Fox Delays Fall Schedule Due to Writers Strike, Sets 6 New Series

Fox is feeling confident about its fall lineup, bringing back 18 series and introducing six new ones. However, the broadcaster isn’t as confident that the shows will air in the fall.

Despite the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike, the network announced its fall lineup this morning ahead of its upfront presentation—but like in 2022, it chose not to let advertisers know the details around air dates and times.

“Rather than announce a schedule today that we might not be able to meet this fall, we will hold back until we have a better handle on what programming will be available to us,” Dan Harrison, evp of program planning and content strategy, told reporters this morning.

Marianne Gambelli, president of advertising sales, said the company will work with advertisers to accommodate any changes coming in the fall, but previously told Adweek that the company has a strong sports slate that will not be impacted by the writers strike.

Still, the network has a lot to be pleased with heading into the 2023-24 season, as it’s poised to win the coveted adults 18-49 demo after losing the crown to NBC last year.

For the fall, Fox is adding two new dramas, two new unscripted series and two animated comedies.

Action-drama Rescue: Hi-Surf will come mid-season, and Michael Thorn, president of scripted programming, described the series as a “great Fox show” that the company believes could lead to a new franchise.

Also joining the drama slate is medical series Doc, based on the Italian series Doc—Nelle tue mani.

Comedy series Grimsburg had been previously announced during last year’s upfront season, and Krapopolis, from Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon, was first announced in 2021. Both series have already been renewed for multiple seasons and are set to (finally) debut in the coming year.

Returning drama series include franchise favorite 9-1-1: Lone Star, Accused, Alert: Missing Persons Unit and The Cleaning Lady. The original 9-1-1 series is set to air on ABC this fall, but Fox is “really proud” of the franchise. Don’t expect any crossovers with ABC, however.

As the writers strike progresses, Fox believes it finds itself in a strong position with its unscripted slate. New game show Snake Oil will arrive at some point, along with a Jamie Foxx-hosted music guessing game show, We Are Family.

Farmer Wants a Wife will come back for Season 2, and new seasons of Hell’s Kitchen, I Can See Your Voice, Lego Masters, The Masked Singer, Name That Tune, Next Level Chef and Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test will all arrive, with further renewals to be announced.

“It’s not lost on me that with a strike underway, all eyes once again look towards unscripted folks to see what’s up our sleeves,” said Allison Wallach, president of unscripted series. “We knew there was a high probability of a strike. So with [CEO of Fox Entertainment Rob Wade], [president of scripted programming Michael Thorn] and everyone else, we planned accordingly, leaning into our strong development pipeline as well as our strong roster of creators.”

The company renewed comedy series Animal Control for season 2, and Sunday night’s animated slate will remain strong with returning seasons of Bob’s Burgers, Family Guy, The Great North and The Simpsons.

According to executives, Fox feels confident it can have new animation year round, despite the writers strike.