FOX Fall TV 2012 predictions: 'New Girl,' meet Mindy Kaling and 'Glee,' meet midseason

Because "The X Factor" takes up so much time on FOX's fall schedule, and because the Sunday animation block doesn't really change from year to year, the network doesn't have a ton of room to place new shows or otherwise make over its lineup. But we have a feeling the network is going to do just that this year.

Throughout pilot season, we've heard talk about how FOX wants to expand its live-action comedy roster, with Tuesday nights -- already home to "New Girl" and "Raising Hope" -- being the most likely place for a full night of half-hour shows. Our proposed schedule reflects that, pairing the two returning shows with a pair of newbies.

That means "Glee" could be headed for a new night, and in the world where we run FOX, a new part of the season as well. A logical spot for it in the fall would be on Thursdays after "The X Factor," but that could mean a late-fall debut anyway to get clear of two-hour "X Factor" episodes, a vice presidential debate in mid-October and any pre-emptions for FOX's baseball postseason coverage. A show with a more close-ended structure -- like the new drama "The Mob Doctor" -- might work better in those circumstances. So we'll see you in 2013, "Glee."

If we ran FOX, this is what our fall schedule would look like. All times are ET/PT, and new shows are in italics.

Monday

8 p.m. "Bones"
9 p.m. "The Following"

Kevin Williamson's serial-killer drama, starring Kevin Bacon, moves into "House's" old spot and will try to recapture the buzz FOX hoped "Terra Nova" would get this season. "Bones" hasn't done great since moving to Mondays, but FOX knows it will get a steady performance from the show.

Tuesday

8 p.m. "The Goodwin Games"
8:30 p.m. "Raising Hope"
9 p.m. "New Girl"
9:30 p.m. "It's Messy" "The Mindy Project"

While we love "Raising Hope," we think it might be safer for FOX not to lead off a night with it. So the honor goes to "The Goodwin Games," which has two recognizable leads in Scott Foley and Becki Newton and a solid creative team in "How I Met Your Mother's" Carter Bays, Craig Thomas and Chris Harris. "New Girl" stays put at 9, leading into Mindy Kaling's "It's Messy" "The Mindy Project" (FOX changed its mind on the title) for an hour of charmingly offbeat, female-centric comedy.

Wednesday

8 p.m. "The X Factor"

Now starring Britney Spears.

Thursday

8 p.m. "The X Factor"
9 p.m. "The Mob Doctor"

Bet-hedging time: We could easily see "Glee" getting the 9 o'clock spot and "Mob Doctor" waiting until midseason, but a solid lead-in from "The X Factor" would help the new show too.

Friday

8 p.m. "Kitchen Nightmares"
9 p.m. "Fringe"

We have a feeling that, as NBC did with "Chuck" this year, FOX will put "Fringe's" final season on the fall schedule rather than hold it for midseason.

Saturday

Mostly live sports, with the occasional "Cops" here and there.

Sunday

7 p.m. NFL overruns and repeats
8 p.m. "The Simpsons"
8:30 p.m. "Bob's Burgers"
9 p.m. "Family Guy"
9:30 p.m. "American Dad"

"The Cleveland Show" has enough episodes for a fourth season, but it hasn't yet been renewed beyond that. "Bob's Burgers" was a pretty nice fit with "The Simpsons" this spring, so we'd like to see it get a full season.

Midseason: "American Idol" will, of course, be back, and for reasons we outlined above, we think "Glee" will be paired with it on Thursday nights. New comedy "Ben & Kate" can sub in for one of the shows in the Tuesday lineup, and since Bacon has only committed to 15 episodes a season of "The Following," another new drama can pair with "Bones" on Mondays. "Guilty," a legal drama starring Cuba Gooding Jr., or "The Mob Doctor" could fill that spot, with the other possibly going to Fridays after "Fringe" ends. The just-renewed "Touch" can also fill a hole where it's needed.

What do you think FOX's schedule will look like next season?