FOX Fall Preview
Fox has a theme this year and — the network is going after the sci-fi audience. New shows this coming fall have characters with special abilities, one takes place 400 years in the future, and there is a supernatural comedy. While the mid-season pilots indicate a more back-to-earth flavor than the fall, the network is absolutely trying to lock down a very large and loyal audience.
The new fall shows will couple with returning shows like Lucifer, Gotham, and The Exorcist to give Fox an advantage with their target on Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. Those shows should combine with other returning successes like Lethal Weapon, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Empire, and of course the Sunday night lineup.
Fox New Shows
THE GIFTED, Monday 9-10P, Sci-Fi This show promises to thrill audiences and keep them on the edge of their seats. The show will focus on a suburban family that discovers their children have mutant powers. They quickly find other mutants and join forces to survive. Stephen Moyer (True Blood), Amy Acker (Person of Interest), and Natalie Alyn Lind (Gotham) star in this Monday night superhero drama. COMMENTS: Fox is going all in on Sci-Fi and mutant type characters on Monday nights by pairing The Gifted with Lucifer. The show promises to keep the action high after Lucifer airs and hold onto the same audience.
THE ORVILLE, Thursday 9-10PM, Drama/Comedy Venture 400 years down the road with Seth MacFarlane on camera. This drama/comedy is like a spoof of Star Trek with MacFarlane running a spaceship (The Orville) with a human and alien crew dealing with space age problems. He also deals with issues of today problems as he recovers from a painful divorce. COMMENTS: Fox is definitely banking on MacFarlane’s comedic Sunday night run to mix in drama and sci-fi for this Thursday evening newbie. His spaceship crew includes Adrianne Palicki (Friday Night Lights), Chad L. Coleman (The Wire), Scott Grimes (ER) and Halston Sage (Neighbors).
GHOSTED, Sunday 8:30-9PM, Sci-Fi This show has a Men In Black feel to it. Adam Scott (Parks and Rec) and Craig Robinson (The Office) are two guys down on their luck. One is a believer in the supernatural, while the other remains skeptical, but both could use some belief in their lives. Both are hired to investigate paranormal activity in Los Angeles. COMMENTS: Fox is using some bigger names in this one, who have had success with comedies in their respective careers. The pilot episode remained light, but does well with introducing flaws in both characters. These flaws should help draw in the audience.
Fox Mid-Season Replacements
9-1-1 Fox is turning to a home run hitter with this drama that will star Angela Bassett (American Horror Story). Bassett is not short on acting credentials with nominations and awards throughout her career. The drama will focus on the lives of first responders. We’ve seen cop dramas, paramedic dramas, and firefighter dramas, but this one will look at all three.
LA TO VEGAS A new type of comedy that will focus on an airline that does weekend flights back and forth between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Kim Matula (UnREAL), Nathan Lee Graham (Sweet Home Alabama), and Dylan McDermott (American Horror Story) will staff the airline laugher. The show not only zeroes in on the crew and their lives, but also the regular passengers who make the quick jump from the City of Angeles to Sin City on a regular basis.
THE RESIDENT This medical drama will focus on doctors at different stages in their medical careers. Matt Czuchry (The Good Wife), Emily VanCamp (Revenge), Manish Dayal (90210), and Bruce Greenwood (The People v O.J. Simpson) will fill the hospital with spine-tingling moments in the mid-season.
THE X-FILES Yup, it’s back. You didn’t think we were done with the sci-fi angle with Fox, did you? David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson will revise their Mulder and Scully roles for a 10-episode series. Chris Carter will also return to bring this cult classic back.