FOX announced its 2011-2012 schedule this morning at the semi-annual Upfronts presentation in New York. Keven Reilly, president of FOX Entertainment said that the network has, “built a core strength across the week and developed a really fresh, creative new lineup for next season.”
Two of the most interesting offerings include new series from Stephen Spielberg (Saving Private Ryan, ET) and JJ Abrams (Star Trek, Lost). Spielberg’s series, Terra Nova stars Avatar’s Stephen Lang and Jason O’Mara (Life on Mars). Slated to run only during the fall, it will premiere in the 8PM slot, followed by the eighth season of House, M.D. The series follows the adventures of a family on journey back in time (way back) as part of an experiment to save humanity.
Mid-season, Terra Nova will be replaced by JJ Abrams’ Alcatraz, starring Sarah Jones (Sons of Anarchy), Jorge Garcia (Lost) and Sam Neill (Jurassic Park). The new thriller will revolve around the infamous prison island and the “mysterious return” of its most notorious criminals.The series will air in the 9PM slot, with House moving back to its current 8PM time.
FOX also introduced several other new series to debut this fall, including the highly anticipated X-Factor from American Idol‘s Simon Cowell, a new animated series to join FOX’s solid Animation Domination Lineup on Sunday evenings, and two half-hour comedies: I Hate My Teenage Daughter and New Girl. FOX has posted it’s complete 2011-2012 schedule on its official Facebook page
Other returning series include Bones, Glee, American Idol, Fringe, Kitchen Nightmares, and Raising Hope.