or


[01/11/11 - 02:01 PM]
FOX at TCA: Bubble Shows, Development Are Hot Topics
By Brian Ford Sullivan (TFC)

LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- "I don't believe for a second all the great shows are on cable," Kevin Reilly said about his stable of series at FOX.

Reilly and Peter Rice, the network's entertainment president and chairman, respectively, were on hand today at the TCA Winter Press Tour to talk about FOX's hits - and misses - this season as well as tout their status as television's most-watched network among adults 18-34 and teens.

"I think the show was slow to find itself and I think too little, too late," Reilly said about "Running Wilde," which he would later confirm - along with "The Good Guys" - won't be returning. "I think it did find itself... I think the show was struggling to find its legs. It was funny stuff but probably too little, too late."

As for the two-and-done "Lone Star," there's a slim chance the remaining episodes will be burned off this summer. "We're looking for a place," Reilly said. "They may very well play but at that point in time [it's a] show that had a tremendous amount of marketing... and didn't pull a whole lot of viewers. I don't really know what it's going to when we throw it on somewhere else. But it may very well come back."

The hot topic however proved to be FOX's stable of bubble shows, including "Lie to Me," "Fringe" and "Human Target."

When asked if it's an either-or scenario when it comes to "Lie to Me" and upcoming time period replacement "The Chicago Code," Reilly affirmed that both shows could come back. "It was really a needs thing... We brought it off the bench when we stumbled with 'Lone Star,' it came in cold and delivered that audience so what we're going to is look, a lot of midseason shows are rolling out now. We've just got to get a little deeper into spring [before any decisions can be made]."

The executive had similar sentiments about "Human Target," which wraps its sophomore run next month. "There's plenty of shows that are rejected outright in this day and age," he said. "We happen to have a handful of shows right now that are good shows that do perform to a certain level [but] they're not breaking through the next level. We program 15 hours, we need a next generation of hits. All of those shows are not going to be able to come back, unfortunately, because they perform at a certain level."

As for the Friday-bound "Fringe," Reilly said not to write the show's eulogy prematurely. "It's a show we're very passionate about. Fridays has been a troubled night... we are continually looking for the solution to the night... If we just literally transfer the rating we have, you know, even in that ballpark for Friday we have significantly upgraded our Friday night in terms of numbers and quality."

The duo were also quick to address various reports about the financial concerns surrounding the upcoming "Terra Nova." "They're actually haven't been any cost overruns on 'Terra Nova,'" Rice said. "It's on budget. It's a very expensive television show. It is a very ambitious television show. I give props to 20th Century Fox for taking that on."

Reilly added that, "If you broke it down just as a pilot it actually wouldn't be [any more] expensive than any of the high end pilots. The start up costs for the series are definitely on the high end but I think it's safe to say we're not in some completely uncharted territory."

Both likewise indicated the early commitments to "Nova" and Simon Cowell's "The X Factor" won't affect its development plans for next season. "We'll spend as much money on development this year as we did last year, maybe more," Rice said.

Among those plans are the horror series "Locke & Key," based on the comic book of the same name. "It's a unique piece of material and we like the idea of doing something scary," Reilly said, adding that they've only committed to a pilot thus far. "Originally we had it on a summer track... we just simply couldn't make the dates and were going to [have to] rush it creatively. So we've got it in the hopper now for May [when decisions about next season are made]."

Additionally, Reilly said that the network hasn't abandoned doing traditional sitcoms. "I think the first pilot we'll order on the comedy side will be a multi-camera show this year." One type of show you won't see however is a "Glee" knockoff, such as those in the works at the competition. "[They'll] just make 'Glee' look that much better," he quipped.





  [january 2011]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
      


· CHICAGO CODE, THE (FOX)
· FRINGE (FOX)
· GLEE (FOX)
· GOOD GUYS, THE (FOX)
· HUMAN TARGET (FOX)
· LIE TO ME (FOX)
· LOCKE & KEY (FOX)
· LONE STAR (FOX)
· RUNNING WILDE (FOX)
· TERRA NOVA (FOX)
· X FACTOR, THE (FOX)





[04/15/24 - 12:00 PM]
CBS Announces Series Order for New Daytime Drama "The Gates"
The specific time period, launch date and other series details will be announced at later dates.

[04/15/24 - 12:00 PM]
"The Rookie" Renewed for Season 7 by ABC
John Nolan, once the oldest rookie in the LAPD, has used his life experience, determination and sense of humor to keep up with rookies 20 years his junior.

[04/15/24 - 11:34 AM]
Lifetime Greenlights "Yoga Teacher Killer: The Kaitlin Armstrong Story"
The story, based on actual events, tells the tale of a tangled love triangle gone very wrong.

[04/15/24 - 11:23 AM]
Bang! ESPN to Exclusively Televise 2024 SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament Eastern Conference Games
At 7 p.m. ET on April 17, the Miami Heat (8th seed) and Jimmy Butler will visit the Philadelphia 76ers (7th seed) and Joel Embiid.

[04/15/24 - 11:19 AM]
A Special Encore of "Billy Joel: The 100th - Live at Madison Square Garden" Will Air Friday, April 19 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT)
The music special, celebrating Joel's record-breaking 100th consecutive performance at Madison Square Garden and featuring some his most iconic songs, originally aired Sunday, April 14.

[04/15/24 - 10:32 AM]
AMC Networks' May Highlights Features New Season of "Interview with the Vampire," New Crime Thriller "Scrublands" and Return of "Harry Wild"
These films, series and more join an extensive catalogue of compelling dramas, beloved franchises, highly anticipated films and timely collections on AMC+, Acorn TV, ALLBLK, Shudder, Sundance Now, and anime-focused HIDIVE, all month long.

[04/15/24 - 10:01 AM]
Video: National Geographic Sets Date and Unveils Trailer for Critically Acclaimed Heartwarming Documentary "Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story"
The emotionally powerful film shows audiences how the ability to love can reawaken us to the beauty of nature.

[04/15/24 - 09:00 AM]
Video: "Outer Range" Season 2 - Official Trailer - Prime Video
Look for all seven episodes to drop on Thursday, May 16, exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

[04/15/24 - 08:10 AM]
Apple TV+ Announces Explosive New Documentary Event "Hollywood Con Queen," Featuring the Unbelievable Story of One of Hollywood's Biggest Scams, to Premiere May 8
Based on the original reporting of investigative journalist Scott Johnson, and his book published by Harper Collins titled, "Hollywood Con Queen: The Hunt for an Evil Genius," "Hollywood Con Queen" explores the shocking story behind one of Hollywood's biggest scams.

[04/15/24 - 08:07 AM]
TNT Sports to Present Exclusive 2024 SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament Doubleheader, Tomorrow, April 16
Tomorrow night's opening contest will feature the eighth-seeded Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James traveling to take on the seventh-seeded New Orleans Pelicans and Zion Williamson at 7:30 p.m.

[04/15/24 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Thelma the Unicorn" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Based on the best-selling books. Starring Brittany Howard as Thelma.

[04/15/24 - 08:01 AM]
ESPN Films Greenlights 30 for 30 Documentary on Trailblazing Broadcaster Stuart Scott
The film is directed by Andre Gaines and executive produced by ESPN Films, Run & Shoot Filmworks, and Cinemation Studios.

[04/15/24 - 07:02 AM]
Emmy-Winning "Tamron Hall" Renewed for Sixth Season with ABC Owned Television Stations and Leading Broadcast Groups
"Tamron Hall" currently ranks No. 3 out of the nine one-hour syndicated talk shows.

[04/15/24 - 07:01 AM]
Reelz Announces Public Service Initiative with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)
The partnership will include exclusive to Reelz, public service announcements (PSAs) that will air in all day parts in 2024 and 2025 and will be further promoted on social media channels of the two organizations.

[04/15/24 - 06:03 AM]
ABC News Studios Announces New Special with Country Star Lainey Wilson from Robin Roberts' Production Unit
"Lainey Wilson: Bell Bottom Country" begins streaming on Hulu on Wednesday, May 29.