On the eve of ominous news regarding “American Idol,” the Fox network rolled out its fall schedule to advertisers Thursday, that included a new sitcom starring two of TV comedy’s biggest names.
Earlier in the week, Nielsen data had revealed that for the first time, a regularly scheduled show drew a larger audience than “Idol” in the overnight ratings. That show, “House,” also happens to be on Fox. It is the first scripted show in network history to finish the season rated No. 1 among all scripted series.
The top-rated network among young viewers will introduce three comedies and four dramas next season, according to industry reports. I’ll post the official schedules, and recaps of the upfront presentations from New York, on the TVBarn.com Web site.
The new Fox shows include “Back to You,” starring Kelsey Grammer as a newscaster on the road to recovery. It co-stars Patricia Heaton who, like Brad Garrett, star of another Fox sitcom “Til Death,” was part of the immensely successful “Everybody Loves Raymond” ensemble. Grammer, of course, was part of an even more immense and successful gang on “Cheers” before moving on to “Frasier.” Another comedy, from "Gilmore Girls" creator Amy Sherman-Palladino, stars Parker Posey and Lauren Ambrose as sisters, one of whom agrees to have the other's baby.
A spinoff of the movie “Terminator 2” called “The Sarah Connor Chronicles” was the highlight of Fox’s new drama lineup. Julianna Margulies, who had a great turn on “The Sopranos” as a real estate broker, returns to network TV in “Canterbury’s Law,” where she’ll play a defense attorney. There will also be a cop show starring Anthony Anderson set in post-Katrina New Orleans, “K-Ville,” and a New York-based cop show, “New Amsterdam,” where the lead is immortal.
“24” will return at midseason, so as not to frustrate viewers with siestas or reruns. Earlier this week, Fox announced it had renewed “24” for two more seasons, through 2009.
The CW network showed a reworked fall schedule to advertisers Thursday. The sixth-rated network (behind the big four and Spanish-language Univision) is replacing scripted “7th Heaven” with two Sunday-night unscripted shows, “CW Now” and “Online Nation,” covering entertainment news and the ever-expanding world of Web video. And more reality TV fare will be added during the season.
The CW, which was formed in January 2006 out of the ashes of two money-losing networks, WB and UPN. CW executives had hoped their well-regarded scripted shows would give the new network a certain cachet during its inaugural season. Maybe so, but “7th Heaven,” “Gilmore Girls” and “Veronica Mars” all pulled disappointing ratings and all are gone next season. “One Tree Hill” survived, but when it returns at midseason, the story will be fast-forwarded four years — to the presumed age of the actual actors who have had to pretend to be teenagers on the show.
Among the shows added to the CW’s schedule are “Gossip Girl,” from “The O.C.” creator Josh Schwartz, a comedy-drama called “Reaper,” a sitcom “Aliens in America” and a drama set in South Africa, according to industry reports.
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