Earlier this week at their annual upfront in New York, the Fox Network announced their planned schedule for the 2024-25 season. Unlike CBS, Fox’s new offerings are not based on existing I.P.’s or simply spun off from current franchises, so points for originality in an age where playing it safe is the new norm.
The most Canadian of the new Fox shows is the shot-in-British Columbia psychological drama Murder in a Small Town. It stars Rossif Sutherland (son of Donald and half-brother of Keifer) and one of brioux.tv: the podcast’s most-popular guests, Kristin Kreuk (Smallville, Beauty and the Beast). Sutherland plays a burnt-out cop who ditches the big city for what he assumes will be a less stressful small town beat. Kreuk plays a local librarian who acts as his muse, foil and romantic interest. Another Canadian, Stana Katic (Castle) and James Cromwell are among the recurring players. Ian Weir (Arctic Air, Edgemont) is head writer/executive producer with Canada’s Sepia Films acting as co-producers. Look to hear more about this series when Bell/CTV host their upfront in June.
Another Fall Fox entry is the action-drama Rescue: Hi-Surf. If it sounds Baywatch-y, it is, but John Wells (ER, The West Wing) is among the executive producers, so more walk-and-talk than just tan-and-talk. The series is shot and set on the North Shore of O’ahu.
There’s also a new drama based on a popular Italian series. Doc stars yet another Canadian, Molly Parker (House of Cards) as a brilliant Chief of Internal and Family Medicine at a Minneapolis hospital. A brain injury knocks out the last eight years of her life, so she doesn’t recognize patients or other MDs. At least she gets to forget all about COVID and Trump but can she still practice medicine?
Looking for a new network comedy? Denis Leary is always a reliable source. The former Rescue Me and The Moodys lead returns as star and executive producer of Going Dutch. He will play an arrogant, loudmouth U.S. Colonel who is assigned to a post far from any real war zone — The Netherlands. It seems wrong to deny Leary the potential barrage of F-bombs this series would likely spew on a streaming service, so fall in for a lot of bleeping.
Fox will also add to their Animation Domination on Sundays with the new comedy Universal Basic Guys. It’s about two brothers who lose their jobs to A.I. and are granted $3000 a month in a new basic income program. Hey, this show sounds very Canadian too! Now, according to the press release, “they’re using their free time and free money to find purpose in a world where they are no longer needed.” From Adam and Craig Malamut. Two seasons have been ordered.
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There are also some unscripted entries, including a competition series somehow based on the 1997 feature “The Full Monty.” Basically it is about a group of male celebrities who volunteer to stick it out to raise awareness for prostate and testicular cancer testing and research. Look to see more of Anthony Anderson, Taye Diggs, the NFL’s Chris Jones, Tyler Posey, Bruno Tonioli and James Van Der Beek.
The new shows will join some Fox favourites that have been on their schedule for years and in some cases decades. Among those that are returing are Hell’s Kitchen (Season 23), The Masked Singer (Season 12), MasterChef (Season 15), 9-1-1 (Season Five), Bob’s Burgers (Season 15), Family Guy (Season 23 returns in 2025), and The Simpsons (Season 36).
Fox will also be the home of Super Bowl LIX, touching down on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. Rescue Hi-Surf will follow in the coveted post-Super Bowl slot.
