Fox Says “Fringe” Has a Good Shot at Third Season

At the Winter Television Critics Assocation meetings, Fox president Kevin Reilly revealed that while “Fringe” has seen a dip in its ratings this season, the network is still behind the show’s move to Thursday and the show itself.

According to Reilly, the show will stay in its Thursday timeslot for the rest of the season and it’s under strong consideration for a third season.

“We’re up 52 percent on Thursday nights,” he says. “We wanted to get into business with quality shows on Thursday nights which was important. It’s done its job. Frankly, all we heard from the fans is how much they love it this season, but they’re frustrated because they have other shows to watch. It is disappointing. I feel they’ve hit a stride creatively. I wish the ratings were higher, but frankly, we’re going to keep it right where it is, because it’s doing a job for us.”

He says that he feels strongly about not moving the show out of its current time slot because “I don’t like moving shows all over the place.”

He says that the network decided to compact the season and run the final ten episodes with no interruption to build on the momentum of the series as it moves toward the season finale.

As far as a third season, Reilly says the they’re really committed to the show.

“They’re in a creative groove and we’re thrilled with the show,” says Reilly. “We have a great relationship with the producers and they’re delivering a quality show, and it’s got an audience. And if you look at the live seven numbers, the audiences haven’t left it behind, they’re just watching it on their DVR.”