LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- A recap of FOX's conference call with Gary Newman and Dana Walden (Chairmen & CEOs, Fox Television Group) about the network's 2017-18 season plans:
-- "Empire" and "Star" both have 18 episode orders for next season. "We will be on right through the fall with originals and then take a break and come back in March and run out the balance of the season on both shows," Newman added.
-- "Scream Queens" won't be back for a third installment. "Ryan [Murphy] told the story of a group of characters he created," Newman said. "Over the course of the two seasons, it feels as if it was a complete story. We have no plans at this point to go back there and tell more stories. "So we won't be seeing 'Scream Queens' this season."
-- The door is still open for another season of "24: Legacy." "We think Corey Hawkins did a great job," Newman said. "As you probably know, Corey is on Broadway right now, Tony-nominated for his role in 'Six Degrees of Separation,' so his schedule wouldn't really allow us to consider the show for the fall. So it's very much still in the mix. It's another show we intend to talk about when we get back to Los Angeles with the showrunners."
-- "Prison Break" likewise may return for another go-round. "Yes, we would definitely consider doing more episodes," said Walden. "There's nothing in the works right now. Really what prompted us to do this last installment was Paul Scheuring coming in to us with a great take on where these characters are and what a season might look like. I know they're thinking about it. It's definitely not something we want to do every season. We want to make it special. So at the point they come to us with another idea, it will be seriously considered. We actually loved this season and the characters are beloved."
-- Comedy pilot "Linda from HR" remains under consideration for a series commitment. "When we get back to L.A. we're going to meet on several of our pilots," Newman said. "We had a great crop of pilots this season. Choosing between them was difficult and ['Linda'] had a great star at the center in Lauren Graham. So we will be talking about that when we get back."
-- FOX had hoped to revive "American Idol" in 2020 however producers FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment were adamant about the series returning to the airwaves sooner, hence its new home at ABC next year.
-- On the studio side, Walden mentioned her hopes for a "How I Met Your Mother" revival. "I would say [it's] one of the greatest shows ever in our library at the studio, at some point I would hope we will have the opportunity to reunite those characters and tell new stories, if Craig [Thomas] and Carter [Bays] had the desire to do that. It's not every show, but a beloved show that is still being consumed all over the world, that's an interesting opportunity for us."
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