The 2005 Prime Time TV Fall Lineups: FOX & UPN

FOX
You have to hand it to FOX. When it comes to the "rules" if any regarding prime time TV, they always tend to bend and/or break them. When FOX does everyone else (CBSABCNBCUPNWB) tends to follow more/less.

FOX is also bragging about being number one in the key demo of adults 18-49, which is the first time they have done such a thing. However CBS is determined to take that crown. One thing for sure, FOX is commited to "year around first run programing" and the 2005-2006 is not out of the question. FOX has rolled out their fall lineup as well as their planned Mid Season lineup. Here is the breakdown

Fall 2005

Arrested Development has been given one more shot to find an audience and will kick off the Monday night lineup. Next up will be a new sitcom called "Kitchen Confidential." At 9/10 a drama which is in the sprit of 24 called "Prison Break." They say it will take the whole season to play this show out. Question is will it be a keeper for FOX???

Tuesdays FOX will go drama all the way with a new show called "Bones" and the return of the number one drama for the network "House." The later better not get to confortable however, but we shall talk about it when we get to midseason plans.

Wednesdays will be more fun with "That 70's Show" gang along with the returned of "Stacked" that proves at least to the viewers that watch it that Pamela Anderson can do a sitcom. I don't care for the show myself, but that is just me. The new legal drama "Headcases" will finish Wednesday nights.

FOX will keep its Soap Opera "The OC" in the 7/8 slot on Thursday nights and will pair it with "Reunion" which I will call 24 lite. Instead of 24 hours it will be 20 years in a single season.

Fridays will have Bernie Mac and Malcom and his live action Simpson family shall be moving in. The drama in the 8/9 slot is called "The Gate."

Saturdays will still be devoted to reality crime shows via Cops and America's Most Wanted, while Sundays will be devoted to adult animation. The expection to the rule will be a live action comedy called "The War at Home." War is likely a show that will teach us a lesson on how to raise teenagers when the parents got spoiled when they were around their age. Other than that Sundays will be King of the Hill, Simpsons, Family Guy, and American Dad. The 6/7 half hour will be reserved for an "animation encore" of one of the above animation shows, and kicks off FOX Sunday nights.

By the way their will be Baseball on FOX which will gum the works but that OK with FOX

Mid Season
House will make the move to Monday nights and will take the 7/8 slot. "Day 5" of 24 will follow. By the way 24 has been renewed for two more seasons. Jack Bauer better stay on his toes.

Tuesdays will mark the return of the four headed monster (Ryan, Simon, Paul, Randy) and the much beloved American Idol. If Idol still does well in 2006 it may be a boom to "Bones" unless the Bones tanks early in the fall. Idol was great help to making 24 and House the hits they are today.

Wednesdays: 70's and Stacked keep their time slots, but as you know the 8/9 half hour of American Idol on Wednesdays is devoted to an Ensemble number and one of them being eliminated. A new sitcom called "The Loop" will follow.

FOX plans no changes for the Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday lineups in midseason.

The wildcards FOX has which they may play if any of the above shows fail are Nanny 911, Trading Spaces, Simple Life, and the scripted sitcom "Freebirds."

The FOX prime time grid for the fall and midseason and a discription of the new shows can be seen by clicking the link below.
http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,8029525112,00.html

UPN
The biggest mistake that UPN made from the beginning was putting its eggs in one basket. That basket was called the Star Trek brand. While Voyager had a great seven year run along with its recent predecessors (The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine), Enterprise was not as lucky. This prequel came around when people were getting burned out of Star Trek. Enterprise will get the same honor as The Original series. Less than 100 episodes is that bitter sweet honor.

Now their is no more first run Star Trek on the small screen, and UPN needs something else to make their stay in 5th place or even better more offen. The strong links in UPN's stable are America's Next Top Model and WWE Smackdown. Veronica Mars gets one more shot with the network as it and Smackdown get moved around.

The goal of UPN is to attract females which is hard to do with a show called Smackdown.

Here is the run down on UPN's slate.

Mondays will still be a sitcom night with the returning One on One, Girlfriends, and Half and Half. All of Us moves in from Tuesdays.

Tuesday, UPN will air on encore of America's Next Top Model from last week and that will be follow by the new drama "Sex, Lies & Secrets."

The first run of American's Next Top Model will kick off Wednesdays and will be parred with "Veronica Mars."

After four years of WWE Smackdown on Thursday nights, UPN will move the two hour Sports Opera to Fridays. Thursdays will now become another sitcom night with "Everybody Hate Chris" based on Chris Rock's childhood along with returning shows Eve and Cuts. The other new sitcom on Thurdays is Love Inc. starting Shannen Doherty who just can't keep a job. Doherty was a regular on Charmed and Beverly Hills 90210 both of which did fine without her. Also starting in Love Inc. is Holly Robinson Peete best known for her roles in the 1980's crime drama 21 Jump Street (She also sang the show's theme song by the way) and the late 1990's sitcom "For Your Love."

A midseason pick up for UPN is "South Beach" which has Jennifer Lopez as executive producer.

The prime time grid for UPN and what the new shows are about can be seen by clicking the link below.
http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,8029525312,00.html

Well their you have it. The fall lineup.

If you missed anything here are the links from the previous post in this series

NBC
http://donmccullen.blogspot.com/2005/05/2005-prime-time-tv-fall-lineups-nbc.html

ABC & The WB
http://donmccullen.blogspot.com/2005/05/2005-prime-time-tv-fall-lineups-abc-wb.html

CBS
http://donmccullen.blogspot.com/2005/05/2005-prime-time-tv-fall-lineups-cbs.html

A few weeks ago I made predictions on what shows will be renewed. On Friday I shall wrap up this series of posts with my score card and we shall see how I faired.