2006 Upfronts: Part IV

Because FOX can’t do anything logically, this schedule is a mess, split in two phases. I’ll speak generally about the season, capturing both phases at once. The following is the schedule released by the network on 18 May 2006:

Following are the FOX primetime schedule for 2006-2007 and synopses of the new series:

FOX PRIMETIME SCHEDULE:
FALL 2006 (All Times ET/PT)
MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM PRISON BREAK
9:00-10:00 PM VANISHED
TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM STANDOFF
9:00-10:00 PM HOUSE
WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM BONES
9:00-10:00 PM JUSTICE
THURSDAY
8:00-8:30 PM 'TIL DEATH
8:30-9:00 PM HAPPY HOUR
9:00-10:00 PM THE O.C.
FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM NANNY 911
9:00-10:00 PM TRADING SPOUSES: MEET YOUR NEW MOMMY
SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM COPS
8:30-9:00 PM COPS
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA'S MOST WANTED: AMERICA STRIKES BACK
11:00 PM-MIDNIGHT MADtv
MIDNIGHT-12:30 AM TALK SHOW WITH SPIKE FERESTEN
SUNDAY
7:00-7:30 PM FOOTBALL OVERRUN (COMEDY ENCORES)
7:30-8:00 PM FOOTBALL OVERRUN (COMEDY ENCORES)
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM AMERICAN DAD
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM THE WAR AT HOME

FOX PRIMETIME SCHEDULE:
BEGINNING JANUARY 2007(All Times ET/PT)
MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM STANDOFF
9:00-10:00 PM 24
TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL Performance Show
9:00-10:00 PM HOUSE
WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM JUSTICE
9:00-9:30 PM AMERICAN IDOL Results Show
9:30-10:00 PM THE LOOP
THURSDAY
8:00-8:30 PM 'TIL DEATH
8:30-9:00 PM HAPPY HOUR
9:00-10:00 PM THE O.C.
FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM BONES
9:00-10:00 PM THE WEDDING ALBUM
SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM COPS
8:30-9:00 PM COPS
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA'S MOST WANTED: AMERICA STRIKES BACK
11:00 PM-MIDNIGHT MADtv
MIDNIGHT-12:30 AM TALK SHOW WITH SPIKE FERESTEN
SUNDAY
7:00-7:30 PM COMEDY REPEATS
7:30-8:00 PM KING OF THE HILL
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM AMERICAN DAD
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM THE WAR AT HOME

MONDAYS

In the fall, I’ll be covering “Prison Break”, definitely, with the capsule reviews. I’m mildly intrigued by “Vanished” and “Standoff”, much as I was intrigued by “Kidnapped”, but I don’t feel like adding more to an already busy schedule on Mondays. I may watch them and comment on it briefly here and there. “24” will continue to get the full treatment, of course. But what concerns me is that the new show is firmly entrenched in the schedule, leaving “Prison Break” once again in limbo after the fall. What are they thinking???

TUESDAYS

Well, the other half will TiVo “Americal Idol”, but this is still a big catch-up night for Monday shows.

WEDNESDAYS

“Justice” is another show that has an interesting cast but simply isn’t going to make the cut. It’s up against “Lost” early in the running, after all! And anyone else notice that FOX is dumping “Bones” in the Friday night death slot in the middle of the season?

THURSDAYS

Sorry, FOX. Thursdays belong to NBC and CW in my Neilsen household. One-season comedies and a fading fad are not even on my radar.

FRIDAYS/SATURDAYS/SUNDAYS

Like nearly every other network, these days are filler. Is it me, or is every network giving up on Fridays and Saturdays? Granted, SFC dominates my Friday night schedule more than even in the “Farscape” years, but I don’t see a thing worth watching on weekends besides football and Sunday nights…

So…for FOX, I’ll be following six shows to one degree or another, mostly to record and watch during off-sweeps periods. “24” will get the full treatment, “Prison Break” will get the capsule reviews, and everything else will get sporadic commentary on the podcast, if they survive or hold my interest that long. That brings the grand total for 2006-2007 (including SFC shows) to 2 full written reviews, 7 capsule written reviews, and 2 podcast only:

Full reviews:
Lost
24

Capsule reviews:
Stargate SG-1
Stargate Atlantis
Battlestar: Galactica
Ghost Hunters
Prison Break
Studio 60 (new)
Heroes (new)


Podcast only:
Medium
Jericho (new)

So no real changes out of FOX. They have some interesting but fleeting shows that will be unlikely to survive in the slots as presented, and everything else is very, very “safe”. Which brings us to the final network worth mentioning in the final upfront: CW, which carries a huge chunk of material worthy of attention. I’ll cover that shortly!