Fox: 4 Ways to Retool with Comedy, Spectacle

Complete

Coverage: Upfronts 2013

RELATED:

ABC:

Reducing Repeats With Limited Series

CBS:

Restocking the Comedy Coffers

Fox:

24 Ways to Retool With Comedy, Spectacle

NBC:

Betting on Olympics, Voice to Launch New Hits

The

CW: Making Noise With Dramas

USA:

Launching Original Half-Hour Comedies

Turner:

Beefing Up Content Collection

ESPN:

We Welcome the Competition

Univision:

Expanding Its Hispanic Footprint

Telemundo:

Batting 1,000 on Original Content

MundoFox:

Bringing The X Factor, Bridge to Hispanic Viewers

Discovery

en Espanol: Introducing a New Programming Genre, Vroom

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here to view the fall primetime schedule grid.

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here to view pilot clips and trailers from the networks new shows.

STRATEGY: With its stalwarts showing fatigue,

Fox opens wallet for five new comedies and four new dramas and expects revival

of 24 as a 12-episode event series to cap a comeback year.

If at first you dont succeed, try comedy again. After getting results with

only part of its big comedy push in 2012- 13 (which followed a similar emphasis

the previous year) and suffering a year of ratings slippage, Fox is ushering

five new comedies into its 2013- 14 lineup, continuing its four-comedy block on

Tuesdays and awarding New Girl and a comedy to be named later the

coveted slot after Super Bowl XLVIII in February.

Those new shows, along with four diverse dramas, comprise an originals push

that is the priciest in the networks history. Monday (drama) and Tuesday

(comedy) are shaping up as the most pivotal nights.

This was not our best year, Fox Entertainment Group president Kevin Reilly

told ad buyers at the networks May 13 upfront presentation. But I am

confident we will be back at No. 1 this season.

Along with comedies on Tuesdays where the Parks & Recreation-pedigreed

Brooklyn Nine-Nine and the Seth MacFarlane-produced Dads get

launched Fox is putting drama chips down on Mondays. The night, fortified

with breakout The Following this season, will add the J.J. Abrams

sci-fi/cop hybrid Almost Human as well as timetraveling mystery Sleepy

Hollow, from Star Trek/Transformers screenwriters Alex Kurtzman and

Roberto Orci.

Reilly noted the net will play with order patterns, citing the reduced,

15-episode order for The Following, which broke out to become 2012-13s

most-watched new show. Theres no magic number, Reilly said. Shows will premiere and be staggered throughout

the year.

Fox also pointed to multiplatform adoption, touting The Followings

time-shifting strength, which reached a peak with 80% of viewing occurring

outside its Monday time slot. Were really going to try to break out of the

confines of the traditional broadcast season, Reilly said.

Broadcast nets still have unmatched reach, Reilly argued, noting The

Following has racked up 17 million viewers across all platforms, better

than all basic cable series save AMCs The Walking Dead. We live by a

different standard, Reilly said. We cancel shows that most cable networks would

declare a success and would live with.

Taking new risks is important. But as any touring band knows, its also

important to play the hits. So Fox believes the timing is right to embark on a

12-episode revival of its Bush-era staple 24, compressed into an event

series next May with Keifer Sutherland returning as Jack Bauer. Another event

series from M. Night Shyamalan called Wayward Pines stars Matt Dillon as

a Secret Service agent unraveling a mystery in an Idaho town. Even without

action footage of 24, the mere glimpse of the title on the screen and producer

Howard Gordon describing the comeback drew a hearty cheer from Foxs upfront

audience.

On Thursdays, Greg Kinnear toplines Rake, a characterdriven drama based

on an Australian series, from exec producers including Rescue Mes Peter

Tolan. Rake will take over for Glee at midseason. Fridays in the

fall will see pint-sized chefs compete in a new reality series with the working

title Junior MasterChef. At midseason, long-runner Bones will

shift to Friday, along with returning comedy Raising Hope and new

single-camera comedy Enlisted from Kevin Biegel (Cougar Town,

Scrubs).

Wednesdays and Sundays remain intact as showcases for The X Factor/American

Idol and a signature animation block, respectively. Idol backstage-watching

continues due to the 12-year-old warhorses double-digit ratings plunge this

season. At a press briefing, Reilly would only acknowledge Randy Jackson is leaving,

though rumors swirl around the other judges. The nets focus will be on

retooling the shows format, Reilly said. Still, a dollop of Idol intrigue

leaked into Foxs otherwise watertight presentation. Introducing the reality

talent roster, Reilly seemed surprised when Simon Cowell turned to ex-Idol mate

Ryan Seacrest and jabbed, Wheres Randy? Seacrest fired back, Ask Kevin. Reilly shrugged and said, Oh, Simon. Always

taking the risk.

E-mail comments to dhayes@nbmedia.com

and follow him on Twitter: @dadehayes

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