Fox is making significant changes to its prime-time schedule following a disappointing performance this fall for its two-hour Tuesday comedy block, reports Nellie Andreeva at Deadline.com. Among the changes, "The Mindy Project" is going on hiatus and "Glee" is changing nights.
The Tuesday comedy block will consist of just one hour starting Feb. 25, when “Glee” returns to its 8 p.m. Tuesday slot, where it performed well in the 2011-12 season, the story reports.
“Fox brass hope that the move would help the show regain some footing, which it has lost airing behind a very weak ‘The X Factor’ this fall,” Andreeva writes.
The new hourlong comedy block will include only “New Girl” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” which will take over the 9:30 time slot Feb. 4, replacing “The Mindy Project.”
“The Mindy Project” will return April 1 after “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” ends its first-year run, the story notes.
“The move comes after the sophomore comedy starring Mindy Kaling hit a new series low (1.2 in 18-49) this week. The show’s crew already has been told of the scheduling change, and ‘Mindy’ is planning a month-long production hiatus around the holidays, which the writers will use to regroup and plot the show’s April re-launch,” the piece reports.
Some changes are also in store for Fox’s midseason dramas.
Andreeva writes, “Instead of premiering new legal dramedy ‘Rake’ behind the NFC Championship Game on January 19 as previously announced, Fox will launch the second season of gritty drama ‘The Following’ after the big game for a two-night season premiere on Sunday, January 19, and Monday, January 20, when the series will debut in its regular Monday 9 p.m. slot, following the season finale of ‘Sleepy Hollow.’”
The thinking is that the male-skewing “The Following” will work better with the football game than the lighter “Rake,” which stars Greg Kinnear and which will now premiere Jan. 23 in its regular Thursday 9 p.m. timeslot.
“Remaining unclear is the spring scheduling of comedy ‘Dads,’ which will air its last originals … Tuesday February 4 and February 11 before going on hiatus to make room for ‘Glee.’ It could come back later in the season, a return date is TBD,” Andreeva notes.
Here’s Fox’s midseason schedule:
JANUARY 5
8-8:30 PM — THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9 PM — BOB’S BURGERS
9-9:30 PM — FAMILY GUY
9:30-10 PM — AMERICAN DAD
JANUARY 19
6-10 PM ET — NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (Live)
10-11 PM ET/7-8 PM PT — THE FOLLOWING (Season Premiere, Night One)
JANUARY 26
8-8:30 PM — THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9 PM — BOB’S BURGERS
9-9:30 PM — FAMILY GUY
9:30-10 PM — AMERICAN DAD
FEBRUARY 2
6-10:30 PM — SUPER BOWL XLVIII (Live)
10:30-11 PM ET/7:30-8 PM PT — NEW GIRL
11-11:30 PM PT/7:30-8 PM PT — BROOKLYN NINE-NINE
FEBRUARY 9
8-8:30 PM — THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9 PM — BOB’S BURGERS
9-9:30 PM — FAMILY GUY
9:30-10 PM — AMERICAN DAD
MONDAYS
JANUARY 6
8-9 PM — ALMOST HUMAN
9-10 PM — SLEEPY HOLLOW
JANUARY 20
8-9 PM — SLEEPY HOLLOW (Season Finale; Special Time)
9-10 PM — THE FOLLOWING (Season Premiere, Night Two)
JANUARY 27
8-9 PM — ALMOST HUMAN
9-10 PM — THE FOLLOWING
TUESDAYS
JANUARY 7
8-8:30 PM — DADS
8:30-9 PM — BROOKLYN NINE-NINE
9-9:30 PM — NEW GIRL
9:30-10 PM — THE MINDY PROJECT
JANUARY 28
8-8:30 PM — DADS
8:30-9 — PM BROOKLYN NINE-NINE
9-9:30 PM — NEW GIRL
9:30-10 PM — THE MINDY PROJECT (Winter Finale)
FEBRUARY 4
8-8:30 PM — DADS
8:30-9 PM — BROOKLYN NINE-NINE (Encore)
9-9:30 PM — NEW GIRL
9:30-10 — PM BROOKLYN NINE-NINE (Time Period Premiere)
FEBRUARY 11
8-8:30 PM — DADS
8:30-9 PM — DADS
9-9:30 PM — NEW GIRL (Encore)
9:30-10 PM — BROOKLYN NINE-NINE (Encore)
FEBRUARY 18
8-10 PM — AMERICAN IDOL (Special Night)
FEBRUARY 25
8-9 PM — GLEE (Spring Premiere)
9-9:30 PM — NEW GIRL
9:30-10 PM — BROOKLYN NINE-NINE
MARCH 25
8-9 PM — GLEE
9-9:30 PM — NEW GIRL
9:30-10 PM — BROOKLYN NINE-NINE (Season Finale)
APRIL 1
8-9 PM — GLEE
9-9:30 PM — THE MINDY PROJECT (Spring Premiere — Part 1)
9:30-10 PM — THE MINDY PROJECT (Spring Premiere — Part 2)
APRIL 8
8-9 PM — GLEE
9-9:30 PM — NEW GIRL
9:30-10 PM — THE MINDY PROJECT (Time Period Premiere)
WEDNESDAYS
JANUARY 15
8-10 PM — AMERICAN IDOL (Season Premiere, Part One)
THURSDAYS
JANUARY 16
8-10 PM AMERICAN IDOL (Season Premiere, Part Two)
JANUARY 23
8-9 PM — AMERICAN IDOL (Time Period Premiere)
9-10 PM — RAKE (Series Premiere)
FRIDAYS
JANUARY 10
8-9 PM — BONES
9-9:30 PM — RAISING HOPE
9:30-10 PM — ENLISTED (Series Premiere)
SATURDAYS
JANUARY 11
11 PM-Midnight — ANIMATION DOMINATION HIGH-DEF
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