{"id":422434,"date":"2026-05-11T15:27:08","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T15:27:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/422434\/"},"modified":"2026-05-11T15:27:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T15:27:08","slug":"mostly-sports-reality-new-shows-in-midseason","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/422434\/","title":{"rendered":"Mostly Sports, Reality; New Shows in Midseason"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tFox<\/a> has revealed a fall schedule with just two nights of series that aren\u2019t sports or reality TV and no new shows \u2014 once again saving the lion\u2019s share of its scripted programming for midseason.<\/p>\n

\n\tThat means new freshman entries \u2014 including the long-awaited return of \u201cBaywatch<\/a>,\u201d as well as crime thriller (\u201cThe Interrogator<\/a>\u201d) from British comic icon Stephen Fry \u2014 will have to wait until at least winter for launch. Even then, Fox will premiere just three new series next season (the third being the new dating format \u201cMarriage Market,\u201d hosted by Whitney Cummings).<\/p>\n

\n\tIn noting the network\u2019s heavy reliance on existing properties, Fox Entertainment CEO Rob Wade noted that \u201c90% of our slate is returning shows and we believe the new series we\u2019re introducing for next season will be incredibly complementary.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tWith game shows and reality competition on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday \u2014 along with college football on Friday and Saturday \u2014 that doesn\u2019t leave much room for other fare. On Tuesdays, Fox has 14 episodes of Season 2 of \u201cBest Medicine,\u201d its adaptation of \u201cDoc Martin\u201d led by Josh Charles. At 9 p.m., it\u2019s the Season 3 return of \u201cDoc,\u201d which is also based on a hit international format (from Italy).<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cTuesday has become an area of strength for Fox,\u201d said Dan Harrison, executive vice president of program planning and content strategy, \u201cWe\u2019re pairing \u201cBest Medicine\u2019 and \u2018Doc,\u2019 giving viewers a night of medical marvels.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe other night for scripted series is Sunday, where \u201cAnimation Domination\u201d will come with a twist this year: The live-action \u201cAnimal Control,\u201d starring Joel McHale and entering its fifth season, will air after \u201cThe Simpsons.\u201d That\u2019s partly because Fox doesn\u2019t have any other half-hour laffers to pair it with anymore, now that \u201cGoing Dutch\u201d is canceled.<\/p>\n

\n\tFox Television president Michael Thorn admitted that the network has put more of its priorities into building drama and unscripted stables. \u201cWe\u2019ve really evolved those production models forward in a way that sets us up for success, and now we\u2019re taking a step back, and we\u2019re doing the same thing on live action comedy,\u201d he said. \u201cWe believe in the genre. You\u2019ll see more from us in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tWade added that the network has paused its comedy development until it can \u201creally dig into that business model and work out how we can make it effective in the long term.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tAlso on the fall docket are Fox-owned animated series \u201cUniversal Basic Guys\u201d and \u201cGrimsburg.\u201d On the unscripted front, star-driven \u201cCelebrity Name That Tune\u201d and \u201cCelebrity Weakest Link\u201d are on Mondays, shiny-floor gamers \u201cThe Floor\u201d and \u201c99 To Beat\u201d are on Tuesday while reality competish entries \u201cHell\u2019s Kitchen\u201d and \u201cSpecial Forces: World\u2019s Toughest Test\u201d are on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

\n\tFor midseason, there are new dramas\u00a0\u201cBaywatch\u201d and \u201cThe Interrogator,\u201d as well as Season 2 of \u201cMemory of a Killer\u201d\u00a0and\u00a0Season 3 of \u201cMurder in a Small Town.\u201d To fit more scripted hour-longs in midseason, Harrison said Fox will add a second drama night (actual night TBD).<\/p>\n

\n\tAs for \u201cBaywatch,\u201d it\u2019s clear getting that revival off the ground is priority number one. \u201cIt\u2019s iconic, it\u2019s global, and it captures the very best of the California dream,\u201d Thorn said. \u201cIt\u2019s pure escapism with a cast that blends top television talent with major social influencers. It\u2019s an honor to bring \u2018Baywatch\u2019 back. We\u2019re feeling great about where we are, but also feeling pressure of already heightened, fanned expectations. It\u2019s an exciting challenge for my teams and I.\u201d <\/p>\n

\n\tMeanwhile, with \u201cThe Interrogator\u201d (which stars Jenna Elfman along with Fry), Thorn said, \u201cWe ordered this show because we see a strong signature Fox character, razor sharp intellect and deceptively charming. He\u2019s a sexy rebel in his own right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tAnimated comedies \u201cAmerican Dad!,\u201d \u201cBob\u2019s Burgers,\u201d \u201cFamily Guy\u201d\u00a0and\u00a0\u201cKrapopolis\u201d will also return in midseason. In unscripted, slated for midseason are \u201cCrime Scene Kitchen,\u201d\u00a0\u201cDon\u2019t Forget The Lyrics,\u201d \u201cExtracted,\u201d\u00a0\u201cFear Factor: House of Fear,\u201d\u00a0\u201cGordon Ramsay\u2019s Secret Service,\u201d\u00a0\u201cLego Masters,\u201d\u00a0\u201cThe Masked Singer,\u201d\u00a0\u201cMasterChef\u201d and\u00a0\u201cNext Level Chef.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tActually, that\u2019s just some of the reality shows on deck. Also renewed for future use: \u201cBeat Shazam,\u201d \u201cKitchen Nightmares\u201d and \u201cNext Level Baker\u201d (which was given a two-season pickup, and will return during the holiday season), with even more renewals still to be announced.<\/p>\n

\n\tWade said some of the hefty unscripted buying spree was for strike contingency. \u201cThankfully, it feels like the discussions between the unions have gone well, but there was a time in March, and before that January, February, where we were on short we could have been looking at another strike action for this year, and who knows what\u2019s going to happen,\u201d he said. \u201cSo we do buy surpluses of shows in the eventuality that there is a crisis or we need them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tMeanwhile, as previously announced, Fox is also already looking ahead to the 2027-2028 TV season, having picked up a new version of \u201cHighway to Heaven,\u201d from Jason Katims, and the \u201cFamily Guy\u201d spinoff \u201cStewie\u201d from Seth MacFarlane.<\/p>\n

\n\tHere is Fox\u2019s Fall 2026 schedule:<\/p>\n

\n\tMONDAY<\/p>\n

\n\t8 p.m. \u201cCelebrity Name That Tune\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t9 p.m. \u201cCelebrity Weakest Link\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tTUESDAY<\/p>\n

\n\t8 p.m. \u201cBest Medicine\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t9 p.m. \u201cDoc\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tWEDNESDAY<\/p>\n

\n\t8 p.m. \u201cThe Floor\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t9 p.m. \u201c99 To Beat\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tTHURSDAY<\/p>\n

\n\t8 p.m. \u201cHell\u2019s Kitchen\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t9 p.m. \u201cSpecial Forces: World\u2019s Toughest Test\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tFRIDAY<\/p>\n

\n\t8 p.m. \u201cFox College Football Friday\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tSATURDAY<\/p>\n

\n\t7 p.m. \u201cFox Sports Saturday\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tSUNDAY<\/p>\n

\n\t7 p.m. NFL On Fox \/ The OT \/ Fox Animation Encores<\/p>\n

\n\t8 p.m. \u201cThe Simpsons\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t8:30 p.m. \u201cAnimal Control\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t9 p.m. \u201cUniversal Basic Guys\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t9:30 p.m. \u201cGrimsburg\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tMIDSEASON<\/p>\n

\n\tDrama: \u201cBaywatch,\u201d \u201cThe Interrogator,\u201d \u201cMemory of a Killer,\u201d \u201cMurder in a Small Town.\u201d Comedy: \u201cAmerican Dad!,\u201d \u201cBob\u2019s Burgers,\u201d \u201cFamily Guy,\u201d \u201cKrapopolis.\u201d Unscripted: \u201cCrime Scene Kitchen,\u201d \u201cDon\u2019t Forget The Lyrics,\u201d \u201cExtracted,\u201d \u201cFear Factor: House of Fear,\u201d \u201cGordon Ramsay\u2019s Secret Service,\u201d \u201cLego Masters,\u201d \u201cThe Masked Singer,\u201d \u201cMasterChef,\u201d \u201cNext Level Chef.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cBaywatch\u201d is co-produced by Fox Entertainment and Fremantle with Matt Nix as showrunner and executive producer. McG, Michael Berk, Greg Bonann, Doug Schwartz, Dante Di Loreto and Mike Horowitz are executive producers.\u00a0McG directed the series premiere.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThe Interrogator\u201d\u00a0is co-produced by Lionsgate Television and Fox Entertainment. The pilot script was written by Fry, with revisions from Matt Pyken,\u00a0as well as William Harper.\u00a0Dan Dworkin and Jay Beattie are executive producers and showrunners.\u00a0Fry executive produces with William Harper and Paul McGuigan, who also\u00a0directs. Likely Story\u2019s Anthony Bregman and Miriam Mintz, Matt Pyken, Neil Burger and Anonymous Content are \u00a0executive producers.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cMarriage Market\u201d\u00a0is produced by Fox Entertainment Studios and distributed worldwide by Fox Entertainment Global.\u00a0 Alycia Rossiter and John Carr are exec producers, with Rossiter serving as showrunner.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cHighway to Heaven\u201d is from Fox Entertainment Studios and executive produced by showrunner Jason Katims. Amblin Television\u2019s Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey, and Todd Cohen, along with Mark Itkin and Michael Landon Productions\u2019 Cindy Landon, plus Wayne Lepoff, are exec producers.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cStewie\u201d is produced by 20th Television Animation; Seth MacFarlane voices\u00a0Stewie\u00a0and will executive produces for Fuzzy Door. The series was created by MacFarlane and Kirker Butler, who executive produces with Kara Vallow. Butler is showrunner.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Fox has revealed a fall schedule with just two nights of series that aren\u2019t sports or reality TV…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":422435,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[35988,156,4131,111,139,69,216864,437,61670],"class_list":["post-422434","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-baywatch","tag-entertainment","tag-fox","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-the-interrogator","tag-tv","tag-upfronts"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/422434","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=422434"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/422434\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/422435"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=422434"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=422434"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=422434"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}