Fox on Monday revealed a pared-down fall slate that leans heavily on animation and reserves several high-profile dramas for later in the season. The network’s announcement underscores a broader shift among broadcasters toward fewer hours of live-action scripted programming and a continued reliance on midseason launches to seed tentpole series.
What’s on this fall — and what’s waiting
For the upcoming broadcast season, Fox is scheduling only four hours of scripted programming in prime time, and just three of those are **live-action** dramas. The network moved Animal Control to Sunday nights, where it will follow The Simpsons, while two new dramas — Best Medicine and Doc — are set for Tuesday evenings.
Animation remains a major part of the lineup. Returning animated comedies include Universal Basic Guys and Grimsburg — the latter last aired in July 2025 — keeping Fox’s established cartoon franchises visible through the fall.
The remainder of the fall grid largely mirrors last year’s evenings: Mondays feature Celebrity Name That Tune and Celebrity Weakest Link; Wednesdays carry The Floor and 99 to Beat; Thursdays remain dominated by Hell’s Kitchen and Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test.
Midseason and holdovers
Fox is holding a number of series for launch after the new-year window. The high-profile Baywatch sequel, starring Stephen Amell as Hobie Buchannon, will debut in January rather than in the fall. Also postponed to midseason are the espionage drama The Interrogator (led by Stephen Fry), new seasons of Memory of a Killer and Murder in a Small Town — the latter now featuring Peter Gallagher — and established animated hits such as American Dad!, Bob’s Burgers, Family Guy and Krapopolis.
Network executives framed the strategy as deliberate: Fox points to a long track record of introducing major series midseason and believes delaying some premieres can boost their chances of finding an audience. Programming leaders also said they plan to open a second night devoted to drama later in the season, though exact placements will be announced closer to launch.
Unscripted programming remains in flux. About a dozen reality or competition shows still lack premiere dates, including The Masked Singer — reduced to one cycle this season — and the long-delayed fourth season of Crime Scene Kitchen, which last aired in December 2024.
- Fall scripted lineup (key shows): Animal Control (Sundays), Best Medicine (Tuesdays), Doc (Tuesdays), Universal Basic Guys, Grimsburg.
- Held for midseason: Baywatch (January launch), The Interrogator, Memory of a Killer, Murder in a Small Town, plus several veteran animated titles.
- Unscripted awaiting dates: The Masked Singer (one cycle), Crime Scene Kitchen (season 4), and roughly a dozen other reality/competition series.
Why this matters now: the decision highlights how broadcast networks are reallocating prime-time real estate in response to viewing habits and production cycles. By concentrating new live-action drama into tighter windows and relying on animation and unscripted franchises in the fall, Fox is betting that midseason launches and established formats can deliver better audience returns and ad performance.
For viewers, the net result is a fall schedule heavy on familiar faces and formats, with several anticipated dramas pushed to later in the season — a pattern that will shape where and when audiences find new scripted content on broadcast TV.
Similar Posts
- NBC fall lineup: Krause drama, Leoni-Daly comedy, Civilian Traitors, Rockford Files midseason
- ABC fall lineup: DWTS, Scrubs and R.J. Decker lead as seven shows delayed to midseason
- So you think you can dance future uncertain: Fox has no immediate renewal plans
- Jay Ellis to headline The Rookie spinoff: ABC orders series, first look debuts
- Chicago universe extended: NBC greenlights new seasons of Fire, Med and P.D.
Hello, I’m Beckett. I cover series and show news for you to make your evenings more captivating.