Fox Bosses on an Expanded EMPIRE Season 2, More 24, Split Seasons, and More

There’s been a lot of Fox-y news today, thanks to the new 2015-2016 schedule — and the announcement of IDOL ending, and X-FILES’ premiere date — but the Fox bosses tackled a few other topics during today’s conference call…

Many shows will run in half-season blocks next year:

Like ABC before it, Fox is opting to split many of its shows into half-seasons for the 2015-2016 season.

“Many of our shows this season will have two installments of virtually uninterrupted runs of originals,” Gary Newman, Co-Chairman and CEO, Fox Television Group, said. “Runs in the fall, leading to a big cliffhanger, and part two in the spring. This will give more consistency to our viewers, and [bring] built-in events twice a year.”

As for which shows that will apply to, EMPIRE and GOTHAM were mentioned during today’s call (with X-FILES taking GOTHAM’s spot in early 2016). And the LAST MAN ON EARTH producers had brought that up as a possibility a few weeks ago. Probable a few other shows will also have their seasons split, but nothing concrete yet. (That could change with this afternoon’s Upfronts presentation.)

The EMPIRE of it all:

Last season’s breakout hit will be back with more episodes in season 2: 18 hours.

And while apparently a ton of people have lined up to guest star, the only name Fox would talk about is Ne-Yo — he will join Timbaland in helping craft the original music.

In less fun news, the network has no plans to re-air the series in reruns this summer. So if you want to catch up, you’ll have to catch it online (via Fox OnDemand or Hulu).

Will there be more 24?

If you’ve been holding out for more 24 — with or without Jack Bauer — it’s likely going to be a bit before it materializes.

“[There’s] nothing immediate,” Newman said. “We have been developing another version of 24, but it’s still fairly early in the development process.”

Premiere week:

Fox will be utilizing the Emmys — which BROOKLYN NINE-NINE’s Andy Samberg will be hosting — to kick off its premiere week. So while plans could, in theory, change, the execs indicated the fall schedule will kick off starting on September 21st.

GREASE LIVE is coming…

The network will airs its live broadcast of the musical on January 31st as a “three-hour event.”

The return of all-comedy Tuesdays:

This fall, Fox will kick off Tuesday nights with two comedies (GRANDFATHERED and THE GRINDER), followed by comedy-horror series SCREAM QUEENS. But the network will move back to a four-comedy block once SCREAM QUEENS ends its run in December, with the January return of NEW GIRL, plus the addition of THE GUIDE TO SURVIVING LIFE.

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