TV Upfronts: Armchair Programmer Series - FOX

Part 2 of this year's Armchair Programmer Series will take a look at FOX. Personally, I think it was an interesting season for FOX because it was able to establish a hit with The Following, but pretty much everything else failed to make an impact, and its tent poles (The X-Factor and American Idol) are not brining in the viewers like they should be. What we're left with is a network that doesn't need to start from scratch but probably should.

Officially Renewed FOX Shows
American Dad!
Bob's Burgers
Bones
Family Guy
The Following
Glee
The Mindy Project
New Girl
Raising Hope
The Simpsons
The X-Factor

Officially/Effectively Canceled/Finished FOX Shows
Ben and Kate
Fringe
The Mob Doctor

Possibly Renewed FOX Shows
American Idol
Hell's Kitchen
Kitchen Nightmares

Possibly Canceled FOX Shows
The Cleveland Show
Touch

Comedy Pilots
Brooklyn 99
Dads
Enlisted
Friends & Family
Gabriels, The
I Suck at Girls
Lifestyle Lemonaid
To My Assistant
Two Wrongs

Drama Pilots
Boomerang
Delirium
Gang Related
Human
List, The
Rake
Sleepy Hallow
Wild Blue, The

I'll say it again, it's hard to predict which pilots will be going to series but we can also take a look at the network's history and brand identity. FOX does best with animated sitcoms, character based/edgy procedurals and music shows, but it wants to expand its live-action sitcom game. The Mindy Project's far from a hit, and sadly Ben and Kate was a miss, so look for FOX to beef up its sitcom line-up. Out of the comedy pilots, I could see the following pick-ups: Dads, Enlisted, I Suck at Girls, and Two Wrongs. As for dramas, FOX maybe in the market for a House replacement as well as other procedural fare. I see the following pilots getting picked up: Gang Related, Human, The List, Rake, and Sleepy Hallow.

Possible FOX Shows for 2012-2013
American Dad!
American Idol
Bob's Burgers
Bones
Dads
Enlisted
Family Guy
The Following
Gang Related
Glee
Hell's Kitchen
Human
I Suck at Girls
Kitchen Nightmares
The List
The Mindy Project
New Girl
Raising Hope
Rake
The Simpsons
Sleepy Hallow
Two Wrongs
The X-Factor

Possible FOX Schedule for 2013-2014
Sundays
8-8:30p: The Simpsons
8:30-9p: Bob's Burgers
9-9:30p: Family Guy
9:30-10p: Dads

I know that breaking up the Animation Domination line-up sounds crazy, but it's clear that FOX wants to be in the Seth MacFarlane business, and the only place I can see Dads going is behind Family Guy due to creative synergy. It could be a break-out hit and be the foundation of a new comedy block, but for now I'm treating Dads like another MacFarlane show.

Mondays
8-9p: Bones
9-10p: Rake

Remember when everyone thought Bones would be sent off to Fridays? Well, it's one of the network's established shows and I can see it staying on Mondays until it's off the air once and for all. Since Bones is the new House, why not have the Hart Hanson veteran help out Rake.

Tuesdays
8-8:30p: Raising Hope
8:30-9p: The Mindy Project
9-10p: Glee

OK, I know that this Tuesday night line-up makes zero sense, but hear me out. The four comedy block didn't work this season, Raising Hope and Mindy will never be hits so don't deserve to ride New Girl's coattails, and Glee's established going into its fifth season. By putting these shows together on Tuesdays, FOX can now make a play for Thursdays. Sure, this turns Tuesday nights into somewhat of a wasteland, but they might as well use some vets and a first-year flop to take on The Voice.

Wednesdays
8-10p: The X-Factor

Yawn.

Thursdays
8-9p: The X-Factor
9-9:30p: New Girl
9:30-10p: I Suck at Girls

Whether shows like X-Factor and Idol can launch or help shows is debatable, but the real estate following them should be prime timeslots. Yes, they didn't help Glee, Raising Hope, or New Girl, but it's hard to write-off the importance of lead-ins. All that said, New Girl could use the additional boost that X-Factor could theoretically offer while it cements itself as one of FOX's big hitters. In turn, it could help get a new show like I Suck at Girls off the ground. Again, Mindy really didn't benefit but you never know.

Fridays
8-9p: Kitchen Nightmares
9-10p: Human

Scheduling a sci-fi show on Fridays is lazy, but it's been working for the most part, so why not keep the trend going. Touch may not have been able to meet the limited expectations, but shows like Fringe, Grimm, and Nikita to a lesser extent have been able to capitalize on their less than stellar timeslots. And throwing a new show like Human into the fray could backfire, but it has the J.J. Abrams name recognition which might be enough to make it competitive.

Mid-Season: American Dad!, American Idol, Enlisted, The Following, Gang Related, Hell's Kitchen, The List, Sleepy Hallow, and Two Wrongs

Once again, these are merely my predictions and should not be taken as fact unless I'm right. Next up: ABC.