With less baseball, Fox swings for the fences

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Fox, the No. 1 television network, is trying to bring some balance to the force.

As the final network to unveil its fall schedule this week for advertisers, Fox executives realize their lofty success is lopsided -- coming from a handful of powerhouses like its quirky medical drama “House,” and the cultural phenomenon that is “American Idol.” (In its 6th Season, “American Idol” almost single-handedly resurrected the network from a dismal fourth place at the beginning of this year to first place by Spring, which explains why other networks refer to it as the “Death Star.”)

On Thursday, Fox officially announced its Fall prime-time lineup which features four new dramas, three new comedies and three reality-bases series in hopes of bolstering its rank-and-file programming.

Slated for a fall release are:

“Back to You,” a much buzzed about comedy because of its stars Kelsey Grammer of “Frasier” fame and Patricia Heaton of “Everybody Loves Raymond” fame. The two play a pair of TV news anchors and former lovers who are unexpectedly reunited at a Pittsburgh station again after Grammar’s career in Los Angeles suddenly crashes.

“New Amsterdam,” a drama from acclaimed film director Lasse Hallstrom (“My Life As a Dog,” “The Cider House Rules”) about an immortal named John Amsterdam played by newcomer Nikolaj Coster Waldau and his centuries-old search for love.

“K-Ville,” a police drama set in New Orleans two years after Hurricane Katrina. The show is from writer and executive producer Jonathan Lisco (“NYPD Blue,” “The District.”)

Also, a trio of unscripted series launches in the fall as well:

“The Search For the Next Great American Band,” (its working title), tries to anoint the nation’s next hot band and it’s from the producers of “American Idol.”

“Kitchen Nightmares” follows a hot-tempered chef as he whips restaurants into shape.

“Nashville,” (working title), called a docu-soap which focuses on wannabe performers as they try to navigate the music industry.

Meanwhile, tapped for a mid-season debut are:

“The Return of Jezebel Jane,” a comedy centering upon a pair of estranged sisters trying to raise a baby. The younger sister (“Six Feet Under’’s Lauren Ambrose) agrees to carry her infertile older sister’s child (“For Your Consideration”’s Parker Posey).

“The Rules for Starting Over” another comedy about a group of newly-single friends who discover that dating in their 30s after divorce is definitely different. Executive producers include the zany Farrelly Brothers whose films include “There’s Something About Mary,” stars Craig Bierko from “Boston Legal,” Shaun Majumder from “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle” and Rashida Jones from “The Office.”

“The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” a dramatic series based upon characters from “The Terminator” movie series. Sarah Connor (Lena Headey) and her 15-year-old son John (Thomas Dekker) are fugitives who try to stay alive so he can save humanity in the future.

“Canterbury’s Law,” a courtroom drama starring “ER”’s Juliana Margulies as a defense attorney who will cut corners in the pursuit of justice. Her single-mindedness is driven in part by the mysterious disappearance of her young son, which remains unsolved. The show’s executive producers include Denis Leary (“Rescue Me’), Mike Figgis (“Crash”) and also Margulies.

Fox hopes the new shows will finally invigorate its fall season, which perennially slides in the ratings due largely to the schedule disruption caused by the network’s broadcast of the Major League playoffs.

However, this year, Fox’s once total commitment to the baseball post-season has been considerably pared back.

With TBS and TNT airing all the division series playoffs, Fox now just shares the league championship series, but still retains all of the World Series. Unencumbered as never before, the network will be better able to roll out its new fall for the first time in years.

While the more flexible schedule provides it with the opportunity to gain more viewers, executives know it still has to deliver better quality shows. Last year’s development season was a major disappointment.

Meanwhile, in a dramatic show of support, Fox also took the somewhat unusual step of renewing its action thriller hit “24,” starring Kiefer Sutherland, for two more full seasons earlier this month. The show, which has garnered more than 50 Emmy nominations, still draws a sizeable audience, consistently over 10 million, but has been losing strength and been criticized this season for losing its way.

In addition to baseball’s crowning moment, Fox also has football’s biggest day this year when it will broadcast The Super Bowl.

FOX’s primetime Fall lineup:
MONDAY
8 p.m. ‘Prison Break’
9 p.m. ‘K-Ville’

TUESDAY
8 p.m. ‘New Amsterdam’
9 p.m. ‘House’

WEDNESDAY
8 p.m. ‘Back to You’
8:30 p.m. ‘’Til Death’
9 p.m. ‘Bones’

THURSDAY
8 p.m. ‘Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?’
9 p.m. ‘Kitchen Nightmares’

FRIDAY
8 p.m. ‘The Search for the Next Great American Band’ (working title)
9 p.m. ‘Nashville’ (working title)

SATURDAY
8 p.m. ‘Cops’
8:30 p.m. ‘Cops’
9 p.m. ‘America’s Most Wanted: America Fights Back’
11:00 p.m. ‘MadTV’
Midnight: ‘Talk Show With Spike Feresten’

SUNDAY
7 p.m. ‘The OT (NFL post-game)’
8 p.m. ‘The Simpsons’
8:30 p.m. ‘King of The Hill’
9:00 p.m. ‘Family Guy’
9:30 p.m. ‘American Dad’

--Martin Miller

(Photo: Fox)