FOX Net Upfronts – New Shows for Fall with Big Names Attached

FOX has a pretty solid line-up this fall. This network has loyal followers for tried and true shows like Bones, American Idol, Glee, many of their animated series on Sunday evenings and their newest hit New Girl. A majority of the new programs look like they’ll fit right in with the current FOX family of shows. There are some big names making their debut on FOX this fall and I can tell you, I’m definitely getting antsy for new programming to begin. In addition to the four new shows scheduled to hit the airwaves, each night of the week is anchored with at least one of their hit shows or big stars, so the other nets better watch out!
The Following: Two words: Kevin Bacon. FOX got Kevin Bacon! I mean who doesn’t like Kevin Bacon? Even Kevin Bacon likes Kevin Bacon…

…see?
His new show, The Following, is sure to be a hit. Between the great casting, and the dramatic serial killer, cult-following, jail-escaping plot line, this show is an “A” in my grade book. Billed as “the next 24,” surprisingly, FOX is holding out until mid-season to release this little gem. As one of our seasoned buyers here in the office pointed out, holding back the good stuff until mid-season is an obvious trend among the major networks.
American Idol and X Factor: We’ll just go ahead and call Wednesday and Thursday the “We get it, normal people can sing and then they get a massive contract and then we’ll probably see them on VH1’s one hit wonder or Behind the Music years in the future” block.  We all know how these end. Heart-felt try-outs, a scandal from a female contestant, a wonderful performer gets kicked off – gasp! – and the cutest guy wins. Is there a petition I can sign to get these singing competitions off the air? I much prefer the comedy blocks on the other networks (not sure if that was obvious). But my opinion aside, these shows will continue to grab ratings and I’m sure we’ll see them on FOX for many years to come.
The Mindy Project: This one could go either way. Even with New Girl as a lead in, I  worry about this one gaining momentum. It’s up against two other comedies that I would presume attract a similar audience, Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 and The New Normal. However, Don’t Trust the B—- has switched to Tuesday night and no longer has the strong Modern Family lead in. I personally adore Mindy Kaling and hope this show is a hit!
The Mob Doctor: I am not really sure what this show brings to the table besides a drama in the time slot. If competition shows or comedy aren’t your thing, then I assume The Mob Doctor is where your dial will fall if you are an avid network TV watcher. There have been dozens of shows and movies portraying life as a mobster or in the grip of the mob. Nothing about this show really jumped out at me that this one would be any different. I think it may be around for at least the full season, maybe two.
Ben and Kate: I cannot wait for this one! A quirky, childish older brother, played by Nat Faxon, realizes his role as a support for his younger sister and adorable niece, who is sure to steal the show. Ben decides to move back home after realizing his family needs him, just as much as he needs his family. This family comedy is a perfect fit for Tuesday night, situated just before New Girl. I will definitely be adding this one to my TV appointment book.
The Goodwin Games – Stars Scott Foley, and frankly, I kinda already forgot about this one. It looks OK – the story is about a family of siblings whose father dies and makes them compete for their inheritance by playing a game of Trivial Pursuit where all the questions are about their lives. Oh, and they have to compete against each other and a random person that supposedly knows nothing about their lives. It seemed more suited to a full length feature film than a series to me.
Editor’s note: Last year our panel picked New Girl, X-Factor and Touch as the standout favorites from last season. Alcatraz and Terra Nova, which were both canceled, split our panel evenly by winner and cancellation votes. Most of FOX’s other new shows from last year, including I Hate My Teenage Daughter and the dreary Allen Gregory were panned by the True Media critics. And rightfully so. Most of the networks did right by their audiences this year by focusing on fewer offerings with better content. We all agreed the worst of this year’s newbies were better than even some of the winners we picked last year.