The Fall Season presentations for all the television networks new shows
take
place this week with the first announced today. With the help of The Futon
Critic, here's a full breakdown of which concepts have made the final list
over on FOX.
The Murdoch network tried a bold strategy last season with a three-tier
schedule involving a lot of reality shows and compressing shows like "24"
&
"American Idol" into five-month runs which allowed for no repeats to space
a
season out. Whilst the big reality shows like "American Idol" proved more
popular than ever, the new ones sank without a trace and as a result the
network is opting for a lot more scripted fare this year. The compression
trick though worked well for "24" in the ratings, so as a result it and
several other shows both new and old will be employing the same trick next
season. "Arrested Development", "Prison Break" & "Head Cases" will only
show
later this year, "The Loop" and "Kitchen Confidential" will only appear
starting in January.
The good news is many loyal fanbase shows like "Arrested Development",
"24",
"House" and "The O.C." will be coming back for at least one more season -
in
fact there was no real pre-existing show cancellations aside from the
failed
dramas launched last season like "North Shore", "Point Pleasant" and
"Jonny
Zero". Even though it's not on the schedule, expect "The Simple Life" to
also make a return sometime:
DRAMAS
BONES
Forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan, who works at the
Jeffersonian Institution and writes novels as a sideline, has an uncanny
ability to read clues left behind in a victim's bones. Consequently, law
enforcement calls her in to assist with murder investigations when the
remains are so badly decomposed, burned or destroyed that the standard
identification methods are useless. Brennan's equally brilliant colleagues
at the Jeffersonian's Medico-Legal Lab include earthy and bawdy Angela
Montenegro, who's created a unique way to render an original crime scene
in
a three-dimensional computer image; Brennan's assistant, Zack Addy, a
young
prodigy whose genius IQ actually gets in the way of his finishing the
several doctorates he has begun; "the bug guy," Dr. Jack Hodgins, who's an
expert on insects, spores and minerals, but conspiracy is his hobby; and
Brennan's boss, imposing lab director Dr. Daniel Goodman. Brennan often
finds herself teamed with Special Agent Seeley Booth, a former Army sniper
who mistrusts science and scientists when it comes to solving crimes.
Brennan and Booth clash both professionally and personally, but so far the
chemistry between them has only played out in a fictionalized account in
Brennan's latest mystery novel. Emily Deschanel, David Boreanaz, Eric
Millegan, TJ Thyne, Michaela Conlin and Jonathan Adams star
THE GATE
Created by Josh Berman ("CSI: Crime Scene Investigation"), this tells the
chilling stories of bizarre crimes committed by San Francisco's most
aberrant criminals. The series centers on Detective Graham Hale of the San
Francisco Police Department's Deviant Crime Unit. Intense and private,
Hale
is haunted by personal demons, and he chose this assignment after going
AWOL
for a year following his partner's death in the line of duty. Hale's new
partner is rookie Detective Ava Lyford, whose no-nonsense demeanor and
by-the-book tenacity hide both her insecurities and her secrets.
Unbeknownst
to Hale, she has a hidden agenda - and it might lead to his downfall. In
the
course of investigating his cases, Hale works closely with his boss, the
likable Lieutenant Matt Cavanaugh. and with Dr. Francine Klepp, a forensic
pathologist in the Coroner's lab and the former roommate of Hale's late
partner, Meg. Exploring the idea that "behind every monster there's a
mystery," the stories remind us that the "monsters" are everyday people,
hidden in plain sight - and that, in each of us, a monster may lurk just
beneath the surface. Johnny Messner, Marguerite Moreau and Chi McBride
star.
HEAD CASES
Bill Chais ("The Practice," "Family Law") created this comedic drama about
attorney Jason Payne, whose superstar career at a prestigious Los Angeles
law firm backfired when his wife, Laurie, kicked him out of the house and,
to make a bad day even worse, he had a nervous breakdown. After three
months
at a "wellness center," Jason found himself with no job, no place to live
and no support system. Enter Shultz, an unkempt, unpredictable sufferer of
explosive disorder, assigned to be outpatient "buddies" with Jason by
their
mutual therapist, Dr. Robinson. A low-rent lawyer who usually represents
deviants and petty criminals, Shultz eagerly latches onto a very reluctant
Jason, inserting himself in all aspects of Jason's personal and
professional
life. The intrusion is the last thing Jason needs, preoccupied as he is
with
trying to re-establish a relationship with his 8-year-old son, Ryan, reach
some kind of accord with Laurie, and lend emotional support to Kate, a
troubled young woman he met at the wellness center. For Jason and Shultz,
what begins as a bumpy alliance gradually turns amicable as each helps
steer
the other toward against-all-odds legal victories. Ultimately, they hang
up
their shingle together and set out to take on underdog clients while
attempting to keep each other "sane." Chris O'Donnell, Adam Goldberg,
Krista
Allen, Jake Cherry, Rachel Leigh Cook and Rockmond Dunbar star.
PRISON BREAK
From Brett Ratner, the director of the "Rush Hour" movies and "After the
Sunset". Michael Scofield is a desperate man in a desperate situation. His
brother, Lincoln, is on death row and scheduled to die in a few months for
a
murder Michael is convinced Lincoln did not commit. With no other options
and time winding down, Michael holds up a bank to get himself incarcerated
alongside his brother in Fox River State Penitentiary. Once he's inside,
we
learn that Michael - a structural engineer with the blueprints for the
prison - has hatched an elaborate plan to break Lincoln out and prove his
innocence. Senior correctional officer Bellick offers some prison wisdom
as
Michael arrives. Then, with the help of his cellmate, Sucre, Michael
begins
to align himself with a disparate group of prisoners, including former mob
boss John Abruzzi and Charles Westmoreland, a man some believe to be the
infamous skyjacker D.B. Cooper. On the outside Michael has only one ally,
his defense attorney and longtime friend, Veronica - who is Lincoln's
former
girlfriend. Meanwhile, Lincoln's 15-year-old son, LJ, is now adrift
without
his Uncle Michael's positive influence. This intriguing new series
promises
to reveal additional pieces of the puzzle each week as Michael carries out
his daring plan to mastermind the ultimate prison break - and solve the
far-reaching national-scale conspiracy that landed him there in the first
place. Wentworth Miller, Dominic Purcell, Robin Tunney, Sarah Wayne
Callies,
Peter Stormare, Amaury Nolasco, Wade Williams, and Marshall Allman star.
REUNION
Part character drama and part mystery, "Reunion" marks a groundbreaking
concept in series television as it chronicles the lives of a group of six
friends over the course of 20 years - all in just one season. From the
hopes
and dreams of 18-year-olds to the realities that irrevocably mark those
lives two decades later, Reunion's stories are of love and loss, marriage
and death, triumph and scandal. Will longs to leave his small town behind.
Aided by an athletic scholarship, he will be the first in his family to go
to college. Craig, handsome and privileged, looks forward to the Ivy
League
with his girlfriend, Samantha, whose ambition is surpassed only by her
looks
and intelligence. The beautiful and sensual Jenna dreams of becoming an
actress; behind his cynicism, Aaron dreams that his relationship with
Jenna
will go beyond friendship. Carla, innocent and quirky, must choose between
loyalty to her father and staying near her best friends. The series begins
with a funeral of one of the friends in 2005, before their identity is
revealed it jumps back to 1986 where the group is celebrating their high
school graduation. Each episode is set a year later and builds toward the
season finale at the friends' 20th high school. Will Estes, Sean Faris,
Dave
Annable, Alexa Davalos, Amanda Righetti, Chyler Leigh, and Mathew St.
Patrick star.
COMEDIES
THE WAR AT HOME
When Dave & Vicky were growing up, their parents had it easy. Back then,
there were no "time-outs," no one had any "boundaries" and "parenting"
wasn't even a word. Parents also had no idea what their kids were really
up
to; ignorance truly was bliss. Now Dave and Vicky have teenagers of their
own, and anything their kids might even think about doing, Dave and Vicky
have already done ... at least twice. But knowledge isn't power - it's a
giant pain! Every day is a battle to keep the kids in line.
Fifteen-year-old
Larry isn't exactly a frequent diner at the cool kids' table in the
cafeteria, while 16-year-old Hillary knows it all and is just emerging
onto
the dating scene. Meanwhile, at 13, Mike is all hormones and video games.
Dave and Vicky figure if they can send these three off to college without
a
police record or kids of their own, they've done their job. The series
goes
inside the heads of a modern family through the use of a confessional
space
where the characters reveal everything they could never actually say to
one
another. Michael Rapaport, Anita Barone, Dean Collins, Kaylee Defer and
Kyle
Sullivan star.
KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL
From the creator of "Sex and the City". Chef Jack Bourdain found enormous
success at a young age, but his culinary genius also led to a lifestyle of
boozing, womanizing and drugs. After hitting rock bottom and deciding to
sober up, the only job he could get was slopping soggy pasta for the
masses
at a tacky opera-themed restaurant. Out of the blue, Jack is offered an
opportunity to get back in the game as head chef at a top New York
restaurant. There's just one problem: the owner gives Jack a mere 48 hours
to fully staff his kitchen and prepare to dazzle over 300 customers -
including the food critic for the New York Times (who also happens to be a
jilted ex). Jack hastily assembles a renegade crew of colleagues from his
past, including chefs Steven, Seth & Teddy. Also along for the ride are
Tanya the hostess, a rookie pastry chef named Jim, and the owner's
daughter,
the gorgeous Mimi, who can't wait for Jack to fail. Bradley Cooper, Bonnie
Somerville, Owain Yeoma, Nicholas Brendon, John Cho, Jaime King and John
F.
Daley star.
THE LOOP (mid-season)
As we reach our early 20s and face the daunting challenges of real life,
there are those who choose to embark on a career path and those who'd
rather
goof off with pals. And then, every so often, there's someone who sets out
to do both. Set in Chicago, THE LOOP is the story of Sam, the youngest
executive at the corporate headquarters of a major airline, and the first
of
his friends to get a real job. He must find a way to straddle his serious
career and the serious social demands of his roommates. One roommate,
Sully,
is Sam's older and rowdier brother, whose casual attempts to hold down a
series of odd jobs are eclipsed by his attempts to land women. The other
roommate, Piper, is a medical student, Sam's college pal and - unbeknownst
to her - his longtime crush. As Sam strives to meet the relentless demands
of his boss, Russ, dodge the nonstop advances of his colleague, Meryl, and
turn his best-friendship with Piper into romance, he is, by turns,
ambitious, exhausted and inspired. Moreover, he is a hero for everyone who
has ever tried to work hard and play hard at the same time. Bret Harrison,
Eric Christian Olsen, Philip Baker Hall, Joy Osmanski and Mimi Rogers
star.
FREE BIRDS (mid-season)
College is over, all he did was party, and a dejected Nate finds himself
in
a situation he never imagined: returning to his small Midwestern hometown
to
move back in with his parents. But his mom and dad's marriage is in
trouble
and his room has been turned into a gym. The good news is that Nate is
able
to reconnect with local beauty and bank teller Amber; the bad news is
she's
newly engaged. He also meets up with former High School Big Man On Campus
Mark Dove, and it's time to hit the wild parties ... or as wild as they
get
in a small Midwestern town. Will Nate decide to move back to California,
or
will he suppress his small-town phobia and make a play for Amber before
she
ties the knot? Josh Dean, Erin Cahill and Dave Sheridan star.
SEPT-DEC 2006 SCHEDULE:
MONDAY
8-8:30 PM ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT
8:30-9PM KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL
9-10PM PRISON BREAK
TUESDAY
8-9PM BONES
9-10PM HOUSE
WEDNESDAY
8-8:30 PM THAT '70s SHOW
8:30-9PM STACKED
9-10PM HEAD CASES
THURSDAY
8-9PM THE O.C.
9-10PM REUNION
FRIDAY
8-8:30 PM THE BERNIE MAC SHOW
8:30-9PM MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE
9-10PM THE GATE
SATURDAY
8-8:30 PM COPS
8:30-9PM COPS
9-10PM AMERICA'S MOST WANTED
11PM-MIDNIGHT MADtv
SUNDAY
7-7:30 PM Animated Encores
7:30-8PM KING OF THE HILL
8-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9PM THE WAR AT HOME
9-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10PM AMERICAN DAD
JAN-MAY 2006 SCHEDULE:
MONDAY
8-9PM HOUSE
9-10PM 24
TUESDAY
8-9PM AMERICAN IDOL
9-10PM BONES
WEDNESDAY
8-8:30PM THAT '70s SHOW
8:30-9PM STACKED
9-9:30PM AMERICAN IDOL
9:30-10PM THE LOOP
THURSDAY
8-9PM THE O.C.
9-10PM REUNION
FRIDAY
8-8:30 PM THE BERNIE MAC SHOW
8:30-9PM MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE
9-10PM THE GATE
SATURDAY
8-8:30 PM COPS
8:30-9PM COPS
9-10PM AMERICA'S MOST WANTED
11PM-12AM MADtv
SUNDAY
7-7:30PM Animated Encores
7:30-8PM KING OF THE HILL
8-8:30PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9PM THE WAR AT HOME
9-9:30PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10PM AMERICAN DAD
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Member of the cult of Meh. Who cares?
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