The star of Alcatraz.
The bodies from Fox's five-show cancellation spree are still warm, but the network has already moved on to new things. With five new spots to fill, the network has picked up four new series in advance of its Upfronts presentation next week.
The biggest of the bunch is JJ Abrams' Alcatraz, starring Lost alum Jorge Garcia (Hurley). Buzz around the internet as of late was that the show had become a longshot to make Fox's schedule, which just goes to show that you can't trust everyone you read on the internet (including me). Alcatraz, in typical Abrams fashion, isn't simply about the titular prison. The drama follows a cop and an Alcatraz expert as they investigate the mystery of 20 prisoners and guards suddenly reappearing after going missing 50 years ago.
Next on the list is The New Girl, starring indie darling Zooey Deschanel. New Girl is a comedy from Liz Meriwether (No Strings Attached) in which Deschanel plays an elementary school teacherfresh off another failed relationshipwho moves in with three dudes. Romantic hijinx will most definitely ensue.
Show number three is another female-centric comedy, I Hate My Teenage Daughter. It stars Jaime Pressly as a mom who sees her daughter behaving just like the girls that picked on her when she was in high school.
And the fourth show scooped up by Fox is the Bones spin-off Finder, which centers on a former military cop who specializes in... finding persons and things. The show has already "debuted" as a planted storyline on Bones and stars Geoff Stults (Happy Town, 7th Heaven).
For those of you keeping track of pilot-show statuses, word is that Fox's other projectsCouncil of Dads, Weekends at Bellevue, Locke & Key, and Icelandwill not be picked up to series, according to Deadline Hollywood.
The two drama pick-ups are safe bets: Any Abrams show is a good gamble, and other networks have proved that procedural spin-offs can work. But the comedy choices represent a new strategy for Fox, which now appears to be going for a younger female demographic.
Follow TV.com writer Tim Surette on Twitter: @TimAtTVDotCom
all shows should get 1 & 1/2 seasons... gives them time to develop a following and at the mid point of season 2, if not enough ratings, then cancel them and allow for tying up loose ends for the audience/fans... that way everyone would know to expect growth in first half of 2nd season or else andd if else, would get conclusion properly... would make the fans not so angry for getting #@itted out of closure, because we fans would get proper ending to the series... think about it broadcast network execs.... you guys are alienating your bread and butter with all these partial 1st seasons and changing the times off our shows then @@itcanning them after 8 or 12 episodes... crazy to expect us to invest ourselves this way over and over again... have some respect for us and you'll develop a BRAND loyalty base (loyal back to you for you considering US in your decisions) and really, we'd all know what to expect, even the actors and writers, but ESP the fans??!! think about it..moreless
miss smallville already!!! ;( the event canceled!?!?! well tv shows usually take time to develop their characters and hit their stride... almost all the great shows took time to gather a following... this show has/had alot of potential, with great actors and plot... if a network out there picked up farscape, firefly, dark angel, the event, sgu, dr who, being human (uk version), true blood, warehouse 13, dollhouse, fringe and dexter... they'd be #1 network in three months... guaranteed... ANYONE AGREE??? SAY HELL YES TO ORIONWAY's premise!!!!
and all of these sound awful and i know the finder will be garbage. pilot already proved that
I had a feeling they were going to make a finder show. That Bones episode felt like they were testing the waters.
I'll definitely watch Alcatraz just for Hurley (Jorge Garcia) in the same way I started watching Hawaii Five-0 for Jin (Daniel Daem Kim). Also I watch everything that Zooey Deschanel does so I'll tune in for The New Girl as well. Maybe I'll watch The Finder's pilot (not counting the episode of Bones that they took over of) and judge it from there.
The Finder was good.
I'd probably like Alcatraz more if the premise was about 20 people going missing, rather than reappearing. I guess I'm just not a big fan of sci-fi... but I do like mystery, which is why I'll probably still give the show a shot. I love Zooey Deschanel, so I'll give The New Girl a shot, as well. I don't like Jaime Pressly much, but the idea of I Hate My Teenage Daughter seems quite funny. I wont watch it, but for whatever reason, I'd put my money on the Bones spin-off Finder being the only one of these shows to get a second season.
I'd probably like Alcatraz more if the premise was about 20 people going missing, rather than reappearing. I guess I'm just not a big fan of sci-fi... but I do like mystery, which is why I'll probably still give the show a shot. I love Zooey Deschanel, so I'll give The New Girl a shot, as well. I don't like Jaime Pressly much, but the idea of I Hate My Teenage Daughter seems quite funny. I wont watch it, but for whatever reason, I'd put my money on the Bones spin-off Finder being the only one of these shows to get a second season.
I didn't like the Finder episode of Bones. I thought it was too much Burn Notice, which I really don't like. I'm curious about Alcatraz. I loved The Chicago Code and I hate the cancellation-diarrhea the networks seem to suffer from.
I will watch Alcatraz, because I love J.J. Abrams, not because it's on FOX. I might watch Finder if something else isn't on at the same time. The storyline on Bones was entertaining. Their threesome reminded me strangely of Burn Notice's threesome of main characters, except more annoying than Michael, Fiona, and Sam. Otherwise it looks like I'll be spending a lot of time watching CBS...
Alcatraz - we shall see. Finder- cool, if its like the Bones episode but still not fair that Fox is cancelling Chicago Code and Human Target. Sooooo not cool!Although they should warn us not to watch it if they are going to cancel the shown after few episodes.
Alcatraz and The Finder is the only 2 that I would watch. Shame on Fox for cancelling The Chicago Code, Human Target and Breaking In.
I was really hoping Locke & Key was going to be picked up. It sounded like it would have been a good show.
Fox cancelled good shows for this offering, bad choice. Of the remaining Fox shows Bones and House be careful, Fox is on the warpath.
Alcatraz sounds interesting, don't care for the rest.
They cancelled Human Target for this? Well at least I have one less show a week next season :-(
I really enjoyed Finder's Backdoor Pilot on Bones a few weeks back. And Alcatraz sounds like my kinda show. The Rom-com and the daughter show aren't really my thing. Rest in Peace Christopher Chance and Cal Lightman
man realllly was looking forward to Locke & Key. I'll still keep it on my watch list just in case.
Alcatraz might be interesting. The rest....meh. Anyway, why start watching a show when it will undoubtedly be canceled. I'm starting to lose faith in tv.
They cancelled Lie to Me and Human Target for this rubbish. The Finder is awful, the bones spin off episode was awful. Fox needs to give good shows a chance instead of pumping out new stuff which will no doubt fail and end up being cancelled anyway.
FOX cancelled Human Target for this... Wow, just wow...
I agree with bobster_bsas. I hated that episode of Bones.
I didn't like Finder at all. I think it was really boring
alcatraz and finder can be awesome
Wish they gone with Locke and Key instead of FINDER which WILL FLOP
@The_Critic833 Speak for yourself. If you haven't checked out the TV.com votes yet you might wanna do that, most fans are very satisfied with the third season and the finale, more so than the first two seasons.
was pretty excited about Locke and Key :(
Alcatraz sounds good, but it's JJ Abrams and after lost and now Fringe, I know something is going to happen in it's 3rd season that will ruin the story for everyone.
Alcatraz sounds fairly interesting
I thought the Bones episode of Finder was really dull...I can't stand Geoff Stults usually but he was ok in the episode I guess.
Fox is terrible. Who watches this network still?
Finder looks very cool, but I hope and Pray that the new comedies will have laugh tracks, I just don't always know when to laugh at funny things!!!!!!
Finder looks very cool, but I hope and Pray that the new comedies will have laugh tracks, I just don't always know when to laugh at funny things!!!!!!
Why FOX is not picking "LOCKE & KEY live-action TV series ?????????
the only one that sounds remotely interesting is Zooey's show. i love JJ Abrams but Alcatraz sounds lame
Not looking forward to Finder! It's my least favourite episode of Bones yet and I am a big fan! Alcatraz seems ok (Cause of Abrams) and any Zooey Deschanel show is worth a chance!
I don't understand how "Finder" is listed as a Bones spinoff. They showed up in one poor episode of Bones and that makes it a spin-off?
YES BONES SPIN-OFF! :D
Alcatraz is coming out! I pray for it to be as good as Lost.
Alcatraz has no longevity to it. Sounds awful and I hated the fat guy on Lost. Will not be watching that or any of these.
I wonder which one will survive to see a Season 2.
after the undercovers, I'm skeptical of jj Abrams.
Finder is no surprise. That seemed to be predetermined. Although the last I heard about Alcatraz was that it was struggling to get acceptance with the network. I could see them pairing it with Fringe on Fridays. Locke & Key sounds interesting, although I doubt it will get picked up. Hopefully we'll at least get to see the pilot.
If any of them are any good, Fox will just cancel them
I love Zooey hopefully the show will be good