Fox Mid-Season 2011 Schedule; ReelzChannel's Ally McBeal-athon on Thanksgiving

Monday, November 22, 2010

Fox Mid-Season 2011 Schedule; ReelzChannel's Ally McBeal-athon on Thanksgiving

Late on Friday, Fox announced its revised mid-season 2011 schedule. As always, Fox releases their first draft of the mid-season schedule during upfronts every May, but almost always the schedule changes when a revised version is announced in November. And that is the case here, too. We hinted earlier in the day on Friday on Twitter that American Idol would be moving to Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8pm, and it became official.
American Idol moves to Wednesdays and Thursdays beginning with a two-night premiere event Wednesday, Jan. 19 from 8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT and Thursday, Jan. 20 in the 8:00 PM ET/PT hour. American Idol welcomes new judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, who join judge Randy Jackson and host Ryan Seacrest, and an all-new crop of hopefuls from auditions held in Austin, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Nashville, New Orleans, San Francisco and East Rutherford, NJ. Idol Wednesday will regularly air Wednesdays in the 8:00 PM hour, before expanding to two-hours episodes beginning Feb. 16 and then later will be reduced to 90-minutes from 8:00-9:30 PM starting April 6. Idol Thursday will air in the 8:00 PM hour every week.
The mid-season schedule starts Tuesday, Jan. 4 with more Million Dollar Money Drop as it will challenge more duos to keep their $1 million with all-new episodes airing for four weeks on Tuesdays at 9:00 PM ET/PT starting Jan. 4, plus two bonus Thursday at 8:00 PM ET/PT episodes on Jan. 6 and 13. Then after a run of six all-new episodes in a row this fall, Human Target springs into action with special two-hour episodes airing Wednesday, Jan. 5 and 12 from 8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT. The action-packed drama charges into its time period premiere Wednesday, Jan. 26 at 9:00 PM ET/PT following American Idol for three weeks to finish up its season of 13 episodes.
Bob's Burgers, the new animated comedy about a man, his family and their burger joint, opens Sunday, Jan. 9 at 8:30 PM ET/PT. In the newest addition to the Sunday "Animation Domination" lineup, Bib (H. Jon Benjamin) and his quirky family have big ideas about burgers, but fall short on service and sophistication. Despite the greasy counters, lousy location and a dearth of customers, Bob and his family are determined to make Bob's "grand re-re-re-opening" a success. As a result of this addition, The Cleveland Show will be moving starting Sunday, Jan. 9 at 9:30 PM ET/PT, with American Dad! moving to a new time a week later Sunday, Jan. 16 at 7:30 PM ET/PT. The Simpsons and Family Guy remain in their 8:00 PM and 9:00 PM half-hours.
Lie to Me reveals a special two-hour episode Monday, Jan. 10 from 8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT with Dr. Cal Lightman (Tim Roth) continuing his search for the truth in its regular time period Mondays at 9:00 PM ET/PT until Jan. 31 following new episodes of House. As previously announced, The Chicago Code, the new police drama from creator Shawn Ryan (The Shield), will make its anticipated debut the night after Super Bowl XLV, Monday, Feb. 7 at 9:00 PM ET/PT, following all-new episodes of House.
The thrill continues when Bones moves to a new time period on Thursdays ow at 9:00 PM ET/PT after American Idol starting Jan. 20. As a result, fan-favorite Fringe will travel to a new night with all-new episodes beginning Friday, Jan. 28 at 9:00 PM ET/PT. Also on Fridays, Kitchen Nightmares serves up a new season Friday, Jan. 21 at 8:00 PM ET/PT. Each week, Chef Gordon Ramsay will try to help turn around some of the country's most unsanitary and unsuccessful restaurants on the verge of closing their doors forever.
Fox Tuesday line-up will return in February, as Glee continues with encores until all-new episodes begin in February with a special installment airing immediately following Super Bowl XLV Sunday, Feb. 6 (approximately 10:30-11:30 PM ET/7:30-8:30 PM PT). Then beginning Tuesday, Feb. 8 at 8:00 PM ET/PT, Glee leads a night of all-new episodes of Fox comedies, including the return of Raising Hope at 9:00 PM ET/PT and the premiere of new comedy Mixed Signals at 9:30 PM ET/PT. Mixed Signals is the new relationship comedy created by Bob Fisher that reveals how friendships and romances both enhance and complicate the lives of the men and women in them. The new ensemble comedy stars David Denman (The Office), Nelson Franklin (I Love You, Man), Kris Marshall (Human Target), Liza Lapira (Dexter) and Aya Cash (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit).
Additionally, Fox has picked up the comedy Breaking In (working title), an offbeat half-hour workplace comedy about a high-tech security firm that takes extreme - and often questionable - measures to sell their protection services. Created by Adam F. Goldberg and Seth Gordon, the series centers on a team of uniquely skilled oddball geniuses hand-picked to work for a manipulative mastermind. Starring Christian Slater (the forgotten), Bret Harrison (Reaper) and Odette Yustman (October Road), the new comedy premieres Wednesday, April 6 at 9:30 PM ET/PT following 90-minute American Idol episodes from 8:00-9:30 PM ET/PT.
View the FULL Fox mid-season 2011 press release and also view our day-by-day schedule for Fox winter/mid-season.

You take care of the turkey, ReelzChannel will handle the TV. On Thanksgiving Day, ReelzChannel is airing the first 12 episodes of Ally McBeal in the first ever "McBeal-athon" - 12 hours of America's favorite quirky, self-questioning lawyer played by Calista Flockhart. The Ally McBeal-athon starts at 8am ET through 8pm ET on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 25, 2010 only on ReelzChannel!
The Ally McBeal-athon begins with the pilot episode where we meet Ally, a new law school graduate who is caught off guard when she accepts a job at a law firm only to learn that her childhood sweetheart and first love works there too. From there, we follow Ally and her colleagues Georgia Thomas (Courtney Thorne-Smith), Billy Thomas (Gil Bellows), Richard Fish (Greg Germann), Renee Raddick (Lisa Nicole Carson), John Cage (Peter MacNicol), Elaine Vassal (Jane Krakowski) and Vonda Shepard among others as they argue tough cases, explore office romance, confront the separation of church and state and hallucinate about dancing babies. The series doesn't stop there as ReelzChannel continues to air Ally McBeal every weekday at 3pm ET/12pm PT and 4pm ET/1pm PT.
And for all those die-hard Calista Flockhart fans, stay tuned to ReelzChannel after the Ally McBeal-athon for Brothers & Sisters at 10pm ET/ 7pm PT and watch as Flockhart's character, Kitty Walker, makes her debut appearance in the very first episode "Patriarchy." Kitty returns home from California after having been estranged from her mother for three years while contemplating a job offer and a marriage proposal. Brothers & Sisters airs every weekday at 2pm ET/11am PT and 10pm ET/7pm PT

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Thursday, December 26

Ghosts - "The Christmas: Spirit One" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
In part one of a special one-hour #Ghostsmas episode, Jay’s sister, Bela (Punam Patel), visits Woodstone Mansion and brings along an adoring male friend, inspiring Sam to spark a romance between them in the spirit of the holiday rom-coms she loves. Meanwhile, the ghosts have conjured up a very different holiday plan for Trevor and Bela. Also, Isaac has an awkward encounter with Nigel that forces him to look back on events in his life.

Ghosts - "The Christmas: Spirit Two" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
In part two of a special one-hour #Ghostsmas episode, Sam and Thorfinn get caught in the crossfire as the scheme Jay’s sister, Bela (Punam Patel), and the ghosts have conjured up goes awry. Also, Isaac’s marriage to Beatrice sheds light on how apprehensive he has been in communicating his feelings to Nigel.

Ghosts - "A Very Arondekar Christmas Part 1" / "A Very Arondekar Christmas Part 2" (CBS, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
A leaky water heater mishap threatens to ruin holiday plans as Sam and Jay prepare to host Jay’s hard-to-please dad, Mahesh (Bernard White), difficult-to-impress mom, Champa (Sakina Jaffrey), and sister Bela (Punam Patel), on a one-hour GHOSTSMAS special.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 23)

Thursday, December 26

Jenny Slate (The Great North/Big Mouth/Married/Bob's Burgers) - Catch Jenny on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Paul Feig (Sabrina, the Teenage Witch/The Louie Show/The Jackie Thomas Show/Dirty Dancing) - Paul is a guest on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
Luke Wilson (No Good Deed/Englightened) - Luke is joining Drew for a round of "Behind-the-Scenes" with tidbits from his roles in movies like Legally Blonde on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings. He's also telling her about his role in the thrilling new show, No Good Deed.
Whitney Cummings (Whitney) - Whitney is chatting with Drew about joining her on Hollywood Squares, going back to work in comedy after becoming a mother, and hosting her new trivia show about Friends on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Michelle Buteau (Survival of the Thickest/Bless the Harts/Enlisted) - Michelle appears on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Sanaa Lathan (Family Guy/The Cleveland Show/LateLine) - Sanaa and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor talk about the enduring power of friendship in their new Hulu film The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat on a repeat of Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
Carol Kane (Taxi/All Is Forgiven/Amerian Dreamer/Pearl/Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) - Carol chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Lamorne Morris (Woke/New Girl) - Lamorne sits down for an interview on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your listings.
Jay Pharoah (White Famous/Champaign ILL) - Jay talks about his new virtual reality series Soapstone Comedy Presents on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.