The Fall Season presentations for all the television networks new shows take place this week with the last two announced today. 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.
More details about the Fall line-up can be found at the network's official site. The nightly FOX schedule will be as follows:
September-December 2005 Schedule:
MONDAY 8pm: "Arrested Development" 8:30pm: "Kitchen Confidential" 9pm: "Prison Break"
TUESDAY 8pm: "Bones" 9pm: "House"
WEDNESDAY 8pm: "That '70s Show" 8:30pm: "Stacked" 9pm: "Head Cases"
THURSDAY 8pm: "The O.C." 9pm: "Reunion"
FRIDAY 8pm: "The Bernie Mac Show" 8:30pm: "Malcolm in the Middle" 9pm: "The Gate"
SATURDAY 8pm: "Cops" 8:30pm: "Cops" 9pm: "America's Most Wanted" 11pm: "MADtv"
SUNDAY 7pm: "Animated Encores" 7:30pm: "King of the Hill" 8pm: "The Simpsons" 8:30pm: "The War at Home" 9pm: "Family Guy" 9:30pm: "American Dad"
January - May 2006 Schedule:
MONDAY 8pm: "House" 9pm: "24"
TUESDAY 8pm: "American Idol" 9pm: "Bones"
WEDNESDAY 8pm: "That '70s Show" 8:30pm: "Stacked" 9pm: "American Idol" 9:30pm: "The Loop"
THURSDAY 8pm: "The O.C." 9pm: "Reunion"
FRIDAY 8pm: "The Bernie Mac Show" 8:30pm: "Malcolm in the Middle" 9pm: "The Gate"
SATURDAY 8pm: "Cops" 8:30pm: "Cops" 9pm: "America's Most Wanted" 11pm: "MADtv"
SUNDAY 7pm: "Animated Encores" 7:30pm: "King of the Hill" 8pm: "The Simpsons" 8:30pm: "The War at Home" 9pm: "Family Guy" 9:30pm: "American Dad"
