It’s Thursday, May 15, 2008 and the final day of the 2008/2009 Broadcast Upfronts.
FOX
From a sci-fi perspective, we’ve saved the best for last with a look at the FOX Upfront.
As has already been reported, FOX has renewed Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (returning on Mondays at 8pm in the fall). Also renewed were Bones (which may not be sci-fi, but features former sci-fi star David Boreanaz) as well as the four Sunday night animated shows (The Simpsons, King of the Hill, Family Guy and American Dad).
24 is also scheduled to return full time in January of 2009. (A spoiler is below.) However, to reward fans who have not seen a new episode since May of 2007, there will be a 2-hour special on 11/23. According to Kiefer Sutherland, they are scheduled to start filming in the next few weeks in south Africa.
Prison Break (which may not be sci-fi, but is notorious for outlandish plots and situations) is also set to return in the fall at 9pm. Returning to the cast is Sarah Wayne Callies as Dr. Sara Tancredi. Although her character was supposedly be-headed last season, I can attest after meeting her at the after party that her head is still firmly attached to her neck.
Coming to FOX in fall of 2008 is Fringe from executive producer J.J. Abrams. Described by one Fox executive as The X-Files meets Lost, this series features an FBI agent investigating mysterious and unexplainable incidents. However, the best way to describe this new series (which will air at 9pm Tuesdays) is in FOX’s own words…
“From J.J. Abrams (“Lost”), Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, the team behind “Star Trek,” “Mission: Impossible III” and “Alias,” comes a new drama that will thrill, terrify and explore the blurring line between science fiction and reality.
When an international flight lands at Boston’s Logan Airport and the passengers and crew have all died grisly deaths, FBI Special Agent OLIVIA DUNHAM (newcomer Anna Torv) is called in to investigate. After her partner, Special Agent JOHN SCOTT (Mark Valley, “Boston Legal”), is nearly killed during the investigation, a desperate Olivia searches frantically for someone to help, leading her to DR. WALTER BISHOP (John Noble, “Lord of the Rings: Return of the King”), our generation’s Einstein. There’s only one catch: he’s been institutionalized for the last 20 years, and the only way to question him requires pulling his estranged son PETER (Joshua Jackson, “Dawson’s Creek”) in to help.
When Olivia’s investigation leads her to manipulative corporate executive NINA SHARP (Blair Brown, “Altered States”), our unlikely trio along with fellow FBI Agents PHILLIP BROYLES (Lance Reddick, “The Wire”), CHARLIE FRANCIS (Kirk Acevedo, “Oz”) and ASTRID FARNSWORTH (Jasika Nicole, “Law & Order: Criminal Intent”) will discover that what happened on Flight 627 is only a small piece of a larger, more shocking truth. ”
FOX is going all out in supporting this program including having a number of cows situated outside of the presentation (picture attached) in a nod to a fact raised in the series that “genetically, humans and cows are separated by only a couple lines of DNA.” They were also distributing copies of the New York Post with a promotional Fringe wraparound cover.
Fringe will also be the first program in a new FOX initiative called Remote Free TV where the commercial load and number of promotional minutes will be half what is found in a typical program. Additionally, the commercial breaks will be shorter. Fringe will also be joining a number of other FOX shows (including Bones and Prison Break) in premiering prior to the traditional season during the week of August 25th.
FOX’s other new sci-fi entry is Dollhouse from Joss Whedon. This program, which premieres in January 2009 on Mondays at 8pm before 24, will be the second show to have a reduced commercial schedule as part of Remote Free TV.
Here’s a summary of Dollhouse from FOX…
“ECHO (Eliza Dushku) is an “Active,” a member of a highly illegal and underground group who have had their personalities wiped clean so they can be imprinted with any number of new personas. Confined to a secret facility known as the “Dollhouse,” Echo and the other Actives including SIERRA (Dichen Lachman, “Neighbours”) and VICTOR (Enver Gjokaj, “The Unit”) carry out engagements assigned by ADELLE (Olivia Williams, “X-Men: The Last Stand,” “Rushmore”), one of the Dollhouse leaders. The engagements cater to the wealthy, powerful and connected, and require the Actives to immerse themselves in all manner of scenarios – romantic, criminal, uplifting, dangerous, comical and the occasional “pro bono” good deed.
After each scenario, Echo, always under the watchful eye of her handler BOYD (Harry Lennix, “Commander in Chief,” 24), returns to the mysterious Dollhouse where her thoughts, feelings and experiences are erased by TOPHER (Fran Kranz, “Welcome to the Captain”), the Dollhouse’s genius programmer. Echo enters the next scenario with no memory of before. Or does she?
As the series progresses, FBI Agent PAUL SMITH (Tahmoh Penikett, “Battlestar Galactica”) pieces together clues that lead him closer to the Dollhouse, while Echo stops forgetting, her memories begin to return and she slowly pieces together her mysterious past. ”
I had the opportunity to speak with Joss Whedon at the after party and he confirmed the rumored story of how the series began…Around a month before the writer’s strike, he was having lunch with Eliza Dushku. She had no interest in returning to Television until hearing Joss’ Dollhouse pitch. The lunch went so well that the deal was put together the next week. Apparently, the collaboration has worked so well that Joss feels that it’s like they are still at the lunch. Later, I spoke with Eliza and she reaffirmed the positive feelings about the lunch and their working arrangement. On a related note, Joss indicated that he is continuing with the Buffy comic book. He said that there would be 40 issues of season 8 and then they will be moving to season 9.
FOX is also adding two new animated programs in January of 2009: The Cleveland Show (a spin-off of Family Guy) and Sit Down, Shut Up about a group of teachers.
“24” spoilers to follow – read on at your own risk.
“24” SPOILERS
First, here is FOX’s summary of the two-hour fall movie:
“Set and shot on location in Africa, Jack Bauer battles an international crisis, while here at home the nation prepares for a new president on inauguration day. Taking place just a few months before the new day dawns, this story will set the stage and raise the stakes for Season Seven.”
As for season 7, itself:
“Set in Washington, DC, “Day 7″ opens with CTU dismantled and Jack Bauer on trial. Bauer’s day takes an unexpected turn when former colleague TONY ALMEIDA (Carlos Bernard) returns. Meanwhile, newly elected President ALLISON TAYLOR (Cherry Jones) leads the country alongside White House Chief of Staff ETHAN KANIN (Bob Gunton) and First Gentleman HENRY TAYLOR (Colm Feore).
A national security crisis prompts an investigation by a team of FBI agents including Agent JANIS GOLD (Janeane Garofalo), Agent RENEE WALKER (Annie Wersching), Agent LARRY MOSS (Jeffrey Nordling) and Agent SEAN HILLINGER (Rhys Coiro). Although CTU is no longer, CHLOE O’BRIAN (Mary Lynn Rajskub) and BILL BUCHANAN (James Morrison) are back for another momentous day of shocking events.”
[…] Jack is back, and as an appeasement from the long wait since last season, we get a 2-hour movie on November 23rd: 24 is also scheduled to return full time in January of 2009. (A spoiler is below.) However, to reward fans who have not seen a new episode since May of 2007, there will be a 2-hour special on 11/23. According to Kiefer Sutherland, they are scheduled to start filming in the next few weeks in south Africa. “Set and shot on location in Africa, Jack Bauer battles an international crisis, while here at home the nation prepares for a new president on inauguration day. Taking place just a few months before the new day dawns, this story will set the stage and raise the stakes for Season Seven.†[…]