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May 16, 2011
 

THE SKED: Thoughts on FOX’s Schedule (and on Our Predictions)

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Written by: Mitch Salem
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NEW SHOWS in Caps.  New Time Periods in Italics.
WHAT WE LIKE:  It looks like another strong schedule from #1 Fox (and very close to our predicted schedule — more on that later).  Fox is very confident in its comedy development and is using strong assets like Glee and X Factor to launch new half hours.  Very few returning shows are changing time periods, providing stability to a schedule that is largely working. 





WHAT WE DON’T LIKE:  While it is a good idea to return House to the 9 pm time period, Terra Nova has a lot of pressure on it to open a night.  The often-delayed prehistoric drama must be very good and/or very strong testing to merit this vote of confidence, but until we see the pilot we are a bit dubious.  That’s it.  There really is not much to nitpick here.

WHERE WE GOT IT RIGHT AND WRONG:  In short, we were very close in our predictions of the Fox schedule (atoning for our misses on the NBC line-up).  We had House leading into Alcatraz on Monday nights (Fox says it will wait until midseason to go to that schedule).  We had New Girl and I Hate My Teenage Daughter leading out of Glee on Tuesdays with Raising Hope ready for back up.  We were almost right.  They apparently love all three comedies and decided to use X Factor to support two new comedy nights, a smart move with that genre on the upswing.  We correctly forecast stability on Thursday-Sunday (with the addition of Allen Gregory at 8:30 Sunday), although we missed that America’s Most Wanted would become a series of specials when encores are not in the Saturday at 9 hour.  All in all, pretty close.

THOUGHTS ON FOX’S SCHEDULE (AND OUR PREDICTIONS)


FOX COMEDIES     FOX DRAMAS


ABC ANALYSIS     CBS ANALYSIS     NBC ANALYSIS     FOX ANALYSIS     CW ANALYSIS
 



About the Author

Mitch Salem
MITCH SALEM has worked on the business side of the entertainment industry for 20 years, as a senior business affairs executive and attorney for such companies as NBC, ABC, USA, Syfy, Bravo, and BermanBraun Productions, and before that, at the NY law firm of Weil, Gotshal & Manges. During all that, he has more or less constantly been going to the movies and watching TV, and writing about both since the 1980s. His film reviews also currently appear on screened.com and the-burg.com. In addition, he is co-writer of an episode of the television series "Felicity."