HI GUYS! So Upfronts begin next week and I AM A LITTLE STRESSED OUT. Cancelations, renewals, series orders, THERE IS JUST A WHOLE LOT GOING ON RIGHT NOW AND IT’S HARD TO KEEP UP QUITE HONESTLY, SOMEONE FETCH ME A RESTORATIVE COCKTAIL.
This post is an attempt to organize what we know about what Fox has in store for the fall season: all the new shows, all the renewed shows and, R.I.P. — all the canceled shows. News is fluid right now, so check back in as I will continue to update these posts.
Fox’s Upfront presentation is on the afternoon of Monday, May 14th. By then, we should have trailers, a schedule and a full list of Fox’s renewed and canceled series. I will add that information –and my thoughts– as it comes in. Send box wine.
Schedule
Fox’s fall schedule is below. New shows are in bold. All times Central Standard Time.
MONDAY
7 p.m. The Resident
8 p.m. 9-1-1
TUESDAY
7 p.m. The Gifted
8 p.m. Lethal Weapon
WEDNESDAY
7 p.m. Empire
8 p.m. Star
THURSDAY
7 p.m. Thursday Night Football
FRIDAY
7 p.m. LAST MAN STANDING
7:30 p.m. THE COOL KIDS
8 p.m. Hell’s Kitchen
SATURDAY
7 p.m. Fox Sports Saturday
SUNDAY
6 p.m. NFL on Fox
6:30 p.m. The OT
7 p.m. The Simpsons
7:30 p.m. Bob’s Burgers
8 p.m. Family Guy
8:30 p.m. REL
New Shows
The Cool Kids
Description from Fox:
Three guy friends in a retirement community are the top dogs until they’re blown out of the water by the newest member of the community – a female rebel who’s ready to challenge their place. It’s high school with seventysomethings.
Cast: Vicki Lawrence, Martin Mull, David Alan Grier, Leslie Jordan
T’s Take:
This is from the It’s Always Sunny guys and it stars Martin Freaking Mull and Vicki Freaking Lawrence and David Alan Freaking Grier and Leslie Freaking Jordan. I’m all over this one. UPDATE: Now that we have the schedule, it’s clear that this was picked up to be a companion piece to Last Man Standing. While I will still give the series a chance, I am less optimistic.
Rel
Description from Fox:
Lil Rel, a prideful, self-made success who lives by the code to “always believe in yourself and great things will come,” finds that attitude put to the test when he learns his wife is having an affair with his own barber. He tries to rebuild his life post-divorce as a long-distance single father on the South Side of Chicago who’s on a quest for love, respect and a new barber. Inspired by Lil Rel’s real life.
Stars Lil Rel Howery, Sinbad, Jessica “Jess Hilarious” Moore, Jordan L. Jones
T’s Take:
It’s the hero of Get Out! I’ll give it a chance just based on that alone.
The Last Man Standing
Description from Fox:
Mike Baxter is the marketing director for an iconic outdoor sporting goods store. He loves to have adventures while he’s traveling for work and, of course, he drives a pick-up truck. While Mike is king of the hill at work, he’s the odd man out in a home that is dominated by women — namely his wife, Vanessa, and their three daughters.
T’s Take:
The Passage — Midseason
Description from Fox:
A secret government medical facility is experimenting with a dangerous virus that could either cure all disease or cause the downfall of the human race. The series focuses on 10‐year‐old Amy Bellafonte, who is chosen to be a test subject for this experiment, and Brad Wolgast, the federal agent who becomes her surrogate father as he tries to protect her.
Cast: Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Saniyya Sidney, Vincent Piazza, Brianne Howey, Jamie McShane, Caroline Chikezie, Emmanuelle Chriqui
T’s Take:
I’m hestitantly optimistic about this one. It’s based on a well-received series of books about (sorta spoiler!) vampirey creatures, written by a now-former Rice professor. I’ll be DVRing this one. UPDATE: Having seen the trailer, yep, I’m sold.
Proven Innocent — Midseason
Description from Fox:
Focuses on a wrongful conviction firm led by a fierce and fearless female lawyer with a hunger for justice. The team reopens investigations, putting their own lives in danger to exonerate the innocent that were “proven” guilty. The leader’s motivation comes from her infamous past; as a young adult she was found guilty and later exonerated in a high-profile case in which she became a tabloid sensation, household name and national celebrity. While a hero and a victim to some, her bold and bullish tactics garner her some enemies— one of whom will do anything to see her go down for a crime we know she did not commit. She defends others as she fights to maintain her own innocence.
Cast: Rachelle Lefevre, Russell Hornsby, Nikki M. James, Vincent Kartheiser, Riley Smith, Clare O’Connor, Brian d’Arcy James, Francis Guinan, Persia White, Shanesia Davis, Karin Anglin, Caitlin Mehner
T’s Take:
A legal drama. Cool.
Cancellations
- Brooklyn Nine-Nine*
- The Exorcist
- The Last Man on Earth
- Lucifer
- The Mick
- New Girl
- Shots Fired
- The X-Files* (The network says there are no plans to go forward without Gillian Anderson)
Renewals
- Lethal Weapon — Clayne Crawford has been replaced by Sean Williams Scott
- 9-1-1
- Bob’s Burgers
- Empire
- Family Guy
- Gotham
- The Gifted
- MasterChef
- The Orville
- The Resident
- The Simpsons
- Star
Shows Still Up in the Air
- Ghosted
- Hell’s Kitchen
- LA to Vegas
- MasterChef Junior
- World’s Funniest
- American Grit (returns this summer)
- Beat Shazam (returns this summer)
- The Four (returns this summer)
- Love Connection (returns this summer)
Fox has also expressed interest in more 24 and Prison Break, but have not officially renewed them yet.
Fox also said they still haven’t made a decision about Ghosted, which still has episodes to air in July, or LA to Vegas.
So, with this being their Friday:
FRIDAY
7 p.m. LAST MAN STANDING
7:30 p.m. THE COOL KIDS
8 p.m. Hell’s Kitchen
Does that mean The Exorcist is officially dead? Or could it be a Summer show you think?
No, it dead. Dead dead. There is a small movement to try to convince someone like Netflix or Syfy to pick it up, but it’s probably unlikely. Here’s a Change.org petition if you want to feel like you’re doing something:
https://www.change.org/p/save-the-exorcist-fox-canceled-it-lets-get-it-to-nbc-abc-netflix-or-syfy-to-save-it?recruiter=16615503&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=share_petition&utm_term=share_petition
-T