FOX's 2010-2011 primetime schedule is set

Adrianne Palicki, James Wolk and Eloise Mumford of FOX's 'Lonestar'

Credit: FOX

On Monday (May 17) morning, FOX announced its full primetime slate for the 2010-2011 season. Or, to put it more appropriately, FOX announced its first full primetime slate for the 2010-2011 season. FOX always takes great pride  in announcing a schedule and then changing it completely.

"Last season, we did what FOX does best: we took some risks that paid off. Now we’re going to up the ante with an even more diverse and creative roster of programs for next year," states FOX Entertainment President Kevin Reilly. "With three daring new dramas, a fresh new animated series and three new live-action comedies, we're positioned to rebuild the FOX comedy brand, introduce the next generation of unique characters and deliver an even more compelling experience for our viewers next season."

The schedule announced by FOX on Monday (not to be confused with the way shows will actually air come September and January) is marked largely by stability and the dating moves the network decided not to make.

For example, while there had been speculation (as there has been nearly every year) that FOX might move "American Idol" to different nights come the spring, "American Idol" remains set on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. FOX is making a big show of claiming that "American Idol" will air 90-minute performance episodes on Tuesdays, leading into the new comedy "Running Wilde" (Will Arnett, Keri Russell) and then "Mixed Signals," while the Wednesday result shows will be cut to half-hour, airing at 8:30 p.m. between the Greg Garcia comedy "Raising Hope" and "Glee."

"Glee" is a big part of FOX's 2010-2011 schedule. In addition to holding its post-"Idol" slot in the spring, "Glee" will air in the fall at 8 p.m. on Tuesdays, launching the aforementioned comedies "Raising Hope" and "Running Wilde." In addition, FOX has also announced that "Glee" will get the coveted post-Super Bowl slot on Sunday, February 6, 2011.

FOX has given its key Monday night post-"House" time slot to the new Texas-set drama "Lonestar" in the fall and then to Shawn Ryan's new Chicago cop drama "Ride-Along" in the spring. That sends "Lie to Me" to Wednesdays in the fall, airing after new episodes of "Hell's Kitchen."

"Lie to Me" was one of two key bubble drama renewals for FOX this spring. The other, the midseason action drama "Human Target," has been sent packing to Friday nights in the fall, paired with the summer cop-comedy "The Good Guys." Of course, if "The Good Guys" is a summer dud, all of that can change.

FOX's highest profile new drama doesn't have a pilot, doesn't have a cast and doesn't have a time slot. "Terra Nova," described as an "epic family adventure 85 million years in the making," comes from Steven Spielberg, Peter Chernin, Brandon Braga and David Fury. It will premiere in the spring at some point, but FOX wants to give the effects-heavy series the development time it needs. 

In all, FOX has announced four new comedies -- the one we haven't mentioned is "Bob's Burgers," airing as part of Animation Domination Sunday -- and three new dramas, a relatively under-control slate of new offerings (especially when compared to the dozen new shows presented by NBC yesterday).

"FOX has been the No. 1 network for six consecutive seasons not only because our programs are hits, but also because they’re the most engaging shows on television," says FOX Chairman Peter Rice. "We're very excited to add a full slate of creative, original new series next season that will help us continue to capture imaginations and draw people back to FOX week after week."

More text to come... 

FOX 2010-2011 primetime schedules:

FOX FALL 2010 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE

(All Times ET/PT)

MONDAY 
8:00-9:00 PM    HOUSE   
9:00-10:00 PM   LONESTAR (new)

TUESDAY 
8:00-9:00 PM    GLEE 
9:00-9:30 PM    RAISING HOPE (new) 
9:30-10:00 PM   RUNNING WILDE (new)

WEDNESDAY 
8:00-9:00 PM    LIE TO ME       
9:00-10:00 PM   HELL’S KITCHEN         

THURSDAY 
8:00-9:00 PM    BONES   
9:00-10:00 PM   FRINGE         

FRIDAY 
8:00-9:00 PM    HUMAN TARGET 
9:00-10:00 PM   THE GOOD GUYS

SATURDAY 
8:00-8:30 PM    COPS    
8:30-9:00 PM    COPS    
9:00-10:00 PM   AMERICA’S MOST WANTED  

SUNDAY 
7:00-8:00 PM    THE OT (NFL post-game)  
8:00-8:30 PM    THE SIMPSONS    
8:30-9:00 PM    THE CLEVELAND SHOW      
9:00-9:30 PM    FAMILY GUY      
9:30-10:00 PM   AMERICAN DAD           

FOX MIDSEASON 2011 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE

(All Times ET/PT)

MONDAY 
8:00-9:00 PM    HOUSE   
9:00-10:00 PM   LONESTAR (new) / RIDE-ALONG (new)              

TUESDAY 
8:00-9:30 PM    AMERICAN IDOL Performance Show 
9:30-10:00 PM   RUNNING WILDE (new) / MIXED SIGNALS (new; spring)

WEDNESDAY 
8:00-8:30 PM    RAISING HOPE (new)              
8:30-9:00 PM    AMERICAN IDOL Results Show 
9:00-10:00 PM   GLEE   

THURSDAY 
8:00-9:00 PM    BONES 
9:00-10:00 PM   FRINGE

FRIDAY 
8:00-9:00 PM    HUMAN TARGET 
9:00-10:00 PM   KITCHEN NIGHTMARES             

SATURDAY 
8:00-8:30 PM    COPS    
8:30-9:00 PM    COPS    
9:00-10:00 PM   AMERICA’S MOST WANTED  

SUNDAY 
7:00-7:30 PM    THE SIMPSONS (encores) 
7:30-8:00 PM    AMERICAN DAD 
8:00-8:30 PM    THE SIMPSONS    
8:30-9:00 PM    BOB’S BURGERS (new) 
9:00-9:30 PM    FAMILY GUY      
9:30-10:00 PM   THE CLEVELAND SHOW

Daniel Fienberg
Executive Editor

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A long-time member of the TCA Board and a longer-time blogger of "American Idol," Dan Fienberg writes about TV, except for when he writes about movies or sometimes writes about the Red Sox. But never music. He would sound stupid talking about music.