FOX is the first network to go wild preparing for next season by picking up nine new shows for the 2013-2014 TV season. The shows range from comedies starring Saturday Night Live‘s Andy Samberg, Law and Order SVU‘s Christopher Meloni and Gilmore Girls‘ Alexis Bledel to dramas with Greg Kinnear, Lost‘s Terry O’Quinn and two from various Fringe creators and executive producers.
This is a very ambitious slate of new shows, especially since FOX only ordered five new shows last season (one of which, The Goodwin Games, hasn’t even premiered). The five new comedies and four new dramas suggest two things about FOX’s upcoming schedule.
First, it’s possible it will expand comedies to a new night. Along with New Girl, Raising Hope and The Mindy Project, this marks eight live-action sitcoms, so either they will rotate on Tuesdays or FOX will try to launch a new night for comedy. In fact, of the five new comedy pilots, only one (Us and Them) seems to fit with the Tuesday night girl-centric vibe. The others are very male-focused.
Second, FOX will most likely continue to separate its schedules between fall and spring. They already have it divided with The X Factor and American Idol, and launching The Following as a mid-season show, and with limited time slots and many shows, there’s a good chance the fall and spring line-ups could look very different.
NBC Orders 6 New Shows>>
The CW Orders 4 New Shows>>
Here is the important information on FOX’s new shows you’ll see sometime next year.
COMEDIES
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
This single-camera comedy from the men behind Parks and Recreation centers on a squad of New York City detectives. It stars Andy Samberg (Saturday Night Live), Andre Braugher (who won an Emmy as a dramatic detective on Homicide: Life on the Street) and Terry Crews (The Newsroom).
Dads
A multi-camera comedy from Seth MacFarlane about two guys (Seth Green and Giovani Ribisi) whose lives are complicated when their dads move in with them.
Enlisted
This single-camera comedy is about three brothers who work at an Army base in Florida. It stars Geoff Stults (The Finder), Chris Lowell (Private Practice, Veronica Mars) and Parker Young (Suburgatory) as the three insanely good-looking brothers.
Surviving Jack
From Cougar Town and Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence and $#*! My Dad Says creator Jason Halpern, this single-camera comedy is based on Halpern’s book I Suck at Girls. It stars Christopher Meloni (Law and Order SVU, Oz, True Blood).
Us and Them
This single-camera comedy is based on the British series Gavin and Stacey about a long-distance couple. It stars Alexis Bledel (Gilmore Girls), Jason Ritter (who has moved from wooing Lorelai Gilmore on Parenthood to dating Rory on this show) as well as Kurt Fuller (Psych) and Jane Kaczmarek (Malcolm in the Middle).
DRAMAS
Gang Related
A gang member infiltrates the San Francisco Police Department and joins the Gang Task Force where his loyalties are tested. It stars Terry O’Quinn (Lost) and Ramon Rodriguez (Charlie’s Angels).
Almost Human
A futuristic-action cop show from the men behind Fringe (J.H. Wyman, Bryan Burk and J.J. Abrams), the show centers on a world where LAPD officers are partnered with life-like androids. It stars Karl Urban (Star Trek), Michael Ealy (Common Law) and Minka Kelly (Friday Night Lights).
Rake
This drama based on an Australian series is about a brilliant and self-destructive criminal defense attorney and stars Oscar-nominee Greg Kinnear.
Sleepy Hollow
A modern update of the classic Ichabod Crane tale starring Orlando Jones, this drama also comes from creators of Fringe, Alex Kurtzman and Robert Orci.
On first glance, I think a lot of these sound pretty solid. I’m interested in all of the comedies, except Dads, which I’m sure will crash and burn harder and faster than the last time Seth MacFarlane made a live-action TV show, The Winner. As for the dramas, I’m not sure if Sleepy Hollow will work and Gang Related sounds way too much like this season’s The Mob Doctor, but I’m definitely excited for the other two. Six out of nine that I’m already very interested in watching is a strong sign.
Which new FOX shows are you most excited to check out? Find out when these shows will air when FOX reveals its schedule on Monday.
(Image courtesy of FOX)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
John watches nearly every show on TV, but he specializes in sci-fi/fantasy like The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural and True Blood. However, he can also be found writing about everything from Survivor and Glee to One Tree Hill and Smallville.
