passion project" is a one-hour action/comedy set 400 years in the future aboard a spaceship, "The Orville."
• "Ghosted" is sort of a comedy version of "The X-Files" — a cynical skeptic and a true believer investigate "unexplained phenomena … while uncovering a larger mystery that could threaten the existence of the human race."
At midseason, Fox will add a comedy about an airline ("L.A. to Vegas"); a procedural drama about cops, paramedics and firefighters ("9-1-1"); and a medical drama, "The Resident."
Fox will also air a live musical version of "A Christmas Story" in December and a live musical version of "Rent" later in the season.
Fox midseason slate includes 10 episodes of "The X-Files" along with
"American Grit," "The F Word with Gordon Ramsay," "MasterChef," "MasterChef Junior," "Showtime at the Apollo" — and the final season of "New Girl
"We wanted to give it and its loyal fans the proper sendoff it deserves," Newman said.
Among the shows Fox canceled are: "APB," "Bones," "Making History," "Pitch," "Rosewood," "Scream Queens," "Shots Fired," "Sleepy Hollow," "Son of Zorn" and "Wayward Pines."
Fox is in talks with the producers of "24: Legacy," which is still under consideration for midseason. And Fox execs said there are no plans for more "Prison Break," but added they're open to the idea at some point in the future.
What got the most attention during the teleconference, however, is that "American Idol" is returning in early 2018 on ABC, not Fox — where it aired for 15 seasons — dominated the teleconference.
"It's obviously a tough one for us. We loved 'American Idol.' It's so connected to the Fox brand," Walden said. "Yes, it feels bad knowing it coming back on another network."
She said that, just "a month or two" after the then-series finale in April 2016, the show's producers at Freemantle were "determined to get this show back on the air as quickly as possible." But Fox execs "felt very strongly" that it would be "extremely fraudulent to bring the show back quickly" after they had spent so much time, energy and money billing Season 15 as the final season, Walden said. "All of our research and all of our fan forums supported that notion."
Over its last four years on Fox, the ratings dropped "almost 70 percent" and "the network was losing an enormous amount of money."
Fox asked Freemantle to cut the show's budget and Freemantle refused, she said.
"But contemplating losing 'Idol' and having it move to another network, we did make an offer," Walden said, beliving that the issues between Fox and Freemantle "would be resolved."
But Freemantle sold the show to ABC, which will air it in early 2018.
"That will put it off the air for one season," said Walden, adding that Fox was looking to bring it back in 2020.
FOX FALL 2017 SCHEDULE
(New programs in UPPER CASE; an asterisk indicates a returning show in a new timeslot.)
MONDAY
7-8 p.m. • "Lucifer"*
8-9 p.m. • "THE GIFTED"
TUESDAY
7-8 p.m. • "Lethal Weapon"*
8-8:30 p.m. • "The Mick"*
8:30-9 p.m. • "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"
WEDNESDAY
7-8 p.m. • "Empire"•
8-9 p.m. • "Star"
THURSDAY
7-8 p.m. • "Gotham"•
8-9 p.m. • "THE ORVILLE"
FRIDAY
7-8 p.m. • "Hell's Kitchen"•
8-9 p.m. • "The Exorcist"
SATURDAY
5-8:30 p.m. • College football
SUNDAY
6-6:30 p.m. • NFL
6:30-7 p.m. • "The OT"/"Bob's Burgers"
7-7:30 p.m. • "The Simpsons"
7:30-8 p.m. • "GHOSTED"
8-8:30 p.m. • "Family Guy"
8:30-9 p.m. • "The Last Man on Earth"
Here are Fox's descriptions of its new shows:
NEW FALL SERIES
GHOSTED (Sundays, 7:30 p.m.) • Starring Craig Robinson ("The Office," "This Is the End") and Adam Scott ("Parks and Recreation," "Big Little Lies"), GHOSTED is a single-camera, action-comedy about the unlikely partnership between two down-on-their-luck polar opposites tasked with an even more unlikely mission: saving the human race from aliens.
LEROY WRIGHT (Robinson) is a cynical skeptic and former missing persons detective, who, if we're speaking frankly, thinks that "aliens" are a big ole bunch of B.S. and that people who believe in them are certifiably nuts. People like MAX JENNIFER (Scott). Max is a genius "true believer" in the paranormal who's convinced his wife was abducted by aliens. At low points in their lives, both Leroy and Max are recruited by CAPTAIN AVA LAFREY (Ally Walker, "Colony," "Sons of Anarchy"), a take-no-prisoners, former Air Force test pilot and head of the Bureau Underground, a secret government organization investigating paranormal cases. Lafrey, along with her staff – BARRY SHAW (Adeel Akhtar, "Unforgotten," "The Night Manager"), an overly friendly forensic pathologist, and DELILAH WARD, a highly opinionated tech specialist – will support Leroy and Max in their quest for answers. Now, this heroic group of underdogs will look into "unexplained" activity in Los Angeles that often leads them to scary, thrilling and hilarious places, as they attempt to uncover the truth and keep the earth rotating on its axis for at least one more day.
THE GIFTED (Mondays, 8 p.m.) • This drama tells the story of a suburban couple whose ordinary lives are rocked by the sudden discovery that their children possess mutant powers. REED (Stephen Moyer, SHOTS FIRED, "True Blood") and CAITLIN (Amy Acker, "Person of Interest") STRUCKER are typical middle-class parents dealing with the realities of raising a family. However, when their teenage kids, LAUREN (Natalie Alyn Lind, GOTHAM) and ANDY (Percy Hynes White, "Night at the Museum 3"), are involved in an incident at their high school which reveals they are mutants, Reed and Caitlin do all in their power to protect their children. Forced to go on the run, the Struckers must leave behind their old lives to flee from a relentless government agency that tracks down mutants, the Sentinel Services, which includes Agent JACE TURNER (Coby Bell, "Burn Notice"). Complicating matters further is the fact that Reed is a prosecutor in the district attorney's office tasked with going after mutants. Desperate and running low on options, the family's only choice is to contact an underground network that helps mutants in trouble. The mutants in the network – ECLIPSE / MARCOS DIAZ (Sean Teale, "Reign"), BLINK / CLARICE FONG (Jamie Chung, GOTHAM), POLARIS / LORNA DANE (Emma Dumont, "Aquarius") and THUNDERBIRD / JOHN PROUDSTAR (Blair Redford, "Satisfaction") – are dealing with their own issues. With one of their members in prison and their team possibly compromised, they face an uncertain future in a world that looks increasingly dangerous for mutants.
Written by Matt Nix ("Burn Notice"), directed by Bryan Singer (the "X-Men" franchise) and executive-produced by Nix, Singer, Lauren Shuler Donner ("X-Men: Apocalypse, "X-Men: Days of Future Past," "The Wolverine"), Simon Kinberg ("X-Men: Apocalypse," "X-Men: Days of Future Past"), Jeph Loeb ("Marvel's Daredevil," "Marvel's Jessica Jones") and Jim Chory ("Marvel's Daredevil," "Marvel's Jessica Jones"), THE GIFTED is a story of survival, a story of mutants coming to terms with who they are, a story of parents accepting the fact that their kids aren't who they thought they were and loving them just the same – even if all of their lives are at risk because of it.
THE ORVILLE (Thursdays, 8 p.m.) • From Emmy Award-winning executive producer and creator Seth MacFarlane (FAMILY GUY, "Ted") and directed by Jon Favreau ("The Jungle Book," "Iron Man"), THE ORVILLE is a one-hour science fiction series set 400 years in the future that follows the adventures of the U.S.S. Orville, a mid-level exploratory vessel. Its crew, both human and alien, faces the wonders and dangers of outer space, while also dealing with the familiar, often humorous problems of regular people in a workplace…even though some of those people are from other planets, and the workplace is a faster-than-light spaceship.
In the 25th century, Earth is part of the Planetary Union, a far-reaching, advanced and mostly peaceful civilization with a fleet of 3,000 ships. Down on his luck after a bitter divorce, Planetary Union officer ED MERCER (MacFarlane) finally gets his chance to command one of these ships: the U.S.S. Orville. Determined to prove his worth and write a new chapter in his life, Ed finds that task all the more difficult when the First Officer assigned to his ship is his ex-wife, KELLY GRAYSON (Adrianne Palicki, "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," "Friday Night Lights"). As the new commander, Ed assembles a qualified, but eccentric crew, including his best friend, GORDON MALLOY (Scott Grimes, "ER," "Justified"), who has problems with authority, but is the best helmsman in the fleet; DR. CLAIRE FINN (Penny Johnson Jerald, "24," "The Larry Sanders Show"), one of the Union's most accomplished physicians; BORTUS (Peter Macon, "Shameless," "Bosch"), an alien from a single-sex species; ISAAC (Mark Jackson, "That Royal Today"), an artificial life-form from a machine society that thinks biological life-forms are inferior; navigator JOHN LAMARR (J. Lee, FAMILY GUY, "The Cleveland Show"), whose casual humor cuts through even the most dire situations; ALARA KITAN (Halston Sage, "Neighbors," "Goosebumps"), a young, inexperienced security officer whose home planet's high gravity gives her superior physical strength; and YAPHIT, a gelatinous creature voiced by comedian Norm Macdonald ("The Middle," "Saturday Night Live"). Somehow, Ed and Kelly must put the past behind them and, with the help of the crew, navigate fascinating and sometimes dangerous adventures in outer space, as well as the tumultuous and captivating day-to-day personal relationships with their colleagues.
NEW MIDSEASON SHOW
"LA TO VEGAS" (comedy) • From executive producers Will Ferrell ("Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy," "Elf"), Adam McKay ("The Big Short"), Lon Zimmet ("Unbreakable Kimmie Schmidt") and Steve Levitan ("Modern Family"), LA TO VEGAS is a single-camera ensemble comedy about an airline crew and the eccentric passengers who, every weekend, take the roundtrip flight from Los Angeles to Las Vegas with one goal in mind – to come back a winner.
Welcome to Jackpot Airlines, a budget carrier whose junket flight from LA to Vegas and back again, is filled with dreamers looking for that big score. Holding (or, more to the point, barely holding) these voyages together is RONNIE (Kim Matula, "UnREAL"), a long-suffering flight attendant who tries to keep her cool (oftentimes, with little success) whether she's dealing with a bi-polar bride-to-be or the dead body in Row 13. Managing the revolving door of bachelor parties and 21st birthdays gets even trickier when Ronnie develops a "location-ship" with COLIN (Ed Weeks, "The Mindy Project"), a regular passenger and an economics professor, whose son and soon-to-be ex-wife live in Vegas. Further complicating her job every weekend is CAPTAIN DAVE (Emmy Award nominee and Golden Globe winner Dylan McDermott, "The Practice," "American Horror Story"), the narcissistic pilot whose fighter-pilot dreams never quite worked out; BERNARD (Nathan Lee Graham, "The Comeback," "Hitch"), the always-positive career flight attendant who thinks there's no flight more magical than the LA-to-Vegas; ARTEM (Peter Stormare, "The Big Lebowski"), the genial professional gambler who serves as the plane's resident (but unofficial) bookie; and NICHOLE (Olivia Macklin, "The Young Pope"), the sweet-natured, part-time stripper who's a lot savvier than people realize. It won't be easy, but this unlikely group of miscreants and dreamers will eventually go from being strangers on a plane to a supportive, if unconventional, family…from Friday to Sunday … whether they like it or not.
"9-1-1" (drama) • From prolific creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, new procedural drama 9-1-1 is a fast-paced exploration into the lives and careers of first responders – cops, paramedics, firefighters – the people who put their lives on the line to save others.
Starring Academy and Emmy Award nominee and Golden Globe winner Angela Bassett ("American Horror Story," "What's Love Got to Do with It"), the series is based on the real-life, high-pressure experiences of emergency response providers who are thrust into heart-stopping situations that are equal parts unpredictable, intense and uplifting.
THE RESIDENT (drama) • Focusing on three doctors at different stages of their careers and a dedicated young nurse, THE RESIDENT is a provocative new medical drama that rips back the curtain to reveal the truth of what really happens, both good and bad, in hospitals across the country.
Meet DR. CONRAD HAWKINS (Matt Czuchry, "The Good Wife"), one of the best doctors at Chastain Park Memorial Hospital. Charming, arrogant and only a third-year resident, Conrad does everything in the most unconventional way possible. Along with treating patients, Conrad believes it is his job to burst the illusions of first-year residents, like DR. DEVON PRAVESH (Manish Dayal, "Halt and Catch Fire"), and turn them into real-life doctors. Devon is an innocent idealist, who wears his finely tuned moral compass and passion for science like armor. With Conrad's help, however, Devon quickly discovers the reality of his chosen profession is not what he imagined, and that ethical lines are often blurred. Nothing, not even the best medical school in the country, could have prepared him for what he's about to learn. As Devon accompanies Conrad through the hospital's halls, he meets distinguished chief of surgery DR. RANDOLPH BELL (Bruce Greenwood, "The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story," "Mad Men"), the face of the hospital and its most sought-after doctor, whose diminishing skills, and the errors they cause, are covered with the help of allies under his command; DR. MINA OKAFOR (Shaunette Renée Wilson, "Billions"), a rising star surgeon from Nigeria who is threatening Bell's dominance, but who also is in the U.S. on a visa; and NICOLETTE NEVIN (Emily VanCamp, "Revenge"), one of Chastain Memorial's most respected nurses and Conrad's on-again-off-again romantic partner. While Conrad opens Devon's eyes to the stark realities of hospital life, the once-optimistic young doctor soon realizes that the practice of medicine is a business, like any other. Not all patients are angels and not all doctors are gods, but one thing's for sure: expectations are meant to be shattered.