With the 2016 upfronts out of the way, it’s time to look ahead to next season and analyze every piece of information that was thrown at us this past week. Upfronts can be an extremely hectic time for TV fans, as you’re just getting off being bombarded with renewal decisions and now you have to parse through scheduling decisions and new trailers. It’s an embarrassment of riches that can take some time to work your way through, which is why KSiteTV’s Craig Byrne and Shilo Adams have taken it upon themselves to dissect and analyze the new fall schedules for you, night by night. In addition, the two have tagged everything from most promising trailers to worst scheduling decisions and everything in between, making this series of articles comprehensive and easy to navigate.
Before you take a look at the article, though, you can check out each of KSiteTV’s scheduling prediction articles, as well as our fall analysis articles, below. Also included below is a link to every new show trailer that FOX released following its upfront presentation last Monday.
2016-2017 Schedule Predictions: NBC | FOX | ABC | CBS | The CW
2016-2017 Fall Analysis: NBC | ABC | CBS
Trailers: Son of Zorn | Lethal Weapon | Pitch | The Exorcist | Making History | The Mick | Prison Break | 24: Legacy | APB | Shots Fired | Star
SUNDAY
SHILO’S PREDICTIONS: 7:00 NFL on FOX; 7:30 Bob’s Burgers; 8:00 The Simpsons; 8:30 Making History; 9:00 Family Guy; 9:30 The Last Man on Earth
CRAIG’S PREDICTIONS: 7:00 NFL on FOX; 7:30 Bob’s Burgers; 8:00 The Simpsons; 8:30 Making History; 9:00 Family Guy; 9:30 The Last Man on Earth
ACTUAL SCHEDULE: 7:00 NFL on FOX; 7:30 Bob’s Burgers; 8:00 The Simpsons; 8:30 Son of Zorn; 9:00 Family Guy; 9:30 The Last Man on Earth
SHILO: I assumed that the consistent buzz for Making History, combined with need for post-production on Son of Zorn, would have given the time travel comedy first dibs on the post-Simpsons slot. However, FOX decided to give the bigger idea the bigger ratings platform, as Son of Zorn will debut in the fall and get some eyes on it during football season. Which is a pretty good idea, given that an animated/live-action hybrid family comedy is a much tougher sell than something like Making History. I mean, there are no guarantees that Son of Zorn lives throughout its 13-episode order, given how unusual it is and how its style (or humor) might turn off potential audience; it’s just being given a nice opportunity to find itself and I think something like this succeeding would pay FOX dividends in seasons to come.
Otherwise, it’s just business as usual for FOX. Bringing back The Last Man on Earth in the fall is wise, since it has critical love, awards attention, and solid retention from Family Guy. I knew that launching two new comedies in the fall would be too much for them after the dual disappointment of Bordertown and Cooper Barrett’s Guide to Surviving Life, but I think it’s interesting that FOX’s initial midseason schedule has Last Man on all season and only rotates in the 8:30 slot. I’ll be curious to see how that works for FOX and whether this type of strategy can replicate next season, when they’ll be likelier to focus on their Tuesday comedy drought.
CRAIG: I’m also surprised by Son of Zorn returning when it does, but not for the same reasons: I would have assumed a series like that would require more post-production work and therefore would need a longer wait to launch. Then again this is FOX and they’re prone to changing their minds eventually.
Making History does look quite funny, though, and I’m also looking forward to Zorn. Lord and Miller are definite talents and I’m a fan of most anything they’ve brought out. As for everything else on the Sunday schedule? I’m good.
1 Comment
Sleepy Hollow’s writers do best with a 13 ep season, as seen in season 1, that’s why. They can’t seem to handle longform.