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Fall 2004-2005 Fox TV Network Programming Schedule

 Descriptions and Analysis

New Series in blue.

Click on underlined titles for information.

Here's the link to Fox's own 2004 Schedule website.

Summer 2004 Schedule -- Beginning June 14th

August:  The Complex: Malibu, Beyond Belief, I Want a Husband: Alaska

Fall 2004 Schedule

January 2005 Schedule

New Series

American Dad:  Now that Seth MacFarlane's long-cancelled The Family Guy rose from the grave via DVD and cable (and will be back on Fox in the near future), Fox is hoping to do it right the first time around with his new animated entry American Dad.  He's a CIA agent engaged in the war on terrorism, has a wife and a pair of teenage kids, along with an Area 51 space alien and a talking goldfish who live with their family.  Right at home on Fox's Sunday night comedy line-up, certainly all the Family Guy buzz won't hurt the profile of this new entry.    

Arrested Development:  Another nutty family show, this one's got an interesting cast -- Jason Bateman, Jessica "Play Misty for Me" Walter, cult comedy fave David "Mr. Show" Cross -- and a premise in which members of a well-to-do family come together after the father is put in jail for shady business practices.  Bateman is Michael, a widower with a young son, the most normal of the clan and the one who finds himself trying to help his eccentric family cope with their new circumstances, namely sans money.  Fox has a tremendous thematic flow going throughout their entire Sunday night line-up, and if Arrested Development and The Ortegas work, this could be the most successful and celebrated night of dysfunctional families on TV ever.  Update 6/19/03:  Actor Jeffrey Tambor (Hank on Larry Sanders) has been added as a regular in the role of the father, which was originally a limited guest role but has now expanded.  Premiere Date:  11/2/03.  Review 12/17/03:  Arrested Development is getting lots of love from the press for its definitely skewed take on family life and a surprisingly good performance from Jason Bateman and recent guest star Liza Minnelli.  The voiceover by Ron Howard brings to mind similar British comedies such as People Like Us which frankly make better use of it; Howard's voice is tremendously recognizable and more of a distraction than merely droll commentary here, but it doesn't hold back this nutty show that at least aspires to be something different and definitely succeeds on that front.  It's a great companion piece to the other Sunday night Fox comedies, where creativity is king.

Athens:  A fictional New England college town is the setting for this we-really-hope-it-works-as-well-as-The O.C. drama, as privileged students and erudite professors mingle with the hometown natives in a mini class war.  Expect emotional fireworks and a preternaturally good-looking cast as the next new primetime soap opera hits the air in January.  Created by the folks behind The O.C. -- Fox isn't taking any chances here!

The Billionaire: Branson's Quest for the Best:  The Mogul Parade continues with TV's newest take on the running the gauntlet for cash genre, as eccentric megabucks Brit Sir Richard Branson makes like a mother duck with a gaggle of greedy suitors on his tail.  What do they have do to earn the favor of Mr. B?  Just follow in his footsteps, which considering some of the more daring and physical adventures he's had should be a lot more exciting than  boardroom politics.  Will this particular variety of reality show poop out before Mr. Branson gets his chance to Trump the competition?  

The Casino: Reality-TV czar Mark Burnett is back at it again with this 13-week series focusing on the (they hope) fascinating goings-on at Las Vegas' The Golden Nugget Casino.  If the stories of gamblers and the business lives of the internet-rich owner-partners catch the fancy of viewers, it will be a win for Fox, since they're reportedly spending a million dollars per episode on the show.  What happened to the idea that reality TV was cheap?  Something's gone a little nuts, looks like.  Using Burnett's traditional blend of real life and staged events, all caught on camera, The Casino may indeed be worth the gamble that Fox is taking on it, and they're hoping it will be, you can bet on that.  The show will inherit American Idol's spot beginning on June 8th, 2004.

The Complex: Malibu:  Jeez, but I hate reality programming!  This one's a competition set in a Malibu, California, condominium, where several couples do battle on the redecorating front.  If wallpaper, flooring, paint swatches and hissy fits top your entertainment hit list, TC:M's for you.      

House:  One of the best things to anticipate with this show is star Hugh Laurie, well-known and beloved by fans of British comedy from his roles in Jeeves and Blackadder.  He might be more recognizable to Yanks and their kids for his work in Stuart Little, but don't hold that against him -- he's brilliant no matter what he's doing..  House, a medical mystery/drama from one of the creators of Homicide, promises to make villains out of dastardly microbes and virulent viruses as a team of highly-trained physicians attempts to solve deadly outbreaks before countless lives are lost.  If you've ever thrilled to the genuinely fascinating true-life tales on Discovery Health's Diagnosis: Unknown, you'll want to catch this fictionalized version of the same kind of stories.  Promising an unconventional lead character -- and with Hugh Laurie playing him, it could be wonderful -- and a straight-ahead dynamic style which will hopefully set it apart from all the other medical/science investigation shows out there, House will get a great lead-in from American Idol (assuming the magic is still there in January).  For the presence of Laurie alone this one is worth watching, and advertiser interest in the show is reportedly high.  Could be the class act of the year.  Premiere Date: 11/16/04.

I Want a Husband: Alaska:  I want an enema as much as I want to watch this show.

The Inside:  In a plot that shares elements in common with the '80s smash hit series 21 Jump Street and comedy films like Never Been Kissed and Hiding Out, a beautiful federal agent goes undercover in a high school to investigate drug dealings and other nefarious deeds.  Rachel Nichols (Line of Fire, Dumb and Dumberer) stars, with earlier Fox flop Fastlane's Peter Facinelli as her studly handler.  Genuine teenage modeling superstar Willa Holland co-stars.  Teens n' cops seems as good a formula as any these days, but Friday's not the easiest time to bring young viewers to the tube, and there's already CBS' heavenly hit Joan of Arcadia to contend with.  Certainly promos for The Inside will look great inside previous night's The O.C., and that could make the difference.  

Johnny Zero:  Producer John Wells (ER, The West Wing) takes a walk on the slightly wilder side here, in this tale of an ex-con who turns the tables on his former dirty cohorts and works to solve crimes.  Bodybuilder turned actor Franky G (Wonderland, The Italian Job) stars, along with actor/writer/rap artist GQ (The Bombitty of Errors -- rap adaptation of The Comedy of Errors, Drumline), Ritchie Coster (Hack, The Tuxedo), lovely Brennan Hesser (The Guardian) and others.  Johnny Zero looks like a zippy, streetwise take on criminal adventure, and if it can find an audience on Friday night -- big if -- this tough and peppy little entry might make it.

The Jury:  Writer/producer Barry Levinson (Diner, Wag the Dog, Homicide), along with Tom Fontana (St. Elsewhere, Homicide, Oz) and others with similar pedigree, give us a twist on the old lawyer biz, with this every-week-a-different-jury courtroom drama.  Like a weekly version of 12 Angry Men perhaps, the dynamics of jury interaction will be brought to life by new faces every week, along with the eventual revelation of the truth behind the crime in question.  A cast of regulars including British actress Anna Friel (Timeline), Billy Burke (Gilmore Girls, 24), actress/model Shalom Harlow (How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days), Adam Busch (Warren on Buffy the Vampire Slayer), and comedian Patrice O'Neal play the court personnel who work each week with the new jury.  The gimmick of the changing faces in the jury box is nice, and it sounds like there will be enough injections of police action to keep this one from being too house-bound.  Do the juries always decide correctly?  That's part of the suspense of the premise.  Expect the same level of acting intensity and theatrics as Fontana's other works and you won't be disappointed.  The Jury premieres June 8th, and is set to run through the Fall.  Is it a good match on Tuesday with Bernie Mac and Method and Red?  You wouldn't think so, but TV, like politics, makes for strange bedfellows.  Levinson plays the judge every week.  Premieres June 2004.  Update 6/10/04:  Special two-episode debut of The Jury got clobbered by NBA play-offs, so let's hope the second week does better.    

Kelsey Grammer Presents: The Sketch Show:  Based on a British series, KGPTSS features an ensemble rep company of actor/comedians in a (hopefully) fast-paced parade of amusement.  Comedian Lee Mack comes over from the UK version, Kaitlin Olson (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Mary Lynn Rajskub (Chloe on 24, Punch Drunk Love), stand-up comedian Paul F. Thompkins, and actor Malcolm Barrett (Swimfan) round out the cast, with Kelsey Grammer playing himself on each show.  Some of the production team behind the UK show are coming over to supervise this one, plus KGPTSS is slated to tape in both London and the U.S.  Don't know about this one -- tough time period, maybe it'll catch on, but not sure that Americans go for sketch comedy except in late-night doses.  We'll see!  At least Grammer has demonstrated his comedy chops for many years, and it's wonderful to see the marvelously glum-faced Mary Lynn Rajskub anywhere!

Method and Red:  Hip-hop stars Method Man (Wu Tang Clan, Oz, The Wire) and Redman (How High) get a chance to play primetime TV in this sorta Fresh Prince-ish concept; successful musician Method moves his mother, played by veteran actress Anna Maris Horsford (Minority Report, Nutty Professor II), into a snooty neighborhood, to predictable consequences.  Beth Littleford (The Daily Show, Spin City) and Peter Jacobson (A.U.S.A.) are on hand as their horrified next-doors.  You just never know whom America will choose to take to its collective bosom; if Method and Red can win the hearts of the viewers, this one could work.  These guys aren't exactly Will Smith, however, and we'll see how much crossover appeal they can generate.  They're going to need it if they want to really crack the network comedy nut in a big way.

My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss:  Gee, I used to have one of those....  Reality show with a no-doubt easily-understood premise, although this is actually a spoof with unwitting contestants made to jump through hoops under orders from an actor pretending to be their potential employer who's a real pig.

The Next Great Champ:  Champeen boxer Oscar De La Hoya joins with reality TV czars Endemol for this pugilistic and-then-there-was-one quest to discover an up-and-coming boxing contender.  Promising both fisticuffs and family dynamics, we guess it was inevitable that reality producers would turn to the world of sports for their next wave.  TNGC will be treading the same territory as NBC's midseason entry The Contender from Sylvester Stallone, and since first is sometimes best, De La Hoya may take the belt on this concept.  Update 8/24/04:  The plagiarism-tinged feud between Fox and NBC is fierce on this show, with a possible injunction against Fox in the wings.  Will Fox find itself on the ropes for trying to rush this concept on the air?  

North Shore:  Enough of dingy New York, neon Las Vegas and sweaty Miami -- Fox is hoping that viewers will succumb to the lure of the islands with this new Hawaii-set hotel-backdrop soap opera adventure.  And no Motel 6, this -- the fictional Grand Waimea is the poshest of the posh, populated with beautiful people both on the staff and in the guest rooms.  Kristoffer Polaha (from that JFK Jr. movie on TBS), Brooke Burns (Baywatch, Shallow Hal), and a bevy of comely men and women provide the hotel staff/eye candy; veteran actor James Remar (Sex and the City, Third Watch) gets to watch over the young'uns.  Can Fox do for Hawaii what they managed to do for Southern California with The O.C.?  North Shore could be a little Magnum P.I., a bit of Hotel, some Baywatch, and a lot of Peyton Place.  Set to air in late summer and through the fall, it will rest beginning in January (assuming it makes it that far.)  Premiere Date: 9/6/04.  

The O.C.:  In what looks like an attempt by Fox to offer something for teen viewers and others seeking more melodrama than you get during a makeover, an autopsy or NBC's sitcoms, The O.C. -- stands for Orange County, California -- makes its way into the very competitive Thursday prime environment.  Although those of us who are familiar with Orange County know that only a teeny bit of it is moneyed enough qualify for this show -- like maybe a few ultra-upscale beach communities -- this is TV, after all, and it's been a while since a genuine nighttime soap opera (non-reality, that is) caught on.  In TOC's dazzling sun-drenched world, we learn than money doesn't guarantee happiness, especially when you're a teenager, and that beautiful people are pretty perhaps only on the outside.  If continuing drama -- and main male adult lead Peter Gallagher -- hit your buttons, this is the show for you, but it's going to have a tough time surviving.  TOC is going up against the weeks' biggest NBC/CBS juggernaut, and it will take more than the flash of West Coast bling bling to make it through the season.  Fox plans to start airing the show in summer in an attempt to jumpstart the show, but if it flops, Thursday nights will look like a done deal even before the race has really started.  Update 6/16/03:  The O.C. will premiere on Tuesday August 5th at 9pm until it moves to its fall Thursday berth on 10/30/03.  Update 9/03:  The O.C. has been a hit so far for Fox, with continual growth since its early debut this summer.  The jumpstart appears to have worked; it's nice insulation against the fall competition but no guarantee of future success, of course.  Update 10/6/03:  Fox has decided to move The O.C. out of the murderous Thursday 9pm slot and into Wednesday at 9pm, displacing Bernie Mac and Cedric the Entertainer.  Bernie Mac will move to Sundays, replacing The Ortegas which is on hold.  The O.C.'s former Thursday slot will be filled by encore plays of the Tuesday night drama Skin.  Update 10/15/03:  Fox has given The O.C. an early full season pick-up.  Update 6/04:  The O.C. is moving to Thursday night this fall, leading into Tru Calling.

The Partner:  Another reality show, this one bringing the stings and arrows of outrageous antics into the courtroom.  Two teams of law students -- one from snooty Ivy League colleges, the other from more rabble-icious environs -- have at it from both sides in mock trials based on well-known cases.  Questing week after week for the ultimate prize -- a job at a prestigious law firm -- and under the scrutiny of visiting celebrity judges and hand-picked juries, these future lawyers won't miss a trick.  Once again America's viewers will get a chance to salivate over the drama of the courtroom; so how come nobody wants to go on jury duty in real life, huh?  With its timeslot on the tail end of Fox's comedy Sunday, expect something with an emphasis on the entertainment value of the legal wrangling.  Why don't people just watch the trials on Court TV and really learn something?  Premiere Date: 11/7/04.  Update 11/19/04:  In late October Fox pulled the plug on this show whose slot was hijacked by My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss and whose plot was deemed to similar to too many other reality shows already hitting the air.   

Quintuplets:  Wait a sec -- a couple of years ago Andy Richter (Conan O' Brien, Elf) was playing a hilarious and desperately single office worker on his eponymous show, and now he's supposed to be the father of five fifteen-year-olds?  Sure he's biologically old enough by far, but how could this brilliant and likable comedian end up in the middle of a brood comedy like this?  Any Andy Richter is better than none, and though he's sure to be terrific let's hope that there's enough of his trademark lunacy to make this a winner for him and for the viewers.  Guess we shouldn't worry, though, since Sunday is home to offbeat comedies like Arrested Development, Malcolm, et al.  

Related By Family:  The wife of the late John Ritter, talented and lovely Amy Yasbeck (Wings, The Mask) gets her own sitcom with this family comedy about teenagers from a blended family and their adventures.  Yasbeck is the mom, Matthew Glave (ER, Picket Fences) is the dad, and their kids (and their friends) are played by Zachary Knighton (The Prince and Me), Saige Thompson, Charlie Finn, Rachel Lefevre and Kurt Doss.   It doesn't sound too promising or original, but producer/writer Victor Frescoe previously gave us the delightful if short-lived Andy Richter Controls the Universe, among others, and if Ms. Yasbeck's gracious and funny presence is given free rein, fans of family comedy should give the show a nice sampling.  Related by Family has a nice hammock position between That 70s Show and the American Idol Wednesday night edition, too.

The Simple Life:  Spoiled rich girls Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie get the chance to make like Lisa "I Get Allergic Smelling Hay" Douglas from Green Acres when they're plopped down in the middle of Arkansas for the duration of this fish-out-of-water reality skein.  Update  and Review 12/18/03:  Surprisingly, this isn't as bad as it sounds, with the producers wisely allowing the decency and hard work ethics of the farm family to shine through and over the moneyed moans of the beleaguered heiresses.  Insipid and randy Paris Hilton clearly belongs in a "Trust Fund Girls Gone Wild" video, while Ms. Ritchie at least has the good manners to attempt to be polite and pleasant when speaking to her elders.  Update 1/15/04:  I've changed my mind.  This show is unwatchable, the girls hideous, and of course the show is working like a charm.  Makes you yearn for a bloody class war, doesn't it?       

Tru Calling:  Looks like the talented Eliza Dushku (Faith on Buffy The Vampire Slayer) is being thrown to the wolves, her new show slotted into Thursday at 8pm against Friends and the new Survivor outing.  The premise is the out-there combined with the very much here-and-now, as Tru, a gifted medical student temporarily working at the city morgue, hears murder victims telling their stories, somehow gets skipped back in time to before they were killed, and has a chance to prevent the crime.  You've got to admire the casting of this show -- Eliza Dushku is an extremely dynamic and appealing actress -- and Fox's attempt to add a little twist to TV's current obsession with dead bodies.  Tru Calling looks like it could be a super show, although we sadly remember how UPN's talking-to-the-dead detective show Haunted didn't last very long.  For those of us who long for something out of the ordinary, it's frustrating to see all the plodding, obvious and so-alike drama shows continuing to dominate.  Though audiences claim to crave unusual and supernaturally-influenced material, they instead constantly reject it for more traditional forms.  Scully and Mulder wouldn't even fly today; they'd have to be a husband-and-wife autopsy team.  It will be sad to see Tru Calling go, so catch it while you can.  Premiere Date:  10/30/03.  Review 11/5/03:  This one's worth watching if only for Eliza Dushku, but the off-beat premise works in a confused kind of way, too.  It's sort of a Memento Mortuary, with Ms. Dushku rushing -- make that Run Lola Running -- all over the city, trying to piece together a murder before it happens.  Crime deconstruction being all the rage on TV these days, it's gratifying to see that often tedious genre being spooked up in Tru Calling.  The show has thrown in a dysfunctional family for Tru in the form of a gambling addict brother and a Type-A coke-sniffing older sister; we've already seen her circumvent a brutal beating destined for her brother, and certainly she'll be pulling her sister out of the fire sometime soon, too.  Whether or not you go for Tru Calling rests solely on if you want your drama with a little twist, or do you want it strictly by-the-book.  Solving crimes, after they happen -- or now before -- is a staple of TV storytelling, and if you think it's cool and kicky to have a spunky young gal putting herself on the line to save strangers from extinction, then Tru Calling will please you greatly, as it does me.  Update 11/26//03:  TC has been given an additional 7 episode order, for a total of 20 (so far).  Update 5/18/04:  Against all odds, Tru Calling has managed a renewal for next season!