News

Fox is canceling two live-action comedies -- one new, one old.

The network is pulling struggling Sunday night freshman comedy "Sons of Tucson" from the air after four episodes and has confirmed the cancellation of long-running series " 'Til Death."

"Tucson" is off the schedule for the rest of the season, replaced by usual time-period holder "American Dad." Fox will return the remaining eight episodes to Sundays at 7:30 p.m. in the summer.

Launched in 2006, " 'Til Death" will finish its run at Sundays at 7 p.m. this summer. The Brad Garrett comedy has been a utility player for the network, filling holes around the schedule, but has been low-rated for years.

For the first time in years, Fox will launch a fall lineup in mid- to late September alongside most of its rivals.

Though few Fox programs will debut during the official start-of-season "premiere week" beginning Sept. 21, most of the network's primetime programs will begin within a few days of the traditional launch period.

This is a change in strategy from recent years. Fox kicked off its season on Sept. 1 last year. In 2007, Fox debuted one premiere on Aug. 30 and other shows in early September. In 2006, Fox's lineup started rolling out Aug. 21.

Whereas this fall, Fox's weeknight programming begins Sept. 16 with "So You Think You Can Dance" and "Glee."

Several factors go into deciding a premiere schedule, but one reason for the switch is that Fox expects fewer baseball pre-emptions next season in October. The network has typically debuted shows in late August or early September to give programs a longer

Here's a snapshot of what we see on the derby track right now. * = Top 10 semifinalist in 2008 ** = Nominee in 2008 Best Actor In A Comedy Series        

Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock" ** (Winner)

Zach Braff, "Scrubs"

Steve Carell, "The Office" **

Kevin Connolly, "Entourage"

David Duchovny, "Californication" *

Johnny Galecki, "The Big Bang Theory"

Brad Garrett, "Til Death" *

Adrien Grenier, "Entourage"

Jim Parsons, "The Big Bang Theory"

Lee Pace, "Pushing Daisies" **

Tony Shalhoub, "Monk" **

Charlie Sheen, "Two and a Half Men" **

 

(Possible)

Jason Lee, "My Name Is Earl"

Zachary Levi, "Chuck"

Danny McBride, "Eastbound & Down"

Jay Mohr, "Gary Unmarried"

James Roday, "Psych"

Josh Radnor, "How I Met Your Mother"

David Spade, "Rules of Engagement" (Long shots)

Kyle Bornheimer, "Worst Week"

Jemaine Clement, "Flight of the Conchords"

Bret McKenzie, "Flight of the Conchords"

Photos: NBC Related Posts Inside track: Emmy race for best TV drama actor Peek inside Comedy Central's Emmy campaign package

Best comedy series: Rob

Alex Barnow and Marc Firek, writer-producers on " 'Til Death," have inked a new two-year overall deal with series producer Sony Pictures TV.

After three seasons on "Death" -- most recently as supervising producers -- the pair is leaving the comedy series, which recently was picked up by Fox for a fourth season. They are expected to join another Sony series under their new seven-figure pact.

Barnow and Firek also have received a blind script commitment for a new series project. They are expected to begin working on the script immediately, while the extension to their overall deal starts in June, when their previous two-year pact expires.

The duo's series credits include Fox's "Family Guy," NBC's "In-Laws" and CBS' "Out of Practice."

They are repped by Wma and attorney Ken Richman.

Fox is staging a comedy reboot.

The network, whose sole live-action comedy " 'Til Death" was recently renewed for another season, is aggressively developing filmed half-hours and plans to greenlight five comedy pilots in the next week, Fox Entertainment president Kevin Reilly said during the network's portion of the Television Critics Assn.'s winter press tour.

"We're doubling down our commitment to comedy, and we're rebuilding the live action brand sown," Reilly said.

Reilly said he plans five comedy pilots for fall and at least five dramas. Also in contention for fall will be a reshot version of the sci-fi comedy "Boldly Going Nowhere," originally developed for midseason, and Ron Moore's "Virtuality" pilot is being overhauled.

"It could air as-is and a certain segment of the audience would flip for it," Reilly said. "But it's a little dense."

Reilly also confirmed that this is the final season for "Prison Break". In addition to the remaining four episodes, there's a possibility of a couple more episodes being shot.

Most TV shows exit the airwaves with a flurry of headlines memorializing their demise. Sometimes, though, a program fades from the spotlight into a scheduling twilight zone: neither declared dead nor returning.

Here's the lowdown on some missing-in-action titles from this year that most expected to see again but which have no airdates on the horizon:

NBC's "American Gladiators." Gladiators ready? No, gladiators are not ready. This competition-series revival enjoyed terrific ratings for its initial run during the WGA strike early this year. A second season launched in May and saw a sharp drop in viewers, with ratings fading throughout its summer run. Most consider reality shows cheap to produce, but this stunt-heavy arena competition is not. NBC has not mentioned "Gladiators" on the record, but it's considered canceled.

Fox's "The Moment of Truth." Another strike-era reality hit, this, too, saw a ratings decline during its summer run. Unlike "Gladiators,

Fox yanked ailing comedy "Do Not Disturb" off the air after its third episode, replacing it next week with an additional episode of "'Til Death" to fill the 9 p.m. hour. Click here for the full story.

Brad Garrett is making his foray into digital entertainment with Dating Brad Garrett, an online reality show he is starring in and executive producing.

Dating hails from Sony Pictures TV, the studio behind the actor's Fox comedy series 'Til Death, and is set to debut in the fall on Crackle, YouTube, Hulu and other platforms.

The series will follow the comedian on blind dates with 10 women selected through an online search. Starting Thursday, candidates can begin uploading video applications to the SPT-owned Crackle.com at Crackle.com/DateBrad.

"An online dating show seemed like a logical choice given that I'm in the midst of a midlife crisis and adverse to pain, which makes getting my ear pierced out of the question," Garrett said. "And since I'm not picky about my choices, I hope women of all sizes, shapes and colors will be compelled to submit their videos."

Dating will be available on the C-Spot channels on Crackle as well as Google's YouTube, AOL Video, Hulu, Verizon's V Cast service and direct to Sony Bravia TVs via the Bravia video link.

ABC's broadcast of the Democratic presidential debate between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton was the most-watched of the 2008 presidential campaign.

The two-hour debate (10.7 million, 2.7/7) won the 8 p.m. hour, then fell into third place overall for the second half. At 10 p.m., Men in Trees was on par (6.1 million, 1.6/4).

Fox won the night thanks to Idol, which matched its lowest rating in five years (22.7 million, 8.5/21). At 8 p.m., comedies Til Death (5.8 million, 2.0/7) and Back to You (7 million, 2.4/7) returned to originals, with Back up 14% from its prior season average and Death down 9%.

CBS was second with Big Brother (6.1 million, 2.3/7), Criminal Minds (12.8 million, 3.5/9) and CSI: NY (13.3 million, 3.7/10).

NBC came in forth, with an episode of Deal or No Deal (9.7 million, 2.6/8) and repeats.

The CW aired America's Next Top Model (3.7 million, 1.8/6) and "Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious" (1.8 million, 0.9/2).

Fox said Tuesday that it has ordered additional episodes of the dramas House and Bones and the multicamera comedies Back to You and 'Til Death to air in the spring and beyond.

The order for Back to You and 'Til Death is said to be for eight episodes, some of them expected to air in early August. House will produce four new episodes, while Bones will make six fresh segments and might get a supersized order for next season.

Also returning to production are the animated comedies American Dad! Family Guy and The Simpsons, as well as the real-time drama 24, which won't premiere until January.

Fox also has revised its midseason premiere dates and slots for some of its scripted series.

With Fox's announcement, ABC is the only broadcast network that hasn't unveiled its post-strike plans for the rest of the season.

Fox's fall Tuesday lineup of Bones and House will move to Mondays.

Bones will return with originals at 8 p.m. April 14. House will move to the Monday 9 p.m. period April 21, resuming originals the following Monday.

Jessalyn Gilsig has joined NBC's one-hour pilot Backyards and Bullets as a regular, and John Cho has been tapped for a multiepisode arc on Fox's comedy series 'Til Death.

Bullets, from Sony Pictures TV and Pariah, revolves around a suburban Neighborhood Watch group gone awry. Gilsig will play the wife of the character played by Mathew St. Patrick.

Gilsig, who co-starred on such series as Nip/Tuck and Boston Public, most recently recurred on NBC's Heroes as Claire's (Hayden Panettiere) fire-starter birth mother and co-starred on the Fox drama pilot The Apostles.

The actress, who next will be seen in the remake of Prom Night, is repped by SDB Partners and Framework Entertainment.

On "'Til Death," also from SPT, Cho will play the arch nemesis to Jeff Woodcock (Eddie Kaye Thomas). In three episodes, Cho will play the principal of a prestigious private school who squares off with Woodcock, the public school's vice principal.

Cho is best known for starring opposite Kal Penn in the feature Harold & Kumar and its upcoming sequel.

'Til Death writer-producers Alex Barnow and Marc Firek have inked an overall deal with the series producer, Sony Pictures TV.

Under the seven-figure pact, Barnow and Firek will be upped from producers to supervising producers on the Fox comedy " 'Til Death," which is returning for a second season in the fall. The two also will develop new projects for the studio.

Barnow and Firek's series credits include Fox's Family Guy, NBC's In-Laws and CBS' Out of Practice.

They are repped by WMA and attorney Ken Richman.

Scrubs executive producer Tim Hobert has inked a two-year overall deal with Sony Pictures Television.

Under the seven-figure pact, which includes a development component, he will join the studio's comedy 'Til Death as an executive producer.

On the Brad Garrett-starring Death, which was picked up by Fox for a second season, Hobert will serve as an executive producer alongside the show's creators/executive producers, Cathy Yuspa and Josh Goldsmith.

"Tim has two qualities that have always frustrated us -- talent and loyalty," quipped Zack Van Amburg, co-president of programming and production at Sony Pictures TV. "He's used both of them against us in competing shows, and now that he's joined the Sony family and ' 'Til Death, ' we plan to exploit that same loyalty and talent for our future success."

For the past 11 years, Hobert worked with Bill Lawrence on two half-hour series.

He was the only writer that was on ABC's Spin City, co-created by Lawrence, for the entire six-year run of the show.

NEW YORK -- Fox Broadcasting Co. will try to reverse its fall misfortunes with a fleet of new series introduced Thursday.

The network is launching three new reality series in the fourth quarter along with three new scripted series. Four more scripted series will roll out in the midseason, when they should get a lift from the presence of American Idol, which has nearly single-handedly given Fox the ratings crown in recent years.

Peter Liguori, president of entertainment at Fox, believes that the stability of 17 returning series also will help give Fox the momentum that has eluded it in early fall.

"I think we're better prepared to come out swinging," Liguori said during the upfront to explain how the network will find its stride in the fourth quarter, which he said has been challenged in the past.

Liguori also noted that Fox's fall chances will be helped by less of an interruption from postseason baseball, which takes over primetime for just 14 nights this year, down from 26 in 2006.

"Our break will be considerably shorter, allowing us to build a more consistent schedule," he said during a news conference earlier in the day.

An abridged postseason also will allow Fox to launch programs later if it wants, though no decision has been made as to whether new series will launch in late August or early September.

A trio of new reality series will fill out Fox's Thursday and Friday lineups, including Kitchen Nightmares and the tentatively titled pair of Nashville and The Search for the Next Great American Band. Nightmares will be joined by the return of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?

Fox will open a new comedy block on Wednesday, moving returning comedy 'Til Death from Thursday to join new half-hour Back to You. With such stars Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton, Liguori has high hopes for Back. "We're in the hands of seasoned pros both in front of and behind the camera," he said at the news conference.

ABC and Fox have firmed up their rosters of new series for next season, handing out pickup papers to 10 and seven new scripted shows, respectively.

Late Sunday, ABC also picked up an 11th pilot, the 20th Century Fox TV-produced comedy Miss/Guided, to series, which will now become a co-production with ABC Studios.

Additionally, ABC is bringing back two midseason entries -- the drama October Road and the comedy Notes From the Underbelly -- with 13-episode orders, while Fox has renewed the freshman comedy 'Til Death.

Meanwhile, the NBC Universal TV Studio-produced Aliens in America, about a Pakistani Muslim exchange student, has emerged as an unlikely frontrunner on the comedy side at the CW. The pilot from writers Moses Port and David Guarascio, who also are behind NBC's newly ordered comedy series The IT Crowd, was shot months ago. But according to sources, if it is picked up to series, Aliens would not be produced by NBC Uni TV but by the network's sister studios, CBS Paramount Network TV and Warner Bros. TV.

A third CW drama has moved closer to a series order as the network has given the go-ahead for high-level staffing offers to be made on the untitled South Africa project.

Fox won another Wednesday night on the strength of American Idol.

The half-hour result show, which sent rocker girl Gina Clocksen packing, averaged 25.3 million viewers and a 9.5 rating/26 share among adults 18-49, according to preliminary data from Nielsen Media Research.

While down from its recent strings of series highs, Fox's comedy 'Til Death drew a respectable 13.7 million viewers and a 5.5/15 in 18-49 behind Idol, retaining 57% of its demo lead-in.

CW had another great showing with America's Next Top Model (4.2 million, 2.0/6), which finished second in the 8 p.m. hour among adults 18-49 behind Fox's Bones (10.3 million, 3.4/10) and first in adults 18-34 (3.2/10).

At 10 p.m., ABC's Lost hit another series low, averaging 11.5 million viewers and a 4.8/13 in 18-49.

For the night, Fox averaged 14.9 million viewers and a 5.4/15 among adults 18-49, followed by ABC (7.6 million, 3.0/8) and CBS (9.5 million, 2.7/8).

Sarah Brown is set to co-star in Fox's drama pilot Company Man, Timm Sharp has been tapped to co-star opposite Jason Biggs in CBS' comedy pilot I'm in Hell, Ian Gomez has joined Fox's comedy pilot The Beast, and child actor Nathan Gamble has landed the lead in Fox's untitled Victor Fresco comedy pilot.

Man, from 20th TV and Real Time Prods., centers on a family man (Jason Behr) who winds up recruited by the NSA as a spy within the defense contracting company he works for. Brown will play the man's co-worker.

Brown, a three-time Daytime Emmy winner for her role on General Hospital, had a recurring role on CBS' Cold Case. She is repped by the Gersh Agency and McKeon Myones Management.

Hell, from CBS Par TV, centers on a dead Wall Street player (Biggs) who is reassigned to hell on Earth. Sharp will play his "roommate from hell," a slovenly, disreputable guy.

Sharp (UTA, Robert Stein Management) recently did a two-episode arc on Fox's 'Til Death.

Beast, from CBS Par TV and FremantleMedia, centers on a womanizing veterinarian (Steve Howey).

Fox dominated Wednesday with a typically strong American Idol, which boosted the comedy 'Til Death at 9:30 p.m.

The results episode of Idol drew 26.9 million total viewers and a 10.9 rating/28 share in the 18-49 demo, according to final ratings from Nielsen Media Research. Death barely held on to half the "Idol" audience but came away with a 6.3/16, tops for that half-hour. Bones also benefited at 8 p.m. (3.7/11).

ABC's Great American Dream Vote looked no healthier in its 8 p.m. premiere time slot than it did in a sneak peek the previous night. It ran fifth in the hour (1.5/4). Lost continued its slow fade at 10 p.m.; while it won the hour with a 5.1/14, it barely benefited from having its prime competition, CBS' CSI: NY in rerun (2.9/8).

CBS finished second to Fox on the night, trailed by NBC and ABC.

NEW YORK -- Fox won Wednesday in viewers and adults 18-49 while a spot after American Idol gave the ratings-challenged sitcom Til Death a boost.

American Idol was the night's most-watched show with 25.6 million viewers and a 9.9 rating/26 share in the adults 18-49 demographic, according to preliminary data released Thursday by Nielsen Media Research.

Til Death (14 million, 5.7/15) followed the half-hour Idol at 9:30 p.m. If it didn't retain as many viewers as Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader has over the past two weeks, it still managed to do better than what it's been doing over the Fox schedule. Til Death had its highest adults 18-49 rating so far this season.

Fox's Bones (10.2 million, 3.4/10) won the 8 p.m. hour while ABC, CBS and NBC were all tied for second place in the demo with a 2.3/7. That was slightly ahead of last week for Jericho (7.8 million, 2.3/7).

Lost (12.1 million, 5.2/14) won 10 p.m. in viewers and adults 18-49 but was down slightly in both categories compared to last week (12.4 million, 5.6/15).

The Brad Garrett-starring 'Til Death is getting a major boost from Fox, which will move the struggling freshman sitcom into the post-American Idol Wednesday 9:30 slot, beginning March 14.

The network will also use Idol as a launching pad for David E. Kelley's midseason dramedy The Wedding Bells, which will premiere after the reality juggernaut March 7 before moving to its regular Friday 9 p.m. time slot March 9.

Another midseason series, the Rob Corddry-starring comedy The Winner, will join Fox's Sunday lineup. It will premiere with two episodes, one at 8:30 p.m. and one in its regular 9:30 p.m. time slot March 4. Animated comedy American Dad, which airs in the Sunday 9:30 period, will go on hiatus for five weeks to make room for Winner.

Taking a page from the "24" playbook, Fox's third midseason series, race action Drive, will launch with a two-night, three-hour premiere Sunday, April 15, 8-10 p.m. and its regular Monday 8-9 p.m. time period April 16. On Monday, Drive will replace Prison Break, which will have wrapped it second season by then.