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'American Idol' returns Jan. 12, plus more FOX midseason news
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The Death Star of television, "American Idol," will begin its ninth season on Jan. 12. That's the lead item in a typically busy FOX midseason schedule, which features the usual mix of premieres, returns and fall shows going on hiatus -- though as FOX schedules go, this one is fairly close to the one the network announced in May.
The only major changes are the new game show "Our Little Genius" getting the post-"Idol" Tuesday spot starting in late January and the drama "Past Life," which was initially slated for Tuesday nights, getting a Thursday-night berth while "Fringe" takes a winter/spring break. FOX will also roll out a new season of "Kitchen Nightmares" on Fridays after "Dollhouse" ends its run.
The network's other new shows, "Human Target" and "Sons of Tucson," will debut as previously scheduled. "Human Target" gets a post-NFL playoff launch on Sunday, Jan. 17 and then moving to Wednesdays starting Jan. 20, while "Tucson" joins the Sunday comedy block on March 14.
The eighth season of "24" gets its usual two-night, four-hour premiere on Jan. 17 and 18 and will take up residence at 9 p.m. Mondays on Jan. 25.
"Fringe" will return April 1, and "Glee" will be back on April 9 -- and move from Wednesday to Tuesday night, opposite "Lost" on ABC.
FOX also has picked up a full season of "Lie to Me," but it hasn't given the show a spot on the midseason schedule yet. For now the network says the show will be back "in the late spring."
One other note: FOX has decided to move the 20th anniversary celebration of "The Simpsons" from Jan. 14 -- the date of the series' first regular episode in 1990 -- to Sunday, Jan. 10. The show's 450th episode will air that night, followed by an hour-long documentary directed by Morgan Spurlock called "The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special: In 3-D! On Ice!"
Here's how the midseason schedule breaks down:
Tuesday, Jan. 12
8 p.m. "American Idol" season premiere (two hours)
Wednesday, Jan. 13
8 p.m. "American Idol" Wednesday premiere
9 p.m. "Our Little Genius" series premiere
Sunday, Jan. 178 p.m. "Human Target" series premiere
9 p.m. "24" season premiere (two hours)
Monday, Jan. 18
8 p.m. "24" (two hours)
Tuesday, Jan. 19
9 p.m. "Our Little Genius" (time-period premiere)
Wednesday, Jan. 20
9 p.m. "Human Target" (time-period premiere)
Friday, Jan. 22
9 p.m. "Dollhouse" series finale
Monday, Jan. 25
8 p.m. "House"
9 p.m. "24" (time-period premiere)
Friday, Jan. 29
9 p.m. "Kitchen Nightmares" season premiere
Thursday, Feb. 4
9 p.m. "Fringe" midseason finale
Thursday, Feb. 11
8 p.m. "Past Life" series premiere (two hours)
Thursday, Feb. 18
8 p.m. "Bones"
9 p.m. "Past Life" (time-period premiere)
Sunday, March 14
8:30 p.m. "Sons of Tucson" series premiere
9:30 p.m. "The Cleveland Show" (new timeslot)
Thursday, April 1
9 p.m. "Fringe" (return)
Tuesday, April 13
9 p.m. "Glee" (new night)
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Related:
'Fringe' taking a seven-week hiatus
'Lie to Me' showrunner announces full-season pickup
'Lost' final season premiere date announced
'Chuck' gets a January premiere date
Photo credits: FOX
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I knew it. Wherever Lost goes, American Idol is soon to follow. I don't know who it is at FOX that hates Lost so much, but they need to find other targets. Why not take Two and a Half Men down a peg or two.
@izikavazo: It's not like it's a secret that Idol would be on Tuesdays. ABC knew that going in. "Lost" has its core audience, though, and it'll do as well as anything else ABC could throw up against it.
Correction: "Glee" moving from Wednesday to Tuesday when it comes back in April. Post reflects that now.
well, it sucks that they're moving Glee - I didn't have any conflicts....I guess Glee will just have to be recorded and I'll watch it on Wednesdays as usual, because Lost still beats it in my book. I wouldn't watch AI if they paid me.....
I knew there was a reason I didn't follow Glee, it was going up against my "Lost."
Uh... this story is riddled with errors... the first reg episode of Simpsons was Jan 14 1990, not 1989 (the Christmas episode aired in Dec 1989), and I believe the season premiere for 24 will be at 8 pm, not 9 pm, since Fox doesn't broadcast past 10 pm. Poor fact checking, folks... I didn't study the rest of it, but these just jumped out at me.
@Fred: My bad on "The Simpsons" date, but the info "24" premiere is correct: For that night only, FOX is running past its usual 10 p.m. ET end time. The NFL playoff game that leads into "Human Target" starts at 4 and will almost certainly bleed into primetime, which would push "24" past 10 anyway. This way FOX can control the start time better.
Not really interested in American Idol's return to the air, in fact, i never followed the show, saw a couple shows, and opted out.. and I am a music connoisseur..besides, personally i think 'Britain's Got Talent' is the better show..much more talent on that show.
My DVR will be busy, I can record 4 shows at once. I hope V comes back soon and save us from reality and Game Shows BS. I'm am sick of that.
Can't wait to see American Idol return next year. Bring. It. On.
@izikavazo: 2.5 men can't be taken down. Too strong. :)