New J.J Abrams Drama Among FOX Pickups

NEW YORK/BURBANK: FOX’s 2011-2012 season features four new comedies and three new dramas, including J.J. Abrams’ Alcatraz and Tim Kring’s Touch starring Kiefer Sutherland.

Announcing the new schedule, Peter Rice, chairman of entertainment at Fox Networks Group, noted, “Nothing impacts culture the way a television show does. And here at FOX, we have the most talked about, most followed, most creative shows that build connections between viewers and brands.”

Kevin Reilly, president of entertainment at Fox Broadcasting Company, added, “Going into next year, we’ve rejuvenated American Idol, built a core strength across the week and developed a really fresh, creative new lineup for next season. From razor-sharp comedies to epic dramas to a massive talent competition series, I think we have the goods to continue to be pop culture’s most vibrant platform, as well as the top network.”

This fall, Mondays on FOX will feature the much delayed Steven Spielberg family adventure drama Terra Nova (first announced as a midseason replacement for the 2010-2011 season), followed by the returning House at 9 p.m. In midseason, House moves up to 8 p.m. to make room for Alcatraz, from Lost‘s J.J. Abrams, a thriller centered on the infamous prison.

On Tuesday nights, the third season of Glee is being paired with two comedies. The hit show will be used as a launch pad for the New Girl, a single-camera ensemble comedy starring Zooey Deschanel as an offbeat girl who moves in with three single guys after a bad breakup. Closing out the prime-time schedule on FOX is the returning comedy Raising Hope.

The X Factor performance show headlines Wednesday nights from 8 p.m to 9:30 p.m., to be followed by a new comedy called I Hate My Teenage Daughter with Jaime Pressly and Katie Finneran as single moms and life-long friends. American Idol fills the 8 p.m. slot in the fall.

Thursdays will kick off with The X Factor results show, leading into Bones at 9 p.m. In midseason, FOX will launch the Bones spinoff The Finder, a procedural focused on an Iraq war vet, in the 9 p.m. spot.

Fridays, Fringe stays in its 9 p.m. slot following Gordan Ramsay’s Kitchen NIghtmares. Sundays remain filled with animated comedy fare, beginning at 7:30 p.m. with The Cleveland Show, followed by The Simpsons, the new show Allen Gregory—featuring the voice of Jonah Hill—Family Guy and American Dad. Launching midseason is Napoleon Dynamite, an animated take on the cult hit feature film.

Other shows in the works that don’t yet have a confirmed time slot are the comedies Family Album and Little in Common and Tim Kring’s new drama Touch, about the relationship between a single father, played by Kiefer Sutherland, and his gifted son.
 
The Chicago Code, Breaking In, Human Target and Lie to Me didn’t make the cut for renewals.