While Fox may earn most of its reputation from goofy cartoon sitcoms, singing dramedies, American Idol and Zooey Deschanel, it’s got a few dramas up its sleeves too. House and Touch would want you remember that, and you’d better do it, or Kiefer Sutherland’s gifted TV son will stare longingly into your soul. And going into the Fall 2012/Winter 2013 seasons, it seems Fox will be doing its best to fill the House-shaped void in our hearts with a few other pithy dramas. But don’t worry, comedy fans. The network didn’t forget about you. Here’s the slate of pilot-to-series pickups on Fox:
The Following Starring Kevin Bacon
Bacon stars as an ex-FBI agent, Ryan Hardy, who’s hot on the trail of a master serial killer (James Purefoy, most recently of Revenge). And because one serial killer is not enough (really, it isn’t —we’ve got too many crime shows out there), this particular villain has created a cult of serial killers which must also be stopped. Did I mention this comes from Vampire Diaries Executive Producer/Writer Kevin Williamson? It’s just too bad the series will only deliver a short 15 episodes before leaving us shivering in withdrawal.
The Mob Doctor starring Jordana Spiro
Former My Boys star (which is a TBS series only myself and Jim Gaffigan’s wife ever managed time for) Spiro is heading back to Chicago for this mob drama as a young thoracic surgeon who’s forced to juggle her career and her life-long debt to the South Chicago mob. Clearly, Fox is committed to weaning us off of House, but as great as Spiro is, she’s no Hugh Laurie. Badda-bing!
It’s Messy from Mindy Kaling
The Office star Kaling stars as an unlucky-in-love doctor, dealing with the daily work-life balance, which is one of the most lackluster sounding pilot premises ever. However, let us remember the premise of New Girl: Zooey Deschanel moves in with a bunch of dudes and funny things happen. When the right people are behind a project (like Kaling and her executive producer and fellow Office mate B.J. Novak), the premise is just a playground for really great comedy.
Ben & Kate
The scene: Freewheeling brother needs a place to stay and pretends to be his niece’s male nanny, or manny, if you will. His sister is the polar opposite and he helps her become less uptight. And go. This one’s a little iffy considering the premise is something we’ve heard only about a million times before and the fact that the series isn’t centered on any wellknowns. Then again, that could be a signal of some serious faith in the project on Fox’s part.
The Goodwin Games from the Creators of How I Met Your Mother
In addition to the HIMYM seal, the comedy stars Becki Newton (of Ugly Betty fame) and Scott Foley (forever Noel from Felicity in my heart) as a brother and sister whose father left his fortune to them under some (presumably) steep terms. It sounds promising enough, assuming these terms are what will propel the characters into hilarious activities.
More:
NBC’s Series Pick-Ups: Bit o’ Ryan Murphy, Dash of J.J. Abrams, & an Old ‘Friend’
Mindy Kaling to Develop Sitcom for Fox
Fox Renews Touch, Drops Alcatraz: Why Heroes Still Works and Lost Doesn’t
[Deadline]
[Image: Photo(s) by David Edwards- © 2011- DailyCeleb.com- All Rights Reserved]
