Fox Is Resting On Reboots Next Season

More 24, plus The Exorcist, Lethal Weapon, and Prison Break are being revived by the network in its 2016-2017 schedule.

Going into the 2015–2016 TV season, Fox was in fourth place in terms of ratings among the major broadcast networks. But the network was nursing its wounds with its one major success from 2014–2015: Empire.

Fox execs learned from the monster that was Cookie and co., duplicating Empire's over-the-top drama with Scream Queens and further appealing to underserved black audiences with Rosewood. Grease: Live, Fox's first foray into the live TV musical world (which NBC had previously dominated), was also a win. And the network will try to do the same with The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which will be prerecorded and will arrive in October, just in time for Halloween. During a conference call with press on Monday morning, Fox TV's co-chairman and CEO Gary Newman said to expect more live musicals on Fox to be announced in the not-too-distant future.

Fox did have some notable wobbles in the 2015–2016 season (cough Minority Report cough), and in addition to its new entries like Grandfathered, The Grinder, and Bordertown, which were all canceled, the network also said goodbye to American Idol — that leaves many available time slots begging to be revived.

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Tim Meadows, Cheryl Hines, and Zorn (voiced by Jason Sudeikis) on Son of Zorn.

Well, now Fox has unveiled some of its 2016–2017 schedule and series and, interestingly, there won't be too many changes to its line-up at first — that attempted overhaul comes midseason.

This fall, only four new Fox shows join the schedule: a remake of Lethal Weapon with Damon Wayans Sr. (yes, really) on Wednesdays; a drama about the first female pitcher to be drafted by Major League Baseball, called Pitch, on Thursdays; Geena Davis with The Exorcist on Fridays, and the live-action/animated hybrid Son of Zorn on Sundays (more on those below). And each new show will be paired with a proven hit: Lethal Weapon with Empire, Pitch with Rosewood, Exorcist with Hell's Kitchen, and Zorn smack dab between The Simpsons and Family Guy. In short, it gives all three shows the best chance of success.

Then in midseason, the baton passing begins: The next chapter in the 24 anthology, 24: Legacy, starring Straight Outta Compton favorite Corey Hawkins, will have a special two-night premiere, kicking off after Super Bowl LI on Sunday, Feb. 5, at 10 p.m. ET. Then, it takes over Gotham's Mondays at 8 p.m. time slot on Feb. 6. It will be followed initially by new cop drama APB and then the return of Lucifer in the spring.

Tuesdays will be a revolving door of comedies with New Girl first and Brooklyn Nine-Nine in the spring taking turns occupying the 8 p.m. slot, leading into new series The Mick at 8:30 p.m. and Kicking & Screaming at 9 p.m.

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Brittany O'Grady, Queen Latifah, and Jude Demorest in Star.

Perhaps most surprising is that Fox doesn't plan to use Empire as a weekly lead-in to its new spiritual spin-off Star, also from executive producer Lee Daniels. Instead, the drama, about a trio of young female singers and starring Queen Latifah, will take over Empire's time slot on Wednesday nights while the show goes on an extended hiatus until the spring. "When Empire comes off the schedule, we're going to slot Star right into the same time period," Newman said. "So if a viewer has enjoyed watching that sort of heightened world of drama and music, we think Star is going to be something they want to check out, and so there's no shifting of time periods. Ultimately, that was why we made that decision." Dana Walden, Fox TV's other chairman and CEO, said that Star "feels very different from Empire," in that it centers on those who are trying to break into the music industry as opposed to the already-established Lyon family on Empire. But like the massive hit, "it takes a lot from Lee's own life." When it returns, Empire will be paired with the timely event series Shots Fired, starring Sanaa Lathan.

One event series notably missing from Fox's 2016–2017 schedule is The X-Files. Newman and Walden said on Monday that the show will not return for this upcoming season due to challenges with the stars' and creative team's schedules, but they hope to see it back on Fox for the 2017–2018 season. "Conversations are ongoing and I can tell you that Chris [Carter, the show's creator] and David [Duchovny] and Gillian [Anderson] all would like to do more of these, and certainly the network and the studio would love to do more," Newman said.

Tina Rowden/Fox

Nicole Beharie on Sleepy Hollow.

On the call Monday morning, Walden and Newman also addressed the controversy surrounding Sleepy Hollow, which will return midseason on Fridays at 9 p.m. for its fourth season. The series caused a firestorm when Nicole Beharie's character Abbie Mills was killed off in early April, and when Fox renewed it in mid-May, the backlash started all over again as the network was criticized for axing a black leading lady and then bringing the show back for more without her. Walden said the network wasn't sure if Season 4 would be Sleepy Hollow's last, but "what we know is that Thomas Mison's a big star," she added. "There were a variety of factors that led to the end of the season this year. It was not a decision that we wanted to make initially. We ended up being put in a situation where that was the decision that had to be made. ... We felt like it had greater life in it and there was no reason to end it at that point."

In the meanwhile, Prison Break will return to Fox in 2017, nearly seven years after it ended, on Tuesday nights at 9 p.m., where it will be paired with a comedy block. Mid-season will also see the twelfth and final season of Bones bow on Thursday nights with Rosewood and finally, Making History — Fox's contribution to the truly unprecedented number of new shows about time travel — will replace Son of Zorn on Sundays at 8:30 p.m. in 2017. (You can check out Fox's fall and midseason schedules at the bottom of this post.)

Basically, Fox is firing in all directions next season — reboots galore, high-concept comedies, Empire-like dramas — and hoping something sticks.

Lethal Weapon (Wednesdays at 8 p.m.)

Richard Foreman / Fox

Who's in it? Damon Wayans Sr., Clayne Crawford, Jordana Brewster, Kevin Rahm, Keesha Sharp

Who created it? Matt Miller, McG, Dan Lin, Jennifer Gwartz

What's it about? So many police dramas and so many remakes. This series is based on the buddy cop movie franchise of the '80s and '90s. Wayans Sr. takes over for Danny Glover as LAPD Homicide Sergeant Rogert Murtaugh, and Crawford is the new Mel Gibson — hopefully not in every way — as LAPD Narcotics Sergeant Martin Riggs.

First impression? To be fair, I've been eye-rolling over Lethal Weapon since it was picked up last week. Just an FYI, broadcast networks: Minority Report, Rush Hour, and The Muppets, three freshman shows in the '15-'16 season based on existing movies, failed pretty darn miserably. And now, audiences have been saddled with this tone deaf series that feels partially like a buddy comedy from the '80s, another part thriller, and a bit of attempted gut-wrenching drama. I didn't buy it as any of those genres. —Jaimie Etkin

Premieres Wed., Sept. 21 at 8 p.m.

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Pitch (Thursdays at 9 p.m.)

Ray Mickshaw / Fox

Who's in it? Kylie Bunbury, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Ali Larter, Mark Consuelos, Dan Lauria, Michael Beach, Bob Balaban, Mo McRae, Meagan Holder, Tim Jo

Who created it? Dan Fogelman, Rick Singer, Tony Bill, Helen Bartlett, Jess Rosenthal, Kevin Falls, Paris Barclay

What's it about? It's A League of Their Own, the TV show! (We wish.) Pitch centers on gifted pitcher Ginny Baker (Bunbury), who becomes the first woman to play for the MLB when she joins the San Diego Padres. Zack Morris...I mean, Gosselaar will play her love interest as Mike Lawson, the team's catcher. Because of course. Larter, of Heroes fame, took over for Elizabeth Shue as Amelia Slater, who helps shape and protect Ginny as a public figure.

First impression? An original idea! And one that could develop over the course of years instead of burning out right away! The shock of such things. If Pitch grabs an audience, the show looks like it could be a nuanced portrayal of women in sports, and parents' relationships with their adult children. The best sports movies use the inherent drama of competition to underline fully realized characters — let's hope for that here. Oh, and Bunbury seems like a star. —Kate Aurthur

Premieres Thurs., Sept. 22 at 9 p.m.

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The Exorcist (Fridays at 9 p.m.)

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Who's in it? Geena Davis, Alfonso Herrera, Ben Daniels, Brianne Howey, Hannah Kasulka, Alan Ruck, Kurt Egyiawan

Who created it? Jeremy Slater, Rolin Jones, James Robinson, Barbara Wall, David Robinson, Rupert Wyatt

What's it about? Following in the footsteps of A&E's Bates Motel and MTV's Scream is Fox's new series based on one of the most acclaimed horror stories of all time, The Exorcist from the 1970s. Here, the MacNeils become the Rances, and Davis, who was last a series regular on ABC's Commander in Chief a decade ago, takes over for Ellen Burstyn as the family matriarch, Angela Rance. Her husband Henry is played by Ruck (aka Cameron from Ferris Bueller's Day Off), and they have two daughters: Katherine (Howey) and Casey (Kasulka). Sense8's Herrera plays one of the priests helping the Rances, while House of Cards' Daniels plays the other.

First impression? It wasn't that long ago when it was difficult to achieve real scares on television. Lots of shows tried, but the production values and direction — they just weren't up to it. Historians can argue when that changed: I would say it was with the creation of Supernatural, which truly intended to frighten the horror fans who watched. This is all to say that demonic possession required the sort of effects that would have made The Exorcist impossible, but now — well, this trailer scared me! It's the older sister who is possessed, by the way, and Davis' Angela has to convince her priest that her daughter hasn't just become a surly asshole at college. (And Daniels seems especially weird as the priest who actually believes in exorcism.) This will unfold over 13 episodes, so I guess the demon (or demons) are stubborn. As one might imagine! P.S. I'm scared. —Kate Aurthur

Premieres Fri., Sept. 23 at 9 p.m.

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Son of Zorn (Sundays at 8:30 p.m.)

Fox

Who's in it? Jason Sudeikis, Cheryl Hines, Johnny Pemberton, Tim Meadows

Who created it? Reed Agnew, Eli Jorne, Phil Lord, Chris Miller, Seth Cohen, Eric Appel

What's it about? This live-action and animated comedy is another project from the Lord-Miller camp coming to Fox. (They already had The Last Man on Earth on the network, in addition to the upcoming Making History.) Sudeikis will voice the title character, an animated warrior from the mystical land of Zephyria in the Pacific Ocean who returns to Orange County, California, (as in the original Real Housewives) for the first time in a decade. He struggles with the banality of his suburban life as he tries to reconnect with his live-action son Alan (Pemberton) and win back his ex-wife Edie (Hines).

First impression? "I know you haven't always had a great relationship with your dad, but he got a job, he got an apartment, he freed all his slaves..." Even if Son of Zorn is a one-joke premise, the joke — Zorn trying to fit in, and everyone around him acting like he is real — is pretty funny. And this show will fit in perfectly with Fox's other Sunday night shows. Watch the trailer, and definitely stay for the bird jokes. —Kate Aurthur

Premieres Sun., Sept. 25 at 8:30 p.m.

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24: Legacy (Midseason)

Ray Mickshaw / Fox

Who's in it? Corey Hawkins, Miranda Otto, Jimmy Smits

Who created it? Howard Gordon, Brian Grazer, Manny Coto, Evan Katz, Stephen Hopkins, Kiefer Sutherland

What's it about? After the success of this past season's reboot Live Another Day, which brought back Sutherland and much of the original cast, Fox is trying something new with this spinoff. It stars one of Straight Outta Compton's breakouts (Hawkins) and TV vets Otto and Smits as they try to stop a terrorist attack in the same real-time format that helped 24 break ground when it debuted on Fox in 2001.

First impression? How exhausting. 24: Legacy will get Fox's big post-Super Bowl platform for its debut, and there is probably a sizable audience interested in watching the intersection of the war on terror and threats to the United States. Maybe it will be surprising and feel novel — casting Hawkins, who played Dr. Dre in Straight Outta Compton is certainly a smart choice. Yet the idea of diving back into CTU, presidential politics, moles, and real-time fudging leaves me weary. I hope to be proven wrong. —Kate Aurthur

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APB (Midseason)

Chuck Hodes / Fox

Who's in it? Justin Kirk, Natalie Martinez, Eric Winter, Ernie Hudson, Taylor Handley, Tamberla Perry, Caitlin Stasey

Who created it? Matt Nix, Len Wiseman, Dennis Kim, Todd Hoffman, Robert Friedman

What's it about? Don't let the acronym fool you; this is no GCB or Don't Trust the B****. APB is a cop drama, and its title stands for all-points bulletin, information a law enforcement agency sends out about a wanted suspect or a person of interest. The series, inspired by a true story, centers on tech mogul Gideon Reeves (Kirk of Weeds fame), who decides to do something about all the corruption, crime, and cover-ups happening in the Chicago Police Department after he witnesses his best friend's murder and no one does anything to solve it. Reeves puts up millions of his own money to take over a troubled precinct and turn it into a more efficient and upstanding private police force. For those who've wondered what happened to the man who played Oliver Trask after he held Marissa Cooper captive at gunpoint in his penthouse on The O.C., the answer is: working for the Chicago PD.

First impression? I was first wooed by Justin Kirk on The WB's late '90s Friends-ish dramedy Jack & Jill and grew tired of him by the time his character on Showtime's Weeds started going to rabbinical school, where he basically just dated fucked the dean. But APB is a change of pace for the comedic actor and it seems to suit him. The technology could look better on this show, considering Kirk's character is supposed to be the Tony Stark of Chicago, but it seems worth DVRing. —Jaimie Etkin

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Making History (Midseason)

Qantrell Colbert / Fox

Who's in it? Adam Pally, Leighton Meester, Yassir Lester

Who created it? Phil Lord, Chris Miller, Julius "Goldie" Sharpe, Seth Cohen

What's it about? In this comedy from the men behind The LEGO Movie, Pally plays Dan, a computer science professor; Meester plays Deborah, Paul Revere's daughter whom Dan dates in 1775; and Lester plays Chris, Dan's colleague who works in the history department. We know little else, but are finding delight in the fact that Seth Cohen is an executive producer on a show staring Meester. (Sorry for the second O.C. reference.)

First impression? This show looks silly and not in a good way: A computer science professor (Pally) time travels to 1775 in a giant duffel bag filled with ham, falls in love with Paul Revere's daughter (Meester), and brings his history professor colleague to help start the American Revolution (Lester). As if that wasn't bad enough, the running gag the two men get out of/into situations by quoting movies and songs from the 20th century feels very dated. —Jaimie Etkin

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The Mick (Midseason)

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Who's in it? Kaitlin Olson, Sofia Black-D'Elia, Thomas Barbusca, Jack Stanton, Carla Jimenez, Susan Park

Who created it? John Chernin, Dave Chernin, Nick Frenkel, Oly Obst, Randall Einhorn

What's it about? It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Olson has her hands full next year. She's starring as Mackenzie "The Mick" Murphy, who essentially hustles her way through life without any responsibility...until she finds herself in the position to inherit her sister and brother-in-law's billions, so long as she also becomes the primary custodian of their three bratty children, named Sabrina, Chip, and (phew) Ben Pemberton.

First impression? I was not expecting to laugh at this comedy with the tired concept of the wacky, irresponsible aunt being forced to take care of her nephews and niece. But I did. This one seems silly in a good way, but I was not into the cook/maid character, who felt pretty racist and fat-shamey. If they fix that, this comedy might just work. —Jaimie Etkin

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Prison Break (Midseason)

Fox

Who's in it? Wentworth Miller, Dominic Purcell, Sarah Wayne Callies, Robert Knepper, Rockmond Dunbar, Amaury Nolasco, Mark Feuerstein

Who created it? Paul T. Scheuring, Neal Moritz, Marty Adelstein, Dawn Olmstead, Vaun Wilmott, Michael Horowitz, Nelson McCormick

What's it about? Just seven years after the original Fox series — about Michael Scofield (Miller) who's convinced his brother Lincoln Burrows (Purcell), who's on death row, is innocent of murder — the network is bringing back Prison Break.

First impression? Prison Break was a pioneer in having truly dead characters turn out not to be dead, which is all the rage these days. So it's good to see from the trailer that they're facing head-on that Michael was 100% DEAD AS HELL by the end of this show. No matter, though, because he is not. In a reversal of the original show's premise, Lincoln will be doing everything he can to free Michael this time. And Michael will have something to come home to, because he and Sara (Callies) have a cute son who has never met his father. Fox has wisely made Prison Break a limited series, knowing that having to stretch out its closed-end premise is what killed this show. Let's see what happens! Fingers crossed! —Kate Aurthur

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Shots Fired (Midseason)

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Who's in it? Sanaa Lathan, Stephan James, Helen Hunt, Richard Dreyfuss, Stephen Moyer

Who created it? Gina Prince-Bythewood, Reggie Rock Bythewood, Brian Grazer, Francie Calfo

What's it about? This event series examines the aftermath of racially charged shootings in a small Tennessee town. Lathan, a frequent Prince-Bythewood collaborator, plays an investigator who works with a special prosecutor that the Department of Justice sends to the town to help investigate the crime as the community becomes divided on this volatile issue.

First impression? In Shots Fired, the black detectives are investigating the death of a white man as committed by a black police officer. It's a reversed scenario from what is currently in the headlines these days, which a character in the trailer comments on — and clearly, this limited series will wade intro difficult waters. Gina Prince-Bythewood is the writer-director behind the films Love & Basketball and Beyond the Lights, so the story as the trailer sets up (a racist black cop murders a white guy) must lead to something complex and twisty. —Kate Aurthur

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Star (Midseason)

Fox

Who's in it? Queen Latifah, Benjamin Bratt, Jude Demorest, Ryan Destiny, Brittany O'Grady

Who created it? Lee Daniels, Tom Donaghy, Pamela Oas Williams, Effie Brown

What's it about? One of the men who brought us Empire is now bringing us Star. The series follows three young singers — Demorest, Destiny, and O'Grady — as they strive to break into the music business (i.e. the story of Hakeem's Mirage a Trois on Empire). Star will also feature original music, Latifah and Bratt, and some guest appearances from Lenny Kravitz. (It's worth noting that Brown, who made a name for herself on the most recent season of HBO's Project Greenlight, is behind this drama.)

First impression? Lee Daniels combines his two greatest successes yet — Precious and Empire — to make Star, a show about two sisters who grew up in foster care (separately) and reunite years later with dreams of forming a girl group. With the help of their godmother (Queen Latifah) and the daughter of what seems like a successful musician (Kravitz, wearing all the jewelry I could dream of), who rounds out their Destiny's Child/TLC-like trifecta, they're on their way to doing just that. The songs are catchy and these ladies feel easy to root for. Sign me up. —Jaimie Etkin

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Here's Fox's fall 2016 schedule:

Monday

Gotham 8 p.m.

Lucifer 9 p.m.

Tuesday

Brooklyn Nine-Nine 8 p.m.

New Girl 8:30 p.m.

Scream Queens 9 p.m.

Wednesday

*Lethal Weapon 8 p.m.

Empire 9 p.m.

Thursday

Rosewood 8 p.m.

*Pitch 9 p.m.

Friday

Hell's Kitchen 8 pm.

*The Exorcist 9 p.m.

Saturday

Fox College Football 7 p.m.

Sunday

NHL on Fox 7 p.m.

Bob's Burgers 7:30 p.m.

The Simpsons 8 p.m.

*Son of Zorn 8:30 p.m.

Family Guy 9 p.m.

The Last Man on Earth 9:30 p.m.

And here's Fox's midseason schedule, which will kick off in January 2017:

Monday

*24: Legacy 8 p.m., followed by Gotham in the spring

*APB 9 p.m., followed by Lucifer in the spring

Tuesday

New Girl 8 p.m., followed by Brooklyn Nine-Nine in the spring

*The Mick, 8:30 p.m.

*Kicking & Screaming 9 p.m., followed by *Prison Break in the spring

Wednesday

*Lethal Weapon 8 p.m., followed by *Shots Fired in the spring

*Star 9 p.m., followed by Empire in the spring

Thursday

Rosewood 8 p.m.

Bones 9 p.m.

Friday

Masterchef Junior 8 p.m.

Sleepy Hollow 9 p.m.

Saturday

Fox Sports Saturday 8 p.m.

Sunday

Animation Encores 7 p.m.

Bob's Burgers 7:30 p.m.

The Simpsons 8 p.m.

*Making History 8:30 p.m.

Family Guy 9 p.m.

The Last Man on Earth 9:30 p.m.

Note: An asterisk (*) indicates a new show for the 2016–2017 season.

Note: In mid-May every year, the five television broadcast networks — NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox, and The CW — present their new shows and upcoming schedules to advertisers at events called "the upfronts." That's why you see an onslaught of new programming in May, as well as the cancellation of current shows. This post will be continually updated.