Upfronts Week — FOX

Today begins a week where hope springs eternal for all the major networks as they unveil the trailers for new shows and set their schedule for the fall. Each day I'll take a look at the network's presentation and offer some thoughts.

FOX
The 2014-2015 broadcast season wasn't kind to FOX. All its new fall shows fell flat (save for "Gotham"), as did its veteran series. That led to the ouster of network president Kevin Reilly. FOX finishes the season in fourth place in the key demographic (18-49 year old adults) and not much better in total viewers. And that's even after "Empire" arrived in January to breathe life into the carcass known as FOX. That actually started something of a mini-revival during the winter/spring. Between "Empire" and "Last Man on Earth," FOX appeared to get some mojo going. But it's not all roses heading into the 2015-2016 season. "Gotham," the lone spark in the fall, has plunged as the year waned on. And as the weeks went by, the shine came off "Last Man on Earth," too. And now FOX has officially announced that "American Idol" — once the crown jewel for FOX — will end its run next winter. A new day is dawning at FOX, and the network has to hope its scripted offerings can save it.

Most Interesting Scheduling Move: FOX isn't going to wait until January to let "Empire" prop the network up. The music series will kick off the fall in its familiar Wednesday night time slot and will offer two, nine-episode chunks during the season. FOX wisely resisted the temptation to beef up the "Empire" order, and by delivering it in two chunks it can do the most good.

Riskiest Scheduling Move: I think "Scream Queens" is the most promising new show of the fall for FOX (see more below), but it's going into a rough time slot. It's likely being asked to carry the night right out of the gate, getting paired with two other new comedies on Tuesday nights in the fall. A few years ago ABC tried something similar, launching an entire night of new shows, to mixed success. FOX has put a lot into marketing "Scream Queens," and given the track record of its producers it seems like a possible hit. But it's being asked to follow a couple of male driven half hour comedies that don't appear to be aiming at the same age demographic. It's a curious night of scheduling for FOX, and it remains to be seen if any of the three shows can break out and become hits.

Most Intriguing New Show: FOX only has five new shows debuting in the fall, and three of them landed on the same night. I'm on the fence about a lot of their new offerings, but "Scream Queens" seems like the most bankable new offering. It comes from Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk — the same team that successfully created and run the horror anthology series "American Horror Story" on FX. "Scream Queens" is building up a decent cast, and should appeal to women and the 18-49 demographic. Those are all positives for FOX. It's a horror anthology series, too, but this one supposedly features more of a wicked sense of humor, which might help it play better to mass audiences than the droll, often overly violent "American Horror Story." This seems like a wise choice for FOX.

Least Intriguing New Show: I am not sold on the other four new FOX series, aside from "Scream Queens." Several of them appear to be a reach, particularly the pair of new comedies that lead out Tuesday nights. Both, to me, seem to have the potential to flop, but the most worrisome might be "Grandfathered," headlined by John Stamos. The show seems to be built around a tired premise — a man finds out he is a father and grandfather all at once then must adjust — and is likely built around Stamos' personality and popularity. Take a suave bachelor, introduce a family, and hilarity ensues — except when it doesn't. This could end up being an interesting sitcom, but I'm beyond skeptical. And it's being asked to lead the night and go against "The Voice" and, likely, "NCIS." That might work if its a hit with the 18-49 demographic, but this feels like a show that will skew much older.