So, how has FOX performed during the Fall TV season? Well, let us take a day-by-day look at what they have offered up this season so far and see. First though let me mention that FOX has the MLB Playoffs and World Series when the Fall Season is really starting to get underway. This throws a wrench of sorts into any kind of coherent start for their shows.
Sunday: The night is animated central. The long running The Simpsons is having one of its best seasons by most accounts. Family Guy and American Dad keep plugging along with their cult following. The War at Home was inserted into the line up after The Simpsons and before Family Guy and has done pretty well in the ratings. The style of humor seems to fit with the rest of the night’s lineup.
Monday: They moved Arrested Development to this night and paired it up with the new Kitchen Confidential. Arrested Development is great but has not picked up any more viewers really. But then how can a show start, leave for baseball, comeback then get preempted for November sweeps and then have the order for new shows cut and then start playing them again in December and then stop again with shows still in the can as of this past Monday ever grow the audience. Kitchen Confidential had some critical buzz but just wasn’t funny. The cast was great but that is just not enough. FOX did do well with the hit Prison Break. They started it really early, weeks before anything else new was on. This show keeps you at the edge of your seat with what are they going to do next type of endings. It is just a little something to keep you in suspense until 24 returns.
Tuesday: The debut of Bones and the return of House. This is a fun night of TV watching for FOX. Some don’t really like Bones but I find it entertaining and the fun dialogue between the characters and the next pop culture reference that the main character won’t get is what keeps me coming back. House is just as good as it was last year. Dr. House is one of the great characters on TV right now. You know it is going to happen but when it does you still can’t believe he said that or did the other.
Wednesday: Once baseball ended That ‘70s Show returned sans Eric and soon Kelso was gone too. A couple of the episodes have been funny but it seems to lack something namely what the Eric character brought to the group. Stacked returned also. It is not the best comedy on TV by a long shot but I still find myself laughing at the situations they create however unoriginal they are. This was also the night of the first show killing of the season as the show Head Cases was mercifully pulled after two episodes. How it got on the air in the first place is a mystery. It was that bad.
Thursday: The O.C. and the interesting Reunion tried to pull in viewers on this night. The O.C. still doing fine but Reunion in this time period unless it was just outstanding was never going to do well. Instead of a new night it got canceled. They had only filmed 11 episodes and FOX has continued to air them even after the cancellation. I really don’t get FOX and their programming choices.
Friday: Malcolm continues to be in the middle and Bernie Mac is still asking America for help. They were followed by Killer Instinct, which for some reason no one at FOX had, as they should have killed this thing off long before they did. One of the most stiffly acted and plotted shows I have ever seen.
Saturday: This night continues to be the night of Cops and America’s Most Wanted. At least they are actually new shows.
Overall: I would say overall it has been a bad Fall Season for FOX. Most of their new offerings have been canceled already. They have raised the ire of a faithful group of TV watchers with there treatment of Arrested Development. The only real bright spot was Prison Break, which they have seen fit to put a huge hiatus between the airings of episodes. They have pretty much become the wait until January when our real season starts network.
Things to look out for on FOX in 2006: Well the return I am highly anticipating is Jack Bauer and the return of 24. Also American Idol returns so FOX can once again have a ratings winner on the schedule each week. Not much else worth reporting unless you like quasi-celebrities trying to learn how to skate and perform then keep your eyes peeled for Skating with Celebrities.
What do you think about FOX so far this TV season? Leave your thoughts in comments.
