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FOX Picks Up Five New Series, Cancels Four Others

Sutherland will be back this fall.

NBC has surprised many with its big moves this week so far, picking up seven series in just a few days time. Now, it seems its the other networks’ turn in the spotlight as upfronts week coming up means that shows will be renewed, cancelled, and picked up. Last night, it’s FOX’s turn. Not only have they picked up multiple new shows, but they have also axed four shows, will renewed one more hit drama.

FOX has picked up five new series to air in the next year: Kevin Williamson’s Kevin Bacon serial killer series The Following, Mindy Kaling’s (The Office) comedy It’s Messy, the manny comedy Ben & KateThe Goodwin Games from How I Met Your Mothercreators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, and finally a medical drama The Mob Doctor. On top of that, Kiefer Sutherland’s new series Touch will also return for a second season, and have cancelled Alcatraz, The Finder, and more.

Let’s start off with the veterans. Touch has always been a strong contender for renewal after critical acclaim, not to mention the network has a soft spot for Kiefer Sutherland. How this will throw a wrench into the possible 24 feature film has yet to be determined too. With one returning series comes two out the door with Alcatraz and The Finder. The J.J. Abrams drama struggled early and often throughout its 13 episode run, while The Finder was pretty much dead on arrial, with an even clearer chance when it was sentenced to the Friday night death slot. Joining them this morning are also expected duds Breaking In and I Hate My Teenage Daughter. Teenage Daughter barely made an impact, while Breaking In is still expected to wrap up its second season with delayed episodes in the summer.

But, where death comes in cancelled series, life comes with five new shows.

The Following finally gives a title to the serial killer drama from Kevin Williamson (ScreamThe Vampire Diaries). When Bacon entered talks, the pilot was pretty much guaranteed to go to series. However, the 15-episode order will mean the show will likely not premiere until mid-season, and it so Bacon can work on other projects. The series is described as “a thriller about ex-FBI agent Ryan Hardy (Bacon) who leads the search to catch diabolical serial killer Joe Carroll (James Purefoy) who has created a cult of serial killers.”

It’s Messy will mean that Mindy Kaling, a big talent both behind the scenes and part of the troupe for The Office, won’t be returning to her typical workplace comedy. The new show finds Kaling as “a Young Bridget-Jones type doctor trying to navigate both her personal and professional lives.” Kaling created the series herself, and will also executive produce alongside herOffice co-star B.J. Novak.

Ben & Kate, meanwhile, certainly sounds like an odd one. Directed by Jake Kasdan, the show “centers on a free spirited guy (Nat Faxon) who, under the guise of being his niece’s nanny, moves in with his type “A,” tightly wound sister (Dakota Johnson) and in the process will help her re-enter the world.” With a relatively unknown cast, along with a very different premise, it may be hard to suck some audience into this new comedy. But who knows, it could surprise.

The Goodwin Games, however, may draw in another devoted fanbase. Created by HIMYM‘s Carter Bays and Craig Thomas with Chris Harris, the comedy sees “three siblings (played by Becki Newton, Scott Foley and Jake Lacy) who must reconnect in order to inherit their recently-deceased father’s fortune.” This may be great news for HIMYM fans who are hoping Newton’s stripper character of Quinn isn’t the mysterious bride of Barney (Neil Patrick Harris), but she could still somehow pull double duty. Foley returns for comedy in a regular role since his runs on Scrubs and Cougar Town, and hopefully he can still make people laugh just as much.

Finally, we have the new medical drama The Mob Doctor, which may fill the gap left by House as it closes its eight year run. Starring My Boys‘ Jordan Spiro, the actress plays ”a young female thoracic surgeon with Bridgeport roots who juggles two worlds as she juggles her career and her lifelong debt to the South Chicago mob.”

Cameron Arruda
Cameron Arruda
Managing Editor and Featured Writer for Durance Magazine. A Boston Boy, dedicated writer, lover of all entertainment, and still proud LOSTie.

Posts of this author @camarruda filmthrasher.com



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