By Lynn Elber, Television Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --The Fox network is calling on superpowers and Seth MacFarlane to boost ratings this fall.
"The Orville," a new space adventure starring and produced by MacFarlane, is set 400 years in the future and follows the adventures of an exploratory spaceship.
"This is Seth's passion project," Dana Walden, Fox Television Group chairman and CEO, said Monday in a teleconference detailing the 2017-18 schedule for the network that's No. 4 among total viewers.
The multi-talented MacFarlane, who contributes the animated comedy "Family Guy" to Fox, is a science buff who brought the documentary "Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey" to the network in 2014.
Also debuting this fall is "The Gifted," about a suburban couple who discover their children have mutant powers. Stephen Moyer ("True Blood") and Amy Acker ("Person of Interest") will star in the drama that Walden called "big, cinematic and commercial" and is Fox's first with the Marvel factory.
Comedy will get the fantasy and sci-fi touch at Fox with "Ghosted." The sitcom about two partners exploring unexplained phenomena in Los Angeles stars Craig Robinson of "The Office" and Adam Scott of "Parks and Recreation."
Continuing the theme is "The X-Files," the onetime Fox staple that will make its second appearance as an "event series" with a 10-episode midseason run starring David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson.
Fox will have music as well, with returning series "Empire" and "Star" and the live musicals "Rent" and "A Christmas Story."
But it won't have "American Idol," which ended its run on Fox in 2016 and is being revived next year by ABC. Walden said Fox was interested in bringing the show back in 2020 with changes for a new generation of viewers but couldn't reach an agreement with producer FremantleMedia.
"It feels bad knowing it's coming back on another network," she said. But Fox felt it would be "extremely fraudulent" recycling the show so soon after what was billed as its farewell season, and in light of how sharply its ratings had dropped from its once-stellar No. 1 position.
Walden and fellow Fox Television Group chair and CEO Gary Newman emphasized their effort to use established shows to support newer shows, such as the pairing of "Lucifer" and "The Gifted" on Monday and "Empire" and "Star" on Thursday.
"The New Girl" is getting another season, its last, but others that aren't so lucky include canceled shows "Pitch," ''Rosewood," ''Scream Queens," ''Sleepy Hollow," ''Son of Zorn," ''APB" and "Making History."
Like NBC, which announced its fall schedule Sunday, Fox is holding back several new series for midseason. It's another indication that the once entrenched September-to-May network schedule has given way to efforts to reduce repeats amid increased competition from cable and streaming.
Other broadcast networks will present their upcoming program lineups to advertisers in New York this week.
MORE NEWCOMERS
Freshman series set for Fox's midseason:
— "9-1-1," described as a "fast-paced exploration" of the lives and careers of first responders including police, paramedics and firefighters. Angela Bassett stars in the drama from prolific producer Ryan Murphy ("Feud").
— "The Resident, a drama starring Matt Czuchry ("The Good Wife") and Emily VanCamp ("Revenge"), will focus on three doctors and a nurse as it reveals "what really happens, both good and bad," at American hospitals.
— "LA to Vegas" from executive producers including Will Ferrell and Steve Levitan ("Modern Family"). Fox describes it as a workplace comedy about an airline crew and the "eccentric passengers" who fly to Las Vegas weekly in hopes of becoming winners. Dylan McDermott stars.
MAYBE, MAYBE NOT
— Fox was happy with "24: Legacy," the follow-up to its successful "24," the executives said. With star Corey Hawkins on Broadway in "Six Degrees of Separation," its return couldn't be considered for fall but its future remains under discussion.
— "Prison Break: Resurrection" was intended as a special, one-season return and no more episodes are in the works, Walden said. But Fox "loved" what aired earlier this year and would consider it for another limited run if the producers are so inclined, she added.
Eleanor Adds Director Candice Vernon To Its Roster For Spots and Branded Content
Director Candice Vernon has joined production house Eleanor for U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded content. She has already wrapped several jobs at Eleanor, which waited to announce her until they had a body of work together.
Via Eleanor, Vernon made history as the first Black director on a Febreze commercial. The “Small Spaces” campaign marks a major departure from Febreze’s typical blue-and-white world. The home of the “Revolving Door” commercial is a beautiful array of bold sunset hues, African prints, and African art.
Vernon said, “I asked myself, what feels right to me? What feels new? I wanted to bring an essence of not just Black Americans but the full diaspora. I wanted to make a statement that we’re not a monolith.”
Following the success of the “Small Spaces” campaign, Febreze brought Vernon back for a comedy-infused trifecta exploring the hilarious situations that call for an air freshening hero.
Febreze Brand VP Angelica Matthews said, “About two years ago, we realized the consumers that were the most loyal to Febreze were the African American consumers. And the more we learned, the more we realized the richness that we were really missing. So we said we have to go beyond just Black casting, we need to get Black directors that truly understand the culture that truly understand how to bring authentic performances out on screen. We really looked around the industry and noticed there’s actually a shortage of African American directors who have experience doing commercials. When we all saw Candice’s reel, we could all tell the passion for the craft, passion for really trying to help us from where we are to where we’re trying to go.”
Vernon brings a unique lens to... Read More