This is the first in a
series of five articles previewing the 2013-14 network season. I’ll be giving some overall thoughts on the
state of each network and breaking down each schedule to tell you the shows I
watch and give recommendations for shows you might want to watch. First up: Fox.
This article began as a 3,000 word diatribe explaining why I
thought Fox was headed to last place among the four main networks after
spending the last decade on top. The
essay wasn’t very good (there was a long digression into Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and The Jay Leno Show) but I still think I’m right, so I’m going to
boil it down to a few hundred words here.
Fox is in trouble. Its flagship
shows, The X-Factor and American Idol were both down more than
20% last year. So far this season, The X-Factor is down another 20%. Now, this isn’t unexpected. Shows fade or die all the time, especially
when they’ve been on the air for almost a dozen years. The problem that Fox has is that these two
shows have held down one-quarter of the network’s schedule for the past two
years (three including this season), leaving little room to develop other
programs. This has resulted in a dearth
of recent development, especially in the drama department. Despite debuting The Following, network television's #1 drama last year (depending
on which numbers you use), Fox finished the season dead last in drama ratings
behind even the much-maligned NBC.
Fox still has plenty of time to get things right. Unless it pulls a major reversal, this is
likely the last season of The X-Factor
as a three-hour per week show, but American
Idol, even down another 20%, still would be the highest-rated show on the
network. Fox also has both the Super
Bowl and the NFC Championship Game this year which, based on CBS’s experience
last year, should be worth about three-tenths of a rating point in the final
standings.* So even barring any changes
in ratings for their scripted shows, those two sporting events are likely to
keep the network at least in second place.
*For context,
four-tenths separated first place CBS and second place Fox last year, while
three-tenths separated Fox and fourth place ABC.
That said, Fox has actually gotten some good news on the
scripted front. Through one week almost
every scripted show on the schedule is outperforming last year’s debuts, the
one exception being The Mindy Project
which, while down from last year’s premiere, is up almost 50% over last spring’s
finale. Sleepy Hollow in particular has been a hit, notching Fox’s
highest-rated debut since 2007. There
is still a lot of season left, but so far Fox’s scripted shows seem to be on
the right track.
Bailing out a sinking ship can be a relatively quick process
for a network once they get the right pieces in place. ABC struggled in last place for many years
before landing on Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, and Desperate Housewives all in the same season. Throw in Dancing
with the Stars the next year and they were right back in the race. NBC struggled similarly before launching Sunday Night Football and The Voice which, while not signaling a
complete turnaround, were enough to move the peacock network into second place
last year in the Same Day ratings. Fox
has the ability to turn things around quickly even if The X-Factor and American
Idol continue their collapses. It will just depend on their scripted
success.
 |
| Sleepy Hollow debuted big for Fox. |
So let’s take a look at Fox’s Fall line-up:
Monday –
Bones (7:00pm CST)
Do you watch it?
Yep. There are very
few procedurals that I watch regularly, but Bones
is one of them. I will say that since it
airs on Mondays, and there’s a lot of other television on Sundays and Mondays
that I watch, it’s a show that tends to pile up on my DVR, but I do
enjoy it when it’s on.
Should I watch it?
Sure, if you like crime procedurals with fairly well
developed characters and minimal, but consistent extended story arcs. I’ll be honest, the only reason I ever
started watching Bones was because I
liked David Boreanaz on Angel. But it’s good show. Not terribly deep and not great, but
good. It’s not a show that I pay a great
deal of attention to (I usually watch it at the gym or while I’m writing or
doing other household activities), but it’s an enjoyable show to watch. One caveat I should add is that it’s not for
the squeamish. It’s called for “Bones” for a reason. If you have a problem with seeing decomposed
bodies, look elsewhere.
Will it last?
Bones is in its
ninth season and it’s difficult to prognosticate about any show in its ninth
year. But the ratings are solid and,
despite a probable move to Fridays in November, I think only financial
negotiations could keep it from coming back next season.
Sleepy Hollow (8:00pm
CST)
Do you watch it?
Should I watch it?
The Headless Horseman has a shotgun and an AR-15. Are you seriously not interested
already? If not, I wrote 800 words
explaining why you should watch it (see the link above).
It’s entirely possible this will all fall apart within a week or
two. But it’s going to be a hell of a
ride.
Will it last?
Early ratings are fantastic.
At this point it should at least get a full season, if not more.
Tuesday –
Dads (7:00pm CST)
Do you watch it?
Should I watch it?
Do you like unfunny, lazily offensive shows? If so, then go for it. For most people, I’d recommend staying far,
far away.
Will it last?
God, I hope not.
Early ratings are okay, though they’re more likely to fall than rise.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
(7:30 CST)
Do you watch it?
For now, yes.
Should I watch it?
I think so. The
creative team is solid (Michael Schur and Dan Goor come from Parks and Recreation), Andre Braugher is
awesome, and Andy Samberg is a little loopy, but still a good comic
talent. It’s the fall pilot I most laughed
at (though I still haven’t seen the CBS shows) and I can easily see it
improving steadily as it goes along (Parks
and Rec didn’t kick in to high gear until late in its second season).
Will it last?
The show debuted to a 2.5 rating, which is good, especially
for Fox. It did better than Dads at least, so at this point it’s
tough seeing it canceled before that show.
New Girl (8:00 CST)
Do you watch it?
Absolutely.
Should I watch it?
New Girl may have
been the best comedy on television last year.
I think it started a little soft this week, but it’s still one of the
best comedies on TV.
Will it last?
This is Fox’s highest-rated comedy. It’s not going anywhere.
The Mindy Project
Do you watch it?
Yes I do.
Should I watch it?
I suppose. I’m not
going to try to argue that Mindy is
breaking any new ground or featuring must-see performances. It’s a solid, if unspectacular show that, at
the very least, is capable of making me laugh every week. I wouldn’t put it in the same league as New Girl, but it doesn’t have much
competition in its timeslot and it’s a show with potential. You know what? I wrote a decent amount about this show last
weekend. Go read that.
Will it last?
It’s tough to say. Mindy was probably a borderline renewal
last year, falling very low in the ratings during the spring. It’s bounced back a healthy amount this fall,
but it will need to hold those ratings to get a third season
Wednesday –
The X-Factor (7:00pm
CST)
Do you watch it?
I stopped watching singing competitions a few years before
Simon Cowell left Idol. I haven’t seen a minute of The X-Factor and only a few hours of The Voice.
Should I watch It?
If you haven’t before, there’s no reason to start now. If this is your thing, go for it.
Will it last?
As a three-hour per week show? Absolutely not. X-Factor
dropped 20% from its first season to its second and another 20% from last
year’s premiere to this year’s. It’s
fallen a further 10% in just the last four episodes. At this point, the show is drawing an A18-49
rating of 2.0. It could still be renewed
for 2014, but it would most likely return in a two-hour format, similar to the
changes made to So You Think You Can
Dance two summers ago.
Thursday –
The X-Factor (7:00pm
CST)
See Above
Glee (08:00pm CST)
Do you watch it?
Reluctantly, yes.
Should I watch it?
I can’t really recommend Glee. It’s not a good show and rarely strives to be
anything more than average, so slightly below-average is where it usually
lies. If you have a certain morbid
curiosity to see how the show handles the death of former star Cory Monteith,
you might check out the first few episodes.
But unless you’re really into the music (which I am), there’s no reason
to pick the show up now.
Will it last?
Glee has already
been renewed for next season and all indications are that it will be the last.
Friday –
Junior MasterChef
(7:00pm CST)
Do you watch it?
Gordon Ramsey is not my bag.
No.
Should I watch it?
Do you like MasterChef?
Do you like kids? Then this
sounds like it’s up your alley.
Will it last?
Everything else that Gordon Ramsey has touched has turned to
gold for Fox. I see no reason why this
should be any different.
Sunday –
The Simpsons (7:00pm
CST)
Do you watch it?
Not regularly, no.
Should I watch it?
By all
accounts, the series is no longer hitting its old highs, but is still capable
of cranking out pleasurable half-hours of television. I don’t go out of my way to watch The Simpsons and it’s in an incredibly
dense timeslot for me. But I never
object when it comes on.
Will it last?
The Simpsons debuted
its first short on The Tracy Ullman Show
before my fifth birthday. It will
outlive us all.
Bob’s Burgers (7:30pm
CST)
Do you watch it?
Regrettably, no.
Should I watch it?
I had no hope for Bob’s
Burgers when it premiered and, indeed, the reviews for the show were pretty
mediocre. But it apparently picked up
steam in its first spring and the reviews from last year were almost
universally positive. Again, it’s only a
busy night keeping me from watching, but I wish I could.
Will it last?
The ratings aren’t great, but they haven’t really been all
that good for any of the first three seasons.
Fox typically has to order its animated series at least nine months in
advance in order to get the animation completed on time so if there hasn’t been a renewal by October or
November, it’s probably not coming back.
Family Guy (8:00pm
CST)
Do you watch it?
Out of obligation more than anything.
Should I watch it?
At one time, Family
Guy was a pretty good show. Hell, it
was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy; the first animated show to be
so honored in almost 50 years. But it’s
not 2009 anymore, and Family Guy
isn’t that show anymore. If I hadn’t
been watching the show for a decade already, I probably wouldn’t pick it up
now. I’d recommend the same for my
readers.
Will it last?
As the highest rated animated show Fox has (barring NFL
overrun-inflated Simpsons episodes), Family Guy is completely safe.
American Dad! (8:30pm
CST)
Do you watch it?
No.
Should I watch it?
Just cut and paste my thoughts on Family Guy here, sans the
Emmy nomination.
Will it last?
In July it was announced that the 2013-14 season will be American Dad’s last on Fox. At that point it will move to TBS, where it
will air at least one additional season, starting in late 2014.
So thoughts?
Comments? Just want to tell me my
blog sucks? Let me know in the comments
or on Twitter @TyTalksTV.
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