Fox unveiled its fall schedule during its Upfronts Presentation and there are some series making moves while others are being held off to make room for The WWE.
WWE SmackDown Live is displacing Fox’s live-action comedy block, which could not find a new home on the network’s fall schedule. Last Man Standing thrived in that slot but it’s being held until midseason and will air after Thursday Night Football wraps in January. Many were concerned this morning when Fox didn’t have a set date for its return but they quickly rectified that. Last Man Standing is expected to be paired with Outmatched, Starring Jason Biggs and Maggie Lawson and while Filthy Rich was expected to be paired with Empire, it is instead being chosen to anchor the 9 PM hour. The Tate Taylor drama, starring Kim Cattrall was expected for the fall but Taylor’s film schedule wouldn’t allow it.
Since Last Man Standing and Outmatched won’t premiere until midseason, the fall will feature no live-action comedies which is pretty rare for Fox. “We set some comedy goals, one of which was ramping up our animation lineup; that was our No. 1 comedy target,” Fox Entertainment preseident Micheal Thorn said during Fox’s Upfronts Presentation. He noted the three new animated series ordered for next season, including Bless the Harts, which got the post-Simpsons slot on the fall schedule.
Fox’s real estate for entertainment programming is shrinking this fall as WWE SmackDown Live takes over Fridays. Between that and Thursday Night Football, Fox had three nights to program for fall outside of its signature Sunday animated lineup, which is adding Bless the Harts, one of three new animated series ordered by Fox for next season, along with Duncanville and The Great North. There is a major change among the veterans in the animation lineup, with longtime 9 PM tentpole Family Guy moving to 9:30 PM and Bob’s Burgers taking over the anchor spot.
Fox’s top scripted series, drama 9-1-1, is shifting from 9 PM to the anchor 8 PM on Monday to become a launch pad for new cop/serial killer drama Prodigal Son. Bridging the fall and spring half-seasons of 9-1-1 will be the newly ordered spinoff series, 9-1-1: Lone Star, starring Rob Lowe, which will launch on Sunday, January 19, behind the NFC Championship, before moving into its Monday 8 PM slot on January 20.
This season’s phenom, Fox’s highest-rated series The Masked Singer, will be back with a vengeance, getting Empire‘s Wednesday 8 PM slot and a third season in addition to the already ordered second one, which will launch after the Super Bowl. on Sunday, Febuary 2. Like 9-1-1 The Masked Singer also will be used to launch a new sisters drama series, Not Just Me (fka Untitled Annie Weisman/Jason Katims).
Fox picked up a whopping six new drama series this upfront. Two are on the fall schedule, the others, 9-1-1: Lone Star, Deputy, NeXt and Filthy Rich will debut later in the season. Once again returning in midseason is Seth MacFarlane’s sci-fi comedy-drama The Orville, which takes longer to produce.
Sent to a new home for its sixth and final season is Empire which will air on Tuesdays at 9 PM. This puts it against the NBC behemoth, This Is Us, which doesn’t seem like a wise move. Empire’s longtime Wednesday slot is going to the second season of The Masked Singer. Leading the 8 PM hour on Tuesday will be The Resident, which is shifting from Monday nights.
Here is the full look at Fox’s fall 2019-20 schedule:
MONDAY
8-9 PM — 9-1-1
9-10 PM — Prodigal Son
TUESDAY
8-9 PM — The Resident
9-10 PM — Empire
WEDNESDAY
8-9 PM — The Masked Singer
9-10 PM — Not Just Me
THURSDAY
7:30-8 PM ET/ — Thursday Night Football Pregame Show
4:30-5:00 PM PT
8:00 PM-CC ET/ — NFL Football
5:00 PM-CC PT
FRIDAY
8-10 PM — WWE’S Smackdown Live
SATURDAY
7-10:30 PM — Fox Sports Saturday: Fox College Football
SUNDAY
7–7:30 PM — NFL ON FOX
7:30-8 PM — The OT / Fox Encores
8-8:30 PM — The Simpsons
8:30-9 PM — Bless The Harts
9-9:30 PM — Bob’s Burgers
9:30-10 PM — Family Guy
