Wednesday, January 02, 2008

I officially give up

Fox just announced another revised schedule for mid-season, which changes a bunch of things about the strike schedule I wrote about back in November. By my count, this is at least the fourth different schedule Fox has announced for this season, if you count the one at the upfront, and now I'm done. I'm not going to reproduce the release, or even go through highlights beyond the fact that a couple of the dramas that were going to be burned off on Fridays will now move to Mondays. I'm sure you can find the info elsewhere on the web either now or shortly, but I don't see any any point to writing about it.

This is Fox, and if there is one certainty about Fox scheduling, it's that there is absolutely no certainty. I wouldn't be stunned if I get a revised-revised schedule sometime later today.

UPDATE: After thinking on it, I figured it took less time to copy and paste the schedule into the comments than it did to keep defending my decision not to discuss it at all. So click on through if you must know the fate of "New Amsterdam."

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Quitter...

Anonymous said...

Yeah, you wanted something to do during the strike.

Alan Sepinwall said...

Quitter...

On this? Damn skippy.

Yeah, you wanted something to do during the strike.

With Wire prep, the return of the talk shows, tomorrow's re-launch of the strike survival club, etc., I've got more work than hours in the day, and I ain't wasting seconds on a soon to be outdated Fox sked.

Anonymous said...

If you don't post it, Alan, I've got to go find it somewhere else.

Be a sport -- post the darn thing!

Matt said...

And of course, for at least the first 3-4 weeks, it'll contain at least 4 hours of Idol a week, plus the animated shows Fox has that are already in the can (King of the Hill, Simpsons), and an infinite supply of House reruns.

David J. Loehr said...

Damn skippy, indeed. Good for you.

The only Fox scheduling news worth noting at this point would be if they finally decided to air all the shows they cancelled before airing over the last few years. It's not like they're going to pay attention to anything but Idol anyway.

Heck, they're probably shuffling it again just to get the phrase "new Fox schedule" out there to deflect attention from the lack of new scripted programming.

Alan Sepinwall said...

Screw it; takes less time to copy and paste than to find a link to it elsewhere:

RECAP – FOX WINTER/SPRING SCHEDULE

(All times ET/PT except as noted)





MONDAY

Monday, Feb. 18:

8:00-9:00 PM PRISON BREAK (Season Finale)

9:00-10:00 PM TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES



Monday, Feb. 25:

8:00-9:00 PM THE MOMENT OF TRUTH

9:00-10:00 PM TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES



Monday, March 3:

8:00-10:00 PM TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES (Two-Hour Season Finale)



Mondays, beginning March 10:

8:00-9:00 PM HOUSE (Time Period Premiere)

9:00-10:00 PM NEW AMSTERDAM (Series Premiere)



Monday, April 7:

8:00-10:00 PM NEW AMSTERDAM (Two-Hour Season Finale)



Mondays, beginning April 14:

8:00-9:00 PM HOUSE

9:00-10:00 PM CANTERBURY’S LAW (Series Premiere)



***************************



TUESDAY

Tuesday, Feb. 26 & March 25:

8:00-9:30 PM AMERICAN IDOL

9:30-10:00 PM BACK TO YOU



Tuesday, March 4:

8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL

9:00-10:00 PM NEW AMSTERDAM (Series Preview)



Tuesday, March 11 & 18:

8:00-10:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL



Tuesdays, beginning April 1:

8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL

9:00-10:00 PM HELL’S KITCHEN (Season Premiere)



***************************



WEDNESDAY

Wednesday, Feb. 27:

8:00-9:30 PM AMERICAN IDOL

9:30-10:00 PM BACK TO YOU



Wednesday, March 12:

8:00-9:00 PM THE MOMENT OF TRUTH

9:00-9:30 PM AMERICAN IDOL (Time Period Premiere)

9:30-10:00 PM THE RETURN OF JEZEBEL JAMES (Series Preview)



Wednesdays, beginning March 19:

8:00-9:00 PM THE MOMENT OF TRUTH

9:00-9:30 PM AMERICAN IDOL

9:30-10:00 PM BACK TO YOU (Time Period Premiere)



***************************



THURSDAY

Thursday, Feb. 21:

8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL

9:00-10:00 PM ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5th GRADER?



Thursday, Feb. 28:

8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL

9:00-10:00 PM DON'T FORGET THE LYRICS!



Thursday, March 6:

8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL

9:00-10:00 PM NEW AMSTERDAM (Series Preview)



Thursdays, beginning March 13:

8:00-9:00 PM ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5th GRADER?

9:00-10:00 PM DON’T FORGET THE LYRICS!



***************************



FRIDAY

Fridays, Feb. 22, 29 & March 7:

8:00-9:00 PM BONES

9:00-10:00 PM HOUSE



Fridays, beginning March 14:

8:00-8:30 PM ‘TIL DEATH (Time Period Premiere)

8:30-9:00 PM THE RETURN OF JEZEBEL JAMES

(Series Premiere)

9:00-10:00 PM BONES (Time Period Premiere)



***************************



SATURDAY (AS PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED, NO CHANGES)



***************************



SUNDAY (AS PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED, NO CHANGES)

Matt said...

My head hurts. Also, interesting that Fox's great white hope ("Sarah Connor") doesn't seem to have much in the can, and they're going to go with 9 episodes as a "full season."

Anonymous said...

Someone should make a "joke" Fox schedule filled with Idol, Cartoons, and House reruns. Oh wait...

jcpbmg said...

so Sarah Connor Chronicles and New Amsterdam are just a month (or basically 5 episodes) long?

Also, a little off topic but the ER with Gloria Reuben is on tomorrow night. Alan, have you seen it, and it so is it worth watching?

Anonymous said...

Another off-topic question, but have you read Robbie Baitz's post on Huffingtonpost about leaving Brothers & Sisters? He makes some comments about a certain journalist (one I know you've butted heads with) that are a pretty low blow.

Anonymous said...

And another off-topic question: The Wire's new season is all over bittorrent. So why do I still have HBO (especially since I don't have On Demand)?

Why does HBO have to release 7 (or how many) episodes to the media? Why not just 2 or 3? So that all these storylines won't be spoiled?

Alan Sepinwall said...

Another off-topic question, but have you read Robbie Baitz's post on Huffingtonpost about leaving Brothers & Sisters? He makes some comments about a certain journalist (one I know you've butted heads with) that are a pretty low blow.

I ain't even touching that spat with a 10-foot pole. Yikes.

Alan Sepinwall said...

And another off-topic question: The Wire's new season is all over bittorrent.

[insert stream of profanity here]

So why do I still have HBO (especially since I don't have On Demand)?

I don't know, maybe because you want to support a place that gave David Simon and company the money and opportunity to make five seasons of one of the most uncommercial shows ever?

Why does HBO have to release 7 (or how many) episodes to the media? Why not just 2 or 3? So that all these storylines won't be spoiled?

If you don't want the storylines to be spoiled, don't go to places that run spoilers.

As to the first question, being able to see all the episodes of season four no doubt played a huge role in the tidal wave of critical praise that helped convince HBO to renew it. You know as well as anyone who watches the series that the more episodes you see of a season, the better the whole thing is. Like Lester says, all the pieces matter.

This is unfortunate, just as it was the last time. Since HBO now number-codes all the screeners it sends out to track down piracy, I can only hope they figure out who did this and guillotine him.

Anonymous said...

If you don't want the storylines to be spoiled, don't go to places that run spoilers.

You and I both know it ain't that easy! :-)

Friggin' intarwebz...bah.

Anonymous said...

So it boils down to:

IDOL

FINAL EPISODES OF EVERYTHING ELSE

THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES (PREMIERE)

THE SARAH CONNOR
CHRONICLES (SEASON FINALE)

RERUNS

CRAP

RERUNS OF CRAP

Anonymous said...

Thank (insert your diety here) for Netflix.

Anonymous said...

i *heart* you alan.

get mad or frustrated or whatever...

but don't ever give up. you make my television experience so much more fun.

was it over when the germans bombed pearl harbor?

...

Anonymous said...

the schedule at the futon critic has three rows *just for ABC* (last time I looked)

it also would be easier if it didn't include cable networks. (i think it did... or was that somewhere else)

than it has Q1, Q2, with no legend/key
and the Q's don't really have any resemblence to Quarters - they seem more like Months, which, last I heard, started with M.

So, even the grid was too complicated.
I think Fox is running House, Bones, and American Idol. All week, every week. or
If it;s House, this must be Fox (though it *could be* USA)

Anonymous said...

So glad I saved up those eps of Boston Legal. (should I be glad I've only seen two or three Pushing Daisies as well? How about Moonlight? I haven't seen any of that)

The brother just saw the next to last ep of Journeyman, and boy is he pissed!

Anonymous said...

Me again, sorry

I just demonstrated to my boss that Sarah Conner Chronicles is an unpronouncable title.

off to visit united hollywood. back in a bit. unless i get actual work