Upfront 08

I'm listening to some sweet, sweet acoustic hold music as I wait for Fox to dole out heaping helpings of their 2008 schedule via a conference call. While we already have the schedule up here, why not join me in listening to Fox Entertainment Chairman Peter Liguori and Fox Entertainment President Kevin Reilly. You know, to humor them.

11:34 a.m.: Fox is going for that fashionably late approach.

11:36 a.m.: We're up.

11:37 a.m.: Fox is throwing out some ratings stats.

11:39 a.m.: Liguori: Fox brand- For the last 20 years, Fox has been the rebel and the innovator. It all starts with broadcast, and broadcast starts with viewers. Constantly creating new ways to keep viewers engaged. "Business as unusual."

11:40 a.m.: Reilly: Competitors are programming the second half of the season by default, we're doing it by strategy ("24," NFL Playoffs, etc.).

11:43 a.m.: Reilly: "Fringe" behind "House" is going to be a "hell of a night."

11:44 a.m.: With "Cleveland" and "Sit Down, Shut Up:" "We're going to see a lot of commitment to the animation business."

11:45 a.m.: Questions already?

11:46 a.m.: Reilly: "We're just looking for good, noisy shows."

11:48 a.m.: Fox not concerned about the relaunch of "24."

11:49 a.m.: Reilly on Abrams, Whedon: "These are guys that don't do standard issue entertainment."

11:51 a.m.: Fox has three more episodes past the season (series?) finale of "Back to You." Fox thought it would make a nice extra for the box set. Don't know if the three additional episodes will be aired over the summer. "Til Death" is also moving in a new direction, specifically it may move away from the young couple on the show.

11:56 a.m.: Will the writers strike affect animation next year? Preston Beckman: We won't really feel anything in the fall (on animation). They're will be a little bit of a delivery issue. It won't feel as if we are in repeats.

12:01 p.m.: Liguori: Satisfied with "Idol" creatively, but not with the performance. Will be working with the producers to increase the storytelling. We're not going to sit back and rest on our laurels. He just used the word "zeitgeisty."

12:02 p.m.: Fox is launching against the Democratic National Conventional. Fox wants to ride the wave of viewers coming out of the Summer Olympics. Also, all the big stuff that occurs at the DNC usually happens after 10 p.m., so not too concerned about running headlong against Obama and Clinton's potential floor fight.

12:06 p.m.: Paula Abdul confirmed as returning as a judge on "Idol." Defamer is breathing a sigh of relief, I assume.

12:09 p.m: Reilly: No O.D. on sci-fi for Fox. People from screenings are enjoying multiple aspects of the sci-fi shows announced for the schedule this year. "I don't think any of these are hard genre shows."

12:11 p.m.: "Dollhouse" has a 13 episode order.

12:14 p.m.: Fox is pleased with "House's" performance. YOU DON'T SAY?

And that's that. Fox presents their schedule to ad buyers later today, but that's your 2008 fall schedule for broadcast networks. Enjoy the nearly four months before you see the fruits of any of these presentations' labor.

—Andrew Krukowski