FOX Announces 2022-2023 Programming

© FOX

FOX has announced its content slate for the 2022-2023 television season. FOX is adding three new dramas, two new animated comedies and one new unscripted series to its lineup, expanding its content strategy with increased program ownership that spans scripted, reality and animation. Original content from in-house business units FOX Entertainment Studios, Studio Ramsay Global, FOX Alternative Entertainment and Bento Box Entertainment will drive growth and fuel thematic scheduling across network and streaming.

Returning FOX series include dramas 9-1-1, THE RESIDENT, 9-1-1: LONE STAR (Season Four) and THE CLEANING LADY (Season Two); comedies CALL ME KAT (Season Three) and WELCOME TO FLATCH (Season Two); animated series THE SIMPSONS (Season 34), FAMILY GUY (Season 20), BOB'S BURGERS (Season 12), THE GREAT NORTH (Season Three) and HOUSEBROKEN (Season Two); and unscripted series THE MASKED SINGER (Season Eight), CRIME SCENE KITCHEN (Season Two) and, as previously announced, HELL'S KITCHEN (Season 21). Additional series renewals to be announced.

Joining returning hit dramas THE CLEANING LADY and 9-1-1: LONE STAR are country music drama MONARCH, starring Susan Sarandon, Trace Adkins and Anna Friel; crime anthology series ACCUSED, from "Homeland" and "24" executive producers Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa and "House" creator David Shore; and missing persons drama ALERT, from executive producers Jamie Foxx and John Eisendrath ("The Blacklist").

Animation remains a cornerstone of FOX programming. From FOX's premier animation house, Bento Box Entertainment, come two all-new animated comedies: GRIMSBURG, starring and executive-produced by Jon Hamm; and KRAPOPOLIS, from "Rick and Morty" co-creator Dan Harmon, and starring Hannah Waddingham ("Ted Lasso"), Richard Ayoade ("The IT Crowd") and Matt Berry ("What We Do in The Shadows"). Additionally, KRAPOPOLIS will serve as the first-ever animated series curated entirely on the Blockchain, as FOX and Bento Box build their NFT business. The company will launch a dedicated marketplace for KRAPOPOLIS that will curate and sell digital goods, ranging from NFTs of one-of-a-kind character and background art and GIFs, as well as tokens that provide exclusive social experiences to engage and reward super fans. An NFT of the KRAPOPOLIS cast image is minted on the Eluvio content blockchain with token metadata. GRIMSBURG and KRAPOPOLIS join returning series THE SIMPSONS, FAMILY GUY, BOB'S BURGERS, THE GREAT NORTH and HOUSEBROKEN.

FOX doubles down on unscripted series from Gordon Ramsay with GORDON RAMSAY'S FOOD STARS, the award-winning chef's all-new search for the next big food & drink entrepreneur. GORDON RAMSAY'S FOOD STARS will join this season's #1 new entertainment series, NEXT LEVEL CHEF, which will debut its second season immediately following SUPER BOWL LVII, airing Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023. THE MASKED SINGER, CRIME SCENE KITCHEN and, as previously announced, HELL'S KITCHEN return next season.

Additionally, new seasons of FANTASY ISLAND and LEGO MASTERS, previously scheduled to air this summer, now will air during the 2022-2023 season. LEGO MASTERS also will air the brand-new multiple-night event CELEBRITY LEGO MASTERS: HOLIDAY BRICKTACULAR.

★FOX fall premieres of new and returning series are listed below in chronological order (all times are ET/PT):

FOX FALL 2022 PREMIERE DATES RECAP (All Times ET/PT Except as Noted)

Sunday, Sept. 11, Immediately Following FOX NFL Doubleheader

• 8:00-9:00 PM MONARCH (Series Premiere, Part One) live in all time zones

Monday, Sept. 19

• 8:00-9:00 PM 9-1-1 (Season Premiere)
• 9:00-10:00 PM THE CLEANING LADY (Season Premiere)

Tuesday, Sept. 20:

• 8:00-9:00 PM THE RESIDENT (Season Premiere)
• 9:00-10:00 PM MONARCH (Series Premiere, Part Two)

Wednesday, Sept. 21:

• 8:00-9:00 PM THE MASKED SINGER (Season Premiere)
• 9:00-10:00 PM LEGO MASTERS (Season Premiere)

Fridays (ONGOING)

• 8:00-10:00 PM FOX's WWE FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN

Sunday, Sept. 25

• 8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS (Season Premiere)
• 8:30-9:00 PM THE GREAT NORTH (Season Premiere)
• 9:00-9:30 PM BOB'S BURGERS (Season Premiere)
• 9:30-10:00 PM FAMILY GUY (Season Premiere)

Thursday, Sept. 29:

• 8:00-9:00 PM HELL'S KITCHEN (Season Premiere)
• 9:00-9:30 PM WELCOME TO FLATCH (Season Premiere)
• 9:30-10:00 PM CALL ME KAT (Season Premiere)

Bolstering its portfolio of owned content, FOX announces new programming set to premiere next season on its ad-supported streaming service, Tubi. From FOX's Emmy Award-winning animation house, Bento Box Entertainment, come three new made-for-Tubi movies: PASTACOLYPSE, from "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" co-creator Matthew Maiellaro; MILLENNIAL HUNTER, from comedian and actor Sam Taggart; and BIG BRUH, from writer, stand-up comic and DUNCANVILLE co-producer Jerron Horton. Additionally, FOX Alternative Entertainment continues to provide fan-favorite documentaries for Tubi, with plans to release 12 new projects over the year ahead. As previously announced, FOX Entertainment's Tubi has entered a major film deal with Village Roadshow Pictures to produce multiple films from Village Roadshow's newly announced "Black Noir Cinema" initiative. Upcoming feature films and Tubi Originals include CINNAMON, starring Emmy Award nominee Damon Wayans and Golden Globe nominee Pam Grier, which will be produced by Village Roadshow, alongside NBA legend and cross-over talent Kevin Garnett and his Content Cartel ("Uncut Gems"), and director and producer Oz Scott ("Black Lightning," "S.W.A.T.").

FOX's new dramas include:

© FOX

MONARCH is a Texas-sized, multi-generational musical drama about America's first family of country music. In MONARCH, the Romans are headed by the insanely talented, but tough as nails Queen of Country Music DOTTIE CANTRELL ROMAN (Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon, "Feud," "Thelma & Louise") and her beloved husband, "Texas Truthteller" ALBIE ROMAN (multi-Platinum country music star and three-time Academy of Country Music (ACM) Award winner Trace Adkins, "Old Henry"). Dottie and Albie have created a country music dynasty. But even though the Roman name is synonymous with authenticity, the very foundation of their success is a lie. And when their reign as country royalty is put in jeopardy, heir to the crown NICOLETTE "NICKY" ROMAN (Golden Globe nominee Anna Friel, "Pushing Daisies") will stop at nothing to protect her family's legacy, while ensuring her own quest for stardom. MONARCH is owned and produced by FOX Entertainment. Screenwriter Melissa London Hilfers serves as creator, writer and executive producer. Jon Feldman ("Designated Survivor") serves as showrunner and executive producer. Gail Berman and Hend Baghdady (The Jackal Group), Jason Owen (Sandbox Entertainment) and Michael Rauch ("Royal Pains") are executive producers.

© FOX

Based on the BBC's BAFTA-winning British crime anthology, comes a provocative series that takes you on the journey of the defendant. Each episode opens in a courtroom on the accused, with viewers knowing nothing about their crime or how they ended up on trial. Told from the defendant's point of view through flashbacks, ACCUSED holds a mirror up to the current times with evocative and emotional stories. In ACCUSED, viewers discover how an ordinary person gets caught up in an extraordinary situation, ultimately revealing how one wrong turn leads to another, until it's too late to turn back. Emmy and Golden Globe winner Michael Chiklis ("The Shield") guest-stars in the premiere episode, as Dr. Scott Corbett, a successful brain surgeon with a seemingly perfect family. He faces the limits of unconditional love when he discovers his teenage son may be planning a violent attack at school. Later in the season, Marlee Matlin, Billie Porter and Michael Chiklis each direct episodes of the anthology crime drama. ACCUSED is co-produced by Sony Pictures Television and FOX Entertainment. The series is executive-produced by Howard Gordon ("24," "Homeland"), Alex Gansa ("24," "Homeland") and David Shore ("The Good Doctor," "House"). Emmy Award winner Michael Cuesta ("Homeland") will direct the program's premiere episode, reuniting with "Homeland" executive producers Gordon and Gansa.

ALERT is a character-driven police procedural about the LAMPU - the Los Angeles Police Department's missing person's unit. When police officer Nikki Parker's son goes missing, she joins the LAPD's Missing Person's Unit to help other people find their loved ones, even as she searches for her own. Six years later, her world is turned upside-down when her ex-husband, Devon Zoellner, shows up with a proof-of-life photo of their missing boy. Or is it? ALERT is a procedural drama with a heart-pounding, life-or-death search for a missing person in each episode, that runs alongside Nikki and Devon's quest to find out the truth about the person claiming to be their long-lost son. It's a case-of-the-week show with a case-of-a-lifetime story running through it - a story that alternately brings our two main characters gut-wrenching heartache and heart-pounding joy. ALERT is co-produced by Sony Pictures Television and FOX Entertainment. John Eisendrath ("The Blacklist") serves as showrunner and executive producer. Jamie Foxx and Datari Turner are executive producers.

FOX's new animated comedies include:

All-new animated comedy GRIMSBURG stars Emmy Award winner Jon Hamm ("Mad Men," "Top Gun: Maverick"), who also serves as an executive producer on the series. In GRIMSBURG, Marvin Flute (Hamm) may be the greatest detective ever to catch a cannibal clown or correctly identify a mid-century modern armoire. But there's one mystery he still can't crack - his family. Now that he's back in Grimsburg, a town where everyone has a secret or three, Flute will follow every lead he's got to redeem himself with the ex-wife he never stopped loving, even if it means hanging out with the son he never bothered to get to know. GRIMSBURG is owned by FOX Entertainment, and produced by Bento Box Entertainment. Catlan McClelland and Matthew Schlissel created the series and serve as co-executive producers. Gail Berman, Hend Baghdady, Connie Tavel, Chadd Gindin and Jon Hamm serve as executive producers.

© FOX

From Emmy Award-winning creator Dan Harmon ("Rick and Morty," "Community") comes KRAPOPOLIS, an animated series like no other. Set in mythical Ancient Greece, the series centers on a flawed family of humans, gods and monsters that tries to run one of the world's first cities without killing each other. The series' voice cast features Emmy Award winner Hannah Waddingham ("Ted Lasso"), Richard Ayoade ("The IT Crowd"), Matt Berry ("What We Do in The Shadows"), Pam Murphy ("Mapleworth Murders") and Duncan Trussell ("The Midnight Gospel"). In the series, Ayoade voices "Tyrannis", the mortal son of a goddess. He's the benevolent King of Krapopolis trying to make do in a city that lives up to its name. Waddingham plays "Deliria," Tyrannis' mother, goddess of self-destruction and questionable choices. Within her extended Olympian family - forged in patricide and infidelity - she's known as the trashy one. Berry is "Shlub," Tyrannis' father, a mantitaur (half centaur [horse + human], half manticore [lion + human + scorpion]). He is oversexed and underemployed, claims to be an artist and has literally never paid for anything, in any sense of that word, for his entire life. Murphy voices "Stupendous," Tyrannis' half-sister, daughter of Deliria and a cyclops. Trussell plays "Hippocampus," Tyrannis' half-brother, offspring of Shlub and a mermaid, and, obviously, a hot mess, biologically speaking. KRAPOPOLIS is owned by FOX Entertainment, and produced by FOX's Emmy Award-winning animation studio, Bento Box Entertainment. The series is an outgrowth of the direct animation deal Harmon and FOX Entertainment unveiled in 2020.

FOX serves up a new Gordon Ramsay series:

© FOX

Award-winning chef, restaurateur and presenter Gordon Ramsay puts his knives aside as he hunts for the most exciting and innovative new food & drink entrepreneurs in his brand-new competition series, GORDON RAMSAY'S FOOD STARS. This time, he's prepared to put his money where his mouth is, by backing the winner with an investment to take their idea to the next level. But to win Ramsay's support, it will take more than just a great idea. As he pushes contestants to their limits through a series of relentless challenges, they'll have to prove they possess the raw ingredients required to succeed - drive, dedication, creativity, passion and talent. Being the last entrepreneur standing will earn the winner a life-changing reward. They just need to survive Gordon Ramsay -- the only angel investor. GORDON RAMSAY'S FOOD STARS is produced by Studio Ramsay Global and FOX Alternative Entertainment (FAE). Ramsay serves as executive producer, Lisa Edwards serves as executive producer and Danny Schrader serves as executive producer and showrunner.

Additionally, LEGO MASTERS will air the all-new multiple-night event CELEBRITY LEGO MASTERS: HOLIDAY BRICKTACULAR. Over the course of four crazy nights, LEGO MASTERS will shake it up like a snow globe, with unpredictable twists and surprises. Celebrities will join, as will fan-favorite builders from past seasons, all working together, to create jaw-dropping holiday-themed challenges that will make the contestants' faces redder than Rudolph's nose. Make sure you're on host Will Arnett's "Nice List," because LEGO MASTERS is making plans for the ho-ho-holidays.

© Tubi

All-new FOX-owned content on Tubi includes:

PASTACOLYPSE is a father-daughter survivalist horror comedy, cooked up from the most ludicrous premise on Earth: a billionaire celebrity chef seeks revenge on all mankind when a global ban on gluten destroys his life. In the process, Alfredo Manicotti is disfigured into a hideous creature, half-man, half-macaroni, and leads a pasta uprising that threatens all of humanity. It's up to his spoiled heiress daughter, the angel-haired Emma, to make the ultimate sacrifice and save the world from the impending PASTACOLYPSE.

Action-comedy MILLENNIAL HUNTER revolves around a flawed hero with a thirst for righteous revenge against his enemies: Millennials.

BIG BRUH is a satirical comedy about a famous, undefeated boxer who is as ignorant as he is materialistic, struggling to find common ground with the bratty kid with high morals he's paired with through the Big Bruh program.

All three animated films will be produced by Bento Box Entertainment. Additionally, FOX Alternative Entertainment will continue to provide all-new documentaries for Tubi, with plans to release 12 new projects over the year ahead.

As previously announced, FOX Entertainment's Tubi has entered a major film deal with Village Roadshow Pictures to produce multiple films from Village Roadshow's newly announced "Black Noir Cinema" initiative. Upcoming feature films and Tubi Originals include CINNAMON, starring Emmy Award nominee Damon Wayans and Golden Globe nominee Pam Grier, which will be produced by Village Roadshow, alongside NBA legend and cross-over talent Kevin Garnett and his Content Cartel ("Uncut Gems"), and director and producer Oz Scott ("Black Lightning," "S.W.A.T.").

Also, as previously announced, FOX brings the heat this summer with all-new seasons of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE (May 18), DON'T FORGET THE LYRICS! (May 23), BEAT SHAZAM (May 23) and MASTERCHEF (May 25). Additionally, all-new episodes of animated comedy DUNCANVILLE continue to air Sundays on FOX.

FOX's full 2022-2023 programming slate is - Dramas: 9-1-1-, 9-1-1: LONE STAR, THE RESIDENT, ACCUSED, ALERT, THE CLEANING LADY, FANTASY ISLAND, MONARCH; Comedies: BOB'S BURGERS, CALL ME KAT, FAMILY GUY, THE GREAT NORTH, GRIMSBURG, HOUSEBROKEN, KRAPOPOLIS, THE SIMPSONS, WELCOME TO FLATCH; Unscripted: BEAT SHAZAM, CRIME SCENE KITCHEN, DON'T FORGET THE LYRICS!, GORDON RAMSAY'S FOOD STARS, HELL'S KITCHEN, LEGO MASTERS, THE MASKED SINGER, MASTERCHEF, NEXT LEVEL CHEF, SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE.

FOX's 2022 Fall schedule and premiere dates to be announced.

FOX Announces 2021-2022 Primetime Schedule [UPDATED]

FOX, television’s #1 network for the second year in a row, is adding four new dramas, two new comedies, four new unscripted series and one new animated comedy to its Fall lineup, tapping into themes such as renewal, second chances and reinvention. As FOX goes broad, its free, AVOD streaming service, Tubi, is going deep with 140+ hours of original programming next season that speaks to viewers’ passions. Tubi’s original programming will include original documentaries from FOX Alternative Entertainment; animated titles from Bento Box Entertainment; and premium independent-minded titles across Black Cinema, thriller, horror, sci-fi, romance and western genres.

The all-new dramas joining the already strong lineup of dramas, animated comedies and unscripted on FOX are THE BIG LEAP and OUR KIND OF PEOPLE. The new unscripted series premiering this fall is ALTER EGO. The new midseason dramas are THE CLEANING LADY and MONARCH. The new midseason comedies are WELCOME TO FLATCH and PIVOTING. The new midseason unscripted series are NEXT LEVEL CHEF, DON’T FORGET THE LYRICS! and DOMINO MASTERS.

Additional recently announced series include:

From executive producers Howard Gordon (“24,” “Homeland”), Alex Gansa (“24,” “Homeland”) and David Shore (“The Good Doctor,” “House”), ACCUSED is based on the BBC’s BAFTA-winning crime anthology, in which each episode opens in a courtroom on the accused without knowing their crime or how they ended up on trial, the drama is told from the defendant’s point of view. In ACCUSED, viewers discover how an ordinary person got caught up in an extraordinary situation, ultimately revealing how one wrong turn leads to another, until it’s too late to turn back.

KRAPOPOLIS is an animated comedy set in mythical ancient Greece from Emmy Award-winning creator Dan Harmon (“Rick and Morty,” “Community”). Centered on a flawed family of humans, gods and monsters that tries to run one of the world’s first cities without killing each other. Fully owned and financed by FOX Entertainment, the comedy will be produced by its Emmy Award-winning animation studio, Bento Box Entertainment. Additionally, KRAPOPOLIS will serve as the first-ever animated series curated entirely on the Blockchain, as FOX and Bento Box enter the NFT business. The company will launch a dedicated marketplace for KRAPOPOLIS that will curate and sell digital goods, ranging from NFTs of one-of-a-kind character and background art and GIFs, as well as tokens that provide exclusive social experiences to engage and reward super fans.

This August, FOX travels to FANTASY ISLAND, with an all-new version of the classic show. A modern drama series, FANTASY ISLAND takes place at a luxury resort, where literally any fantasy requested by guests is fulfilled, although they rarely turn out as expected. Delving into the “what if” questions -- both big and small -- that keep us awake at night, each episode will tell emotional, provocative stories about people who arrive with dreams and desires, and depart enlightened and transformed through the magical realism of Fantasy Island. Serving as steward of this mysterious island is ELENA ROARKE (Roselyn Sanchez, “Devious Maids,” “Grand Hotel”), a descendant of the iconic Mr. Roarke. Elena set aside her own ambitions, and even the love of her life, to uphold her family’s legacy. Sophisticated, insightful and always charming, her calm exterior masks the challenges of the responsibilities she has assumed. Assisting Elena is RUBY OKORO (Kiara Barnes, “The Bold and the Beautiful”), a young woman with an old soul who arrives on Fantasy Island with a terminal illness, and is given a new lease on life there; and pilot JAVIER (John Gabriel Rodriquez, “Miranda’s Rights,” “Rosewood”), who also is the head of island transportation and a jack of all trades.

Additional schedule information and specials to be announced.

FOX FALL 2021 SCHEDULE (All Times ET/PT)

MONDAY

• 8:00 PM 9-1-1 [SEPT. 20]
• 9:00 PM THE BIG LEAP (new series) [SEPT. 20]

TUESDAY

• 8:00 PM THE RESIDENT [SEPT. 21]
• 9:00 PM OUR KIND OF PEOPLE (new series) [SEPT. 21]

WEDNESDAY

• 8:00 PM THE MASKED SINGER [SEPT. 22]
• 9:00 PM ALTER EGO (new series) [SEPT. 22]

THURSDAY, Beginning Oct. 7

• 8:00 PM THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL ON FOX

FRIDAY

• 8:00 PM WWE’S FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN [ONGOING]

SATURDAY

• 7:00 PM FOX SPORTS SATURDAY [ONGOING]

SUNDAY

• 7:00 PM NFL ON FOX
• 7:30 PM THE OT / FOX ENCORES
• 8:00 PM THE SIMPSONS [SEPT. 26]
• 8:30 PM THE GREAT NORTH [SEPT. 26]
• 9:00 PM BOB’S BURGERS [SEPT. 26]
• 9:30 PM FAMILY GUY [SEPT. 26]

The following dramas will debut this fall on FOX:

THE BIG LEAP

THE BIG LEAP is a modern tale about second chances, chasing your dreams and taking back what’s yours. From creator/executive producer Liz Heldens (“The Passage,” “Friday Night Lights”), director/executive producer Jason Winer (“Modern Family”) and executive producer Sue Naegle (“The Plot Against America”), the show revolves around a group of diverse, down-on-their-luck characters attempting to change their lives by participating in a potentially life-ruining reality dance show that builds to a live production of “Swan Lake.” Inspired by a U.K. reality format, THE BIG LEAP is an innovative show-within-a-show that takes viewers on a journey of self-acceptance and empowerment at any age. The series stars Scott Foley (“Scandal”), Teri Polo (“Meet the Parents” franchise), Piper Perabo (“Covert Affairs,” “Coyote Ugly”), newcomer Simone Recasner, Ser’Darius Blain (“Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle”), Jon Rudnitsky (“Catch-22”), Raymond Cham Jr. (“Five Points”), Mallory Jansen (“Galavant”), Kevin Daniels (“Modern Family”) and Anna Grace Barlow (“The Goldbergs”).

 

OUR KIND OF PEOPLE

Inspired by Lawrence Otis Graham’s provocative, critically acclaimed book, “Our Kind of People: Inside America's Black Upper Class,” the series takes place in the aspirational world of Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard, a historical stronghold where the rich and powerful black elite have come to play for over 50 years. OUR KIND OF PEOPLE follows strong-willed, single mom ANGELA VAUGHN (Yaya DaCosta, “Chicago Med,” “Whitney”) as she sets out to reclaim her family’s name and make an impact with her revolutionary haircare line that highlights the innate, natural beauty of black women. But she soon discovers a dark secret about her own mother’s past that will turn her world upside-down and shake up this community forever. The show is a soapy, thrilling exploration of race and class in America and an unapologetic celebration of black resilience and achievement.

The following unscripted series will debut this fall on FOX:

ALTER EGO

In this all-new original singing competition, lost dreams and second chances are reignited when singers from all walks of life become the stars they’ve always wanted to be. However, these contestants won’t perform as themselves. Rather, they’ll be given the chance to show how they’ve always wanted to be seen, creating their dream avatar ALTER EGO to reinvent themselves and perform like never before.

The following dramas will debut in midseason on FOX:

THE CLEANING LADY

THE CLEANING LADY is a thrilling and emotionally driven character drama about a whip-smart Cambodian doctor who comes to the U.S. for a medical treatment to save her ailing son. However, when the system fails and pushes her into hiding, she refuses to be beaten down and marginalized. Instead, she becomes a cleaning lady for organized crime, using her cunning and intelligence to forge her own path in the criminal underworld. The series stars Elodie Yung (“The Hitman’s Bodyguard”), Adan Canto (“Designated Survivor,”), Martha Millan (“The OA”) and newcomers Valentino and Sebastien LaSalle.

 

MONARCH

MONARCH is an epic, multi-generational musical drama about America’s first family of country music. The Romans are passionate and fiercely talented, but while their name is synonymous with honesty, the very foundation of this family's success is a lie. When dangerous truths bubble to the surface, the Romans’ reign as country royalty is put in jeopardy. Nicky Roman, the brilliant and fierce heir to the crown, already battling an industry and world stacked against her, will stop at nothing to protect her family's legacy. It’s finally her turn. But is it too late?

The following comedies will debut in midseason on FOX:

WELCOME TO FLATCH

Inspired by BBC Studios’ BAFTA-winning BBC format, “This Country,” WELCOME TO FLATCH (fka “This Country”) is a half-hour comedy written and executive-produced by Emmy Award winner Jenny Bicks (“Sex and the City,” “The Greatest Showman”) and directed and executive-produced by Emmy Award nominee Paul Feig (“The Office,” “Bridesmaids”). When a documentary crew sets out to explore the lives of residents in a small American town – their dreams, their concerns – they stumble upon the midwestern town of Flatch, which is made up of many eccentric personalities. It’s a place you want to visit and maybe even stay. If there was a decent motel. Which there is not. The series stars newcomers Chelsea Holmes and Sam Straley, Seann William Scott (“Lethal Weapon,” “American Pie” franchise), Aya Cash (“The Boys,” “You’re The Worst”), Taylor Ortega (“Succession”) and newcomers Krystal Smith and Justin Linville.

 

PIVOTING

PIVOTING is a single-camera comedy about how we deal with life, death and all the crazy things that happen in between. Set in a small, middle-class town in Long Island, NY, the series follows three women – and close-knit childhood friends – as they cope with the death of the fourth member of their group. When faced with the reality that life is short, these women pivot, and alter their current paths, by way of a series of impulsive, ill-advised and self-indulgent decisions. These pivots will strengthen their bond and prove it’s never too late to screw up your life in the pursuit of happiness. Written and executive-produced by Liz Astrof (“The Conners,” “2 Broke Girls”), the series stars Eliza Coupe (“Happy Endings”), Ginnifer Goodwin (“Once Upon a Time”), Maggie Q (“Designated Survivor”), Tommy Dewey (“Casual”), JT Neal (“Bless This Mess”) and Marcello Reyes (“Modern Family”).

 

The following unscripted series will premiere midseason:

NEXT LEVEL CHEF

Gordon Ramsay is back with NEXT LEVEL CHEF, the next evolution in cooking competitions. The series features a one-of-a-kind culinary gauntlet – which Ramsay designed -- set on an iconic stage like you’ve never seen. Over three stories high, each floor contains a stunningly different kitchen. From the glistening top floor to the challenging bottom of the basement, the ingredients will match the environment, because Ramsay believes the true test of a great chef is not only what they can do in the best of circumstances, but what kind of magic they can create in the worst! With a level playing field, Ramsay has opened up the competition and scoured the country for the very best line cooks, home chefs, social media stars, food truck owners and everything in between, all competing against one another with the goal of finding the food world’s newest superstar. Joined by two elite names in the food world, chefs Nyesha Arrington and Gino D'Acampo, Ramsay and his co-mentors will leave no stone unturned, as they each recruit a group of the talented young chefs, and take them under their wings. Ramsay and his friends will attempt to bring out the very best in their cooks, as they all try to find “the one.”

DON’T FORGET THE LYRICS!

Emmy Award nominee Niecy Nash hosts the all-new version of the popular game show DON’T FORGET THE LYRICS!, challenging contestants’ musical memory, as they get one song closer to winning $1 million if they DON’T FORGET THE LYRICS! Contestants will choose songs from different genres, decades and musical artists, then they’ll take center stage to sing alongside the studio band as the lyrics are projected on screen – but suddenly the music will stop, and the words will disappear. Will the contestants belt out the correct missing lyrics, or freeze under pressure? If they sing nine songs correctly, they are presented with a No. 1 hit and sing the final missing lyrics for the top prize of $1 million. It’s that simple: 10 songs, some missing lyrics, $1 million.

DOMINO MASTERS

Emmy Award-winning actor and comedian Eric Stonestreet (“Modern Family”) hosts new unscripted competition series DOMINO MASTERS, featuring teams of domino enthusiasts facing off in an unbelievable domino toppling and chain reaction tournament. Throughout the competition, Stonestreet, alongside the judges, will encourage the domino aficionados, introduce incredible challenges and put the creations to the test until one team is crowned the DOMINO MASTERS. DOMINO MASTERS brings imagination and creative ingenuity to life when teams of domino enthusiasts go head-to-head in a toppling tournament to create mind-blowing masterpieces, with infinite possibilities and thousands of tiles and unique kinetic devices. Sixteen skilled teams will compete against each other in ambitious dominoes building challenges to be crowned the country’s most talented amateur domino topplers. In each episode, the teams will be given a bold theme and exciting custom elements to incorporate into their topple. The competing pairs who most impress the judges will progress to the next round, until the finale, during which the top teams will face off for a cash prize, the ultimate trophy and the grand title of DOMINO MASTERS.

FOX Signs New 11 Year Deal with NFL

Fox Corporation today announced a new and expanded media rights agreement with the National Football League that runs through the 2033 season. The 11-year agreement extends FOX's coverage of premier National Football Conference (NFC) games, creates new and exclusive holiday games on FOX, and expands FOX's digital rights to enable future direct-to-consumer opportunities as well as NFL programming on FOX's AVOD streaming service Tubi. Additionally, FOX will not extend its Thursday Night Football contract beyond its current expiration after the 2022 NFL season. Amazon will become the home of Thursday Night Football beginning in 2023.

"Today we extend our 27-year partnership with the NFL and solidify the foundation of our marquee sports portfolio beyond the end of the decade. In addition to maintaining our leading Sunday afternoon NFC package, we are pleased to broaden our deal to include new digital rights that provide us with the flexibility to deliver NFL on FOX to customers in expanded and innovative ways," said Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Lachlan Murdoch. "This long-term agreement ensures that we will continue to deliver the best in football coverage to our viewers while also strengthening and providing optionality to our business."

Among the highlights of the new agreement are:

• FOX will create an NFL experience on Tubi consisting of premiere VOD as well as condensed games throughout the NFL season
• FOX extended its rights to continue America's leading free-to-play wagering game, FOX Bet Super 6
• FOX Bet will receive authorized sportsbook operator status if, and when, the NFL approves official sportsbook operators for its officially licensed intellectual property
• FOX will broadcast four of the next 12 Super Bowls, including the games in 2023, 2025, 2029 and 2033
• FOX will produce special Christmas Day games as the schedule allows
• FOX will continue to be the exclusive home of the NFC Championship game
• FOX increased its NFL footage rights to use across linear and digital programming
• FOX broadened its presentation rights using interactivity and alternate feeds
• FOX Deportes gained additional Spanish language rights

FOX is America's No. 1 network for the NFL; its flagship America's Game of the Week has been the most-watched show in all of television for the past 12 seasons and the most-watched NFL window for the past 20 seasons.

The NFC package that FOX will continue to broadcast is strategically aligned with the locations of FOX's owned and operated television stations. FOX Television Stations owns and operates the FOX affiliate in 14 of the 16 NFC markets.

FOX Announces Fall 2020 Schedule [UPDATED 7/31/20]

© FOX MEDIA LLC

Responding to real-time shifts in the marketplace, FOX, this season’s #1 network among Adults 18-49, and the only network to experience year-to-year growth in the demo and Total Viewers, is announcing its Fall 2020 schedule. The programming slate includes Season Four of television’s #1 series, THE MASKED SINGER, new drama series NEXT and FILTHY RICH, as well as all-new seasons of returning animated series THE SIMPSONS, BLESS THE HARTS, BOB’S BURGERS and FAMILY GUY, along with Gordon Ramsay’s hit cooking competition series, MASTERCHEF JUNIOR. Also, making its network television debut is police drama L.A.’S FINEST, starring Jessica Alba and Gabrielle Union, along with the third installment of COSMOS, entitled COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS.

In midseason, original programming includes 9-1-1 and the #1 new drama 9-1-1: LONE STAR; along with new comedy CALL ME KAT, starring Mayim Bialik and executive-produced by Bialik and Jim Parsons; and new animated comedies THE GREAT NORTH and HOUSEBROKEN. Also part of FOX’s 2020-2021 programming slate are all-new seasons of animated comedy DUNCANVILLE, starring and executive-produced by Amy Poehler; and Ramsay’s HELL’S KITCHEN.

“The effects of this global health crisis leave no business unaffected. As a media company that prides itself on an entrepreneurial spirit and the focus that comes with doing fewer things better, we mobilized, swiftly creating an entirely new, original-programming lineup for the fall to share with our partners this upfront,” said Charlie Collier, CEO, FOX Entertainment “In remote meetings with advertising and marketing partners over recent weeks, we sought to listen first and understand each partner’s unique concerns. Our primary goal is to help them back to business, so in turn, the message we’ve shared is one of relative stability on FOX, combining the best of primetime sports and entertainment with which to help our partners and their customers back to market.” 

“Now, more than ever, consistency, results and stability take on an all new emphasis,” said Marianne Gambelli, President, FOX Ad Sales. “FOX is primed and ready for the Fall with a great deal of stability across our entire programming lineup, featuring premium content that continually resonates with viewers, and the necessary scale that builds demand and produces results. During these uncertain times, we remain focused on the individual business needs of our partners and will continue to work with them to develop custom solutions with our unmatched offerings of assets to help drive their businesses forward.”

The all-new series premiering this fall are NEXT and FILTHY RICH.

From creator and executive producer Manny Coto, executive producer Charlie Gogolak and executive producers and directors John Requa and Glenn Ficarra, NEXT is a propulsive, fact-based thriller about the emergence of a deadly, rogue artificial intelligence that combines pulse-pounding action with a layered examination of how technology is invading our lives. The event series stars Emmy Award nominee John Slattery as a Silicon Valley pioneer, who discovers that one of his own creations – a powerful A.I. – might spell global catastrophe. He teams up with a cybercrime agent (Fernanda Andrade) to fight a villain unlike anything we’ve ever seen – one whose greatest weapon against us is ourselves. The series also stars Michael Mosley, Jason Butler Harner, Eve Harlow, Aaron Moten, Gerardo Celasco, Elizabeth Cappuccino and Evan Whitten.

FILTHY RICH is a southern Gothic family soap in which wealth, power and religion collide – with outrageously soapy results. When the patriarch (Gerald McRaney) of a mega-rich Southern family, famed for creating a wildly successful Christian television network, dies in a plane crash, his wife (Kim Cattrall) and family are stunned to learn that he fathered three illegitimate children, all of whom are written into his will, threatening their family name and fortune. With monumental twists and turns, FILTHY RICH presents a world in which everyone has an ulterior motive – and no one is going down without a fight. From writer/director Tate Taylor, the series also stars Melia Kreiling, Aubrey Dollar, Corey Cott, Benjamin Levy Aguilar, Mark L. Young and Olivia Macklin, with Steve Harris and Aaron Lazar. Kim Cattrall also serves as a producer on the series.

Returning with all-new episodes this fall are THE MASKED SINGER, THE SIMPSONS, BLESS THE HARTS, BOB’S BURGERS, FAMILY GUY and MASTERCHEF JUNIOR.

THE MASKED SINGER is the #1 show on television, drawing a massive audience of nearly 30 million viewers across platforms in its post-Super Bowl Season Three premiere. The singing competition series features celebrities facing off against one another with one major twist: each singer is shrouded from head-to-toe in an elaborate costume, complete with full face mask to conceal his or her identity. With each performance, the host, panelists, audience, viewers and even the other contestants are left guessing who is singing behind the mask. Ranging from Grammy Award winners to legendary athletes, and everything in between, the singers may attempt to throw the crowd off their scent, while keen observers might pick up on tiny clues buried throughout the show. One singer will be eliminated each week, ultimately revealing his or her true identity. Season Four of THE MASKED SINGER premieres this fall.

The longest-running primetime scripted show in television history, THE SIMPSONS exploded into popular culture in 1990 and has remained one of the most groundbreaking and innovative entertainment franchises, recognizable throughout the world. HOMER (Dan Castellaneta), MARGE (Julie Kavner), BART (Nancy Cartwright), LISA (Yeardley Smith) and MAGGIE are instantly identifiable television icons. Rounding out this cast of characters are many beloved Springfield residents, including tavern proprietor MOE SZYSLAK (Hank Azaria) and nuclear power plant owner MR. BURNS (Harry Shearer). The Emmy Award-, Annie Award- and Peabody Award-winning animated comedy will begin its 32^nd season this year. 

Created and executive-produced by Emmy Award winner Emily Spivey, and featuring a voice cast of comedy all-stars, including Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Jillian Bell, Ike Barinholtz and Kumail Nanjani, animated comedy BLESS THE HARTS follows the Harts, a Southern family that is always broke, and forever struggling to make ends meet. They one day hope to achieve the American dream, but they’re already rich – in friends, family and laughter. 

 

BOB’S BURGERS follows BOB (H. Jon Benjamin) and his ever-quirky family who together run the restaurant Bob’s Burgers. In addition to its 2019 Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Animated Program, the series has been nominated in the same category in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, having won the award twice, its first Emmy Award in 2014 and in 2017. The series also recently was nominated for a Critics’ Choice Award and an Annie Award. In addition to Benjamin, BOB’S BURGERS features the voices of John Roberts, Kristen Schaal, Eugene Mirman, Dan Mintz and Larry Murphy. Bento Box Entertainment serves as the program’s animation studio.

FAMILY GUY continues to entertain its die-hard fan base with razor-sharp humor, spot-on parodies, spectacular animation and orchestra-backed original music. Since its debut in 1999, the series has reached cult status among fans, and its breakout star, a talking baby, has become one of the greatest TV characters of all time. FAMILY GUY has racked up numerous awards, including an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series, only the second animated series in television history to be honored with such a distinction. Most recently, series creator and lead voice actor Seth MacFarlane (voices of “Peter Griffin,” “Stewie Griffin,” “Brian Griffin” and “Glen Quagmire”) won the 2019 Emmy Award for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance. Cast member Alex Borstein (voice of “Lois Griffin”) won the 2018 Emmy Award in the category. MacFarlane also was nominated that year. He won the 2017 and 2016 Emmy Award in the category, and was nominated from 2013 to 2015.

Entering its eighth season, MASTERCHEF JUNIOR gives talented kids between the ages of 8 and 13 the chance to showcase their culinary abilities and passion for food through a series of delicious challenges. The hit culinary competition series features world renowned chef Gordon Ramsay, acclaimed chef Aarón Sánchez and nutrition expert, author and new judge Daphne Oz. This season, the pint-sized contestants will cook a meal for diners at a historical renaissance fair; see how they size up to monster trucks at a motocross track; welcome Gordon’s daughter, Tilly Ramsay, back to the MASTERCHEF kitchen for a donut challenge; and participate in a WWE-themed episode until one talented kid is named America’s newest MASTERCHEF JUNIOR, taking home the MASTERCHEF JUNIOR trophy and $100,000 grand prize.

Making their network television debuts are L.A.’S FINEST and COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS.

From the universe of the Jerry Bruckheimer Bad Boys franchise and Sony Pictures Television, the one-hour series L.A.’S FINEST follows Syd Burnett (Gabrielle Union), last seen in Miami taking down a drug cartel, who has seemingly left her complicated past behind to become an LAPD detective. Paired with a new partner, Nancy McKenna (Jessica Alba), a working mom with an equally complex history, Syd is forced to confront how her unapologetic lifestyle may be masking a greater personal secret. Taking on the most dangerous criminals in Los Angeles while skirting the rules, and speed limits, Syd and Nancy become a force to be reckoned with – on the streets, and in each other’s lives.

Returning for its third installment, the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning COSMOS will once again be executive-produced, written and directed by Ann Druyan; executive-produced by Seth MacFarlane, Brannon Braga and Jason Clark; and hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson, the famed pop-culture icon and astrophysicist. Continuing the legacy of its predecessors, COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS will translate the revelations of science into a lavishly transporting experience, taking audiences on a series of spiritual voyages of exploration. Created and produced in partnership with the National Geographic Channel, which aired the series this spring, the new season will reveal previously uncharted realms, including lost worlds and worlds to come, and those that we may one day inhabit in a thrilling future we can still have.

During the 2020-2021 season, several FOX series will celebrate major milestones, including FAMILY GUY’s 350^th episode and BOB’S BURGERS’ 200^th episode. 

Additional pickups, schedule information and specials to be announced.

FOX FALL 2020 SCHEDULE

(All Times ET/PT)

MONDAY

8:00 PM - L.A.’S FINEST (network television debut)

9:00 PM - FILTHY RICH (new series)

TUESDAY

8:00 PM - COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS (network television debut)

9:00 PM - NEXT (new series)

WEDNESDAY

8:00 PM - THE MASKED SINGER (new season)

9:00 PM - MASTERCHEF JUNIOR (new season)

THURSDAY

7:30 PM -  FOX NFL THURSDAY PRESENTED BY VERIZON

8:00 PM -  GMC KICKOFF SHOW

8:20 PM - THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL PRESENTED BY BUD LIGHT PLATINUM 

              

FRIDAY

8:00 PM - WWE’S FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN

SATURDAY

7:00 PM - FOX SPORTS SATURDAY

SUNDAY

7:00 PM - NFL ON FOX

7:30 PM - THE OT / FOX ENCORES

8:00 PM - THE SIMPSONS (new season)

8:30 PM - BLESS THE HARTS (new season)

9:00 PM - BOB’S BURGERS (new season)

9:30 PM - FAMILY GUY (new season)

BH90210 S01E06: The Long Wait

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 Is this the last time we'll see the 90210 gang in the Peach Pit?
By Kim Tibbs-Krober

As I sat there watching the final episode of the BH90210 reboot series, it suddenly hit me. Was this really the last time I was going to see those characters together in the Peach Pit? Likely so, unless they decide to give it another go when the cast are all in their 70s. It may not have been the smoothest of reunions, but I'd be lying if I said I won't miss them now that they're gone again. The episode title pretty much summed it up: it was a long wait. It was a long wait from the original series to the reunion, and it felt like a long wait from the first episode of the reboot to the last.

The theme of the final episode seemed to be about lashing out at the ones you love. Brian lashed out at his wife after her private investigator revealed he wasn't Zach's father. Jennie's daughter kept lashing out at her and she kept reciprocating, especially when she formed a friendship with Shannon that irked her. Tori's husband lashed out at her because he felt insecure about being a stay-at-home dad while she pursued her career. One may have expected them to make an effort to wrap up their insecurities and attempt to resolve their issues by the episode's end, but they didn't. It's like they all just went on with their preoccupied lives with a temporary Band-Aid affixed. Would you expect anything less from your favorite spoiled Beverly Hills brats? Ignore me, I'm just lashing out at characters I love.

One of the recurring punchlines centered around the cast of 90210 competing with the cast of The OC for a coveted spot on the network's fall lineup. A reboot of The OC? I would totally watch that! I loved Seth Cohen back in the day, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Some of the most entertaining moments involved the cast reading through viewer comments the network had gathered when it showed the pilot to a test group. Apparently, Tori was polarizing in real life but forever endearing as the character Donna Martin and especially when she was partnered with David Silver. Ian seemed to be caught in a time capsule of swagger, while Brian was improbably sexy as an older version of his character. Viewers thought it was laughable that Andrea would even question her sexuality (I wouldn't necessarily say laughable, but it felt odd).

© FOX

Fans were also concerned about the chemistry between Jason and Jennie but were convinced there was more than meets the eye between Jason and Shannon (twins Brandon and Brenda Walsh). This led to disturbing imagery when Shannon had a nightmare about kissing Jason in her old bedroom at Casa de Walsh. It made me wonder if any of those comments were rooted in reality among test groups, as some statements seemed to make sense. It was also humorous to see Shannon reacting to the revelation that viewers wanted to see Brenda act like a bitch again while claiming that Brenda was never a troublemaker (apparently it was Kelly all along because she was such a slut!).

We finally saw everyone reunited in the Peach Pit - pop-up that is. I knew about the real-life Peach Pit pop-up coinciding with the reboot and was sad it was only in California. I went to the Saved by the Bell pop-up in Chicago a few years ago on my birthday, and it was an absolute blast. I can only imagine what this fan experience was like, especially if the cast had been there signing autographs and posing for photos among the burgers and milkshakes.

FOX owes much of its success to 90210. It was one of the first shows the network aired when it launched, and it was probably the first show that made it relevant among the youth. I had higher hopes for the reboot, but I wouldn't have traded reacquainting myself with these characters. It was a fun ride while it lasted, even if I didn't get the full closure I was seeking. The ending felt a bit anti-climactic to me, although the usage of Weezer's "Beverly Hills" was perfection. So, how long do I have to wait for that OC reunion?

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BH90210 S01E05: Picture's Up

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BH90210 captures angelic nostalgia with Jamie Walters
By Kim Tibbs-Krober

The "hottest reboot in town" just got hotter, from the opening Peach Pit After Dark fantasy sequence with Brian removing his shirt to put out a club fire, to the sex scene with Brian and Tori, to the discovery of who sent the fiery warning message last week. Although if I'm being honest, none of these moments was especially satisfying. As a woman approaching 40, I sympathized with Tori feeling nervous about her big moment on camera. It was interesting to see how various narcissistic actors and actresses on the show have embraced aging, and as odd as it sounds, Tori's response felt the most refreshingly genuine.

Jennie and Ian both seemed to be having a mid-life crisis, dating people half their age and trying to keep up with the hipster world of microbreweries and caramel apple sangria concoctions. When did Gabrielle decide to pursue a sexual relationship with Christine? It happened so gradually I was momentarily at a loss when she asked her to sign the consent form. Meanwhile, Brian was channeling his best "cool dad" impression, skateboarding to work and getting his new-found son hired on as a PA on the reboot set.

The cast was forced to do its best imitation of the Scooby-Doo gang and figure out who set the sets on fire after an HR investigation and studio concern about the show being uninsurable forced the reboot to shut down temporarily. The best moment out of this entire series happened when the gang went to see Jamie Walters play at a dive bar after Tori mistakenly accused him of being their stalker. Sadly, he was not. Even sadder, he's now balding. But he was still up there belting out the chorus of "How Do You Talk to An Angel?" and I was instantly 13 again. When the entire cast joined him in a rendition, it was perfection, especially seeing Ian get so into it. If I got nothing else from the reboot, I at least got to see Ray Pruit again, and this time he wasn't hitting Donna or pushing her down the stairs! He was more like the character I fell in love with at the beginning of season six, minus carrying the pumpkins of course.

© FOX

The 90210 stalker ended up being the obsessive fan who took Tori to court over the theft of the red prom dress at the beginning of the reboot. Yawn. Is that the best you've got? Maybe asking for it to be Valerie was a long shot, but it felt forced and quickly forgotten about as soon as we were given the "big" reveal. It was more entertaining watching the cast brainstorm everyone who might hold a grudge against them. In what seemed like minutes, they had it whittled down to 125 people without thinking very hard, and that didn't count all the celebs, exes, former reality show co-stars, and accidentals they pissed off over the years! Who needs friends when you have that many perceived enemies?

It's hard to believe there's only one episode left of BH90210. The reunion journey has been at times humorous and bizarre, other times nostalgic and bittersweet, as one comes to the realization that nothing can stay as it once was. Did I need this reboot? Probably not. Is it going to provide a sense of closure for the characters? Probably not. Will anything satisfy me more than seeing Jamie Walters sing again? Probably not. But will I regret watching it from start to finish? Probably not.

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BH90210 S01E04: The Table Read

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 BH90210 cast may have more than one stalker
by Kim Tibbs-Krober

Everything we do in life is recorded on a camera. I think it was Jennie Garth who made a remark to that effect. Of course she was talking about herself and her fellow BH90210 cast mates who have been in the public eye since the early '90s. However, thanks to social media, it's true of just about everyone today. You no longer have to be a celebrity to be in the spotlight. We post everything about our lives - what we did, where we went, what we ate, what our kids wore on their first day of school. If you were a professional stalker, your job would be easy. We do all the work for you nowadays. All you would have to do is be well-connected.

Social media is dangerous, as the BH90210 gang learned this week. Whether it was Jennie's daughter reading the unkind comments about nepotism and her acting abilities or Brian's wife discovering someone in their household betrayed her trust by leaking one of her unfinished songs on the Internet. Did anyone else have trouble believing that Brian wouldn't conduct a thorough background check on the person he was hiring to take care of his children? In a plot twist that I'm ashamed to admit I didn't see coming, it was revealed that Zach the "stalker" was really Brian's son he never knew about, but that left the question of who's the mother? I'm curious if that will be revealed next week.

We also learned this week that everyone connected to the 90210 reboot is a control freak. Because everyone had a lot at stake, they were all ultra-concerned about how the reboot would be received by the public. When everybody was given the script to read finally, it was met with much disdain. Some were confused about whether or not the reboot was a comedy or a drama. Hmm. It seems the same could be said of the original show. Sometimes it felt as if they were taking themselves so seriously it became comical in effect. Some felt the reboot was taking the easy road, reuniting the characters in their beloved Peach Pit. Others felt like their characters weren't given anything meaningful to do. For at least one character, there were too many love scenes that might make her real-life spouse jealous. It seemed everyone had a major complaint besides Ian who apparently had an amazing monologue.

© FOX

Ultimately, the cast decided to throw a collective hissy fit and try to rewrite the script to their liking. After cutting 17 scenes and writing only half a page, they realized writing wasn't as simple as it looked. Luckily, Ian was able to sweet talk the head writer into rewriting the script after making up with her for the faux pas he committed in the last episode. Everyone agreed the rewritten script captured the essence of the show and they were ready to proceed with the reboot, even putting aside their pettiness and how peeved they were when they discovered that Shannon held out for twice the salary of everyone else. Hey, if you've got that bitch card to play, might as well play it up to your advantage.

By episode's end, everything seemed to be coming together for the reboot. And then the real dumpster fire began. There was a crude message scrawled inside the fire - "Stop acting like I'm not even here." If the character of Emily Valentine wasn't already involved in the reboot, I would say fire would be her M.O. and automatically suspect her. However, since she's now a network executive in charge of the reboot's success, I don't think she has anything to do with it. My mind keeps being drawn to everyone's favorite baddie to hate on the original show - Valerie Malone. It will be fun to see if Tiffani Amber-Thiessen makes another appearance. The message seems to indicate someone who's upset about not being included in the reboot, and Valerie makes the most likely suspect. I can't see Noah or Matt or Claire having done that, but I guess you never know. In real life, David and Tiffani dated throughout the course of the show. Maybe she'll end up being the mother of David's mystery son and the stalker/firestarter. Bring on the next episode!

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BH90210 S01E03: The Photo Shoot

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 BH90210 puts the cast's fragile egos on full display
By Kim Tibbs-Krober

The flashbacks at the beginning of BH90210 continue to be among my favorite scenes, and this week's did not disappoint. It featured Brandon and Kelly in a black-and-white film noir fantasy at The Peach Pit, and it sizzled more than Nat's burgers. If only the rest of the episode could have matched this initial momentum. But alas, I believe this reboot fell victim to the mid-season lull in episode three of a six-episode arc.

The theme of the episode revolved around fragile egos on full display, both during the group therapy session with special guest star Carol Potter (Cindy Walsh from the original series) and thereafter. Jason confronted his wife about her obvious affair since he was unable to get her pregnant and temporarily moved out, while Gabrielle told her husband that she wants the freedom to explore her sexuality. Tori's husband felt threatened by her success and proximity to her handsome ex Brian, while Ian was seen spiraling out of control and drinking too much while facing his impending divorce. Jason also showed a fragile ego when confronting the writer who got his wife pregnant, though it was Ian who actually had the nerve to punch him out.

Tori began to question her skills as a producer when she was tasked to fire the show's head writer and had difficulty convincing Shannon to do the reboot. Jennie's ego was left feeling vulnerable in the wake of her divorce and the revelation that the group has a stalker. The cast made several jokes about receiving kinkier items from fans in the mail during the show's heyday, so it seems nobody but Jennie is taking the stalker seriously. Which is a shame because Brian has just handed him the keys to his kingdom after hiring him as an assistant/nanny. I'm still curious how the stalker story will play out, but if this episode was any indication, I have a feeling it's going to go out in a fizzle instead of an explosion.

© FOX

The Me Too Movement finally caught up with Ian, or should I say his exaggerated version of Steve Sanders. After attempting to flirt with one of the writers by telling her she had pretty eyes, he was put in his place for objectifying women and making them feel uncomfortable. I'm not sure it was entirely fair based on this one compliment, as he didn't make any remarks about her breasts or anything that went that far. He pondered aloud about flattery being banished and not quite understanding why. I couldn't help but sympathize with him to a certain degree. Dating must be more challenging today than it used to be, but I wouldn't know because I'm now a boring married person.

I loved watching the cast recreate their iconic photo of them all lying together on the floor, and it was great to see Mrs. Walsh once again giving various cast members advice, this time as an actual licensed therapist. At one point, Jason made a snarky comment to the head writer regarding him wanting to reunite the gang at The Peach Pit, saying that's "groundbreaking stuff." Watch it, Jason! That is what I wanted from the reboot, not this convoluted mess that seems to be unraveling quickly at the seams.

It seemed like everything was falling apart on Tori this week, which felt like a metaphor for the entire BH90210 reboot itself. They have three more episodes to get it right and redeem themselves. Something more exciting needs to happen next week to hold my interest. Can the stalker kill someone? Preferably not a cast favorite, but maybe Shannon or Christine? '90210: The Zombie Years' is sounding more appealing to me by the minute!

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