Midseason is just around the corner, and now Fox is chiming in with their premiere dates for new and returning series. First of all, let's just get this out of the way, the reality competition giant American Idol will return for its eleventh season on Wednesday, January 18th and 8/7c and Thursday January 19th at the same time.
Now let's get on with the real series starting with Kiefer Sutherland's return to Fox with Touch from Heroes creator Tim Kring debuting on Wednesday, January 25th at 9/8c. That's a prime slot right after an airing of American Idol too. However, the series run won't actually start until Monday, March 19th at 9/8c. For more premiere dates and times for shows like Alcatraz, Breaking In, The Finder, Napoleon Dynamite and returning shows like New Girl and Glee, hit the jump.
J.J. Abrams brings more mystery to television in the form of Alcatraz premiering on Monday, January 16th at 8/7c with a two-hour season premiere before switching to its new time slot at 9/8c on Monday, January 23rd following new episodes of House M.D. But that's not only Fox's mysterious new show with The Finder procedural premiering Thursday, January 12th at 9/8c.
Joining the animation domination line-up next year will be the series adaptation of Napoleon Dynamite with the films' original cast premiering on Sunday, Janary 15th at 8:30/7:30c with a second episode following immediately after. Bob's Burgers will start its second season in the Animation Domination line-up on Sunday, March 11th at 8:30/7:30c. Otherwise Family Guy, American Dad, The Cleveland Show and The Simpsons all return on Sunday, January 8th.
More comedy makes a surprising return as Breaking In comes back for a second season on Tuesday, March 6th at 8:30/7:30c. The series will air before New Girl which will return to the line-up a couple months before on January 17th along with Glee and Raising Hope. Finally, Fringe makes a return to its surprisingly non-apocalyptic Friday night airdate on January 13th at 9/8c.
Here's the full press release including return dates for shows like Cops and America's Most Wanted and an easy-to-read premiere chart:
FOX is announcing 2011-2012 midseason premiere dates for new and returning series, including the return of AMERICAN IDOL; the debuts of new dramas TOUCH, ALCATRAZ and THE FINDER; and the launch of new animated series NAPOLEON DYNAMITE.
Welcome AMERICAN IDOL back when its 11th season begins with a two-night premiere Wednesday, Jan. 18 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) and Thursday, Jan. 19 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT). Featuring host Ryan Seacrest and returning judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, television’s No. 1 series continues with a special, extended primetime broadcast Sunday, Jan. 22 (10:00-11:00 PM ET/7:00-8:00 PM PT) following the NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (6:00 PM-CC ET live/3:00 PM-CC PT live).
TOUCH, the distinctive new drama created by Tim Kring (“Heroes”) and starring Kiefer Sutherland (“24”) will debut with a special preview Wednesday, Jan. 25 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), immediately following AMERICAN IDOL (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT). The uplifting drama, which makes its series premiere Monday, March 19 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), features Sutherland as a widower and single father haunted by an inability to connect to his mute 11-year-old son. But everything changes when he discovers that his son possesses the gift of staggering genius – the ability to see things that no one else can and the patterns that connect seemingly unrelated events.
J.J. Abrams’ (“Super 8,” “Star Trek,” “Lost”) chilling new thriller ALCATRAZ will debut Monday, Jan. 16 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) with a special two-hour premiere event. The series then makes its time period premiere on Monday, Jan. 23 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), following all-new episodes of HOUSE (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT). The mysterious drama stars Sarah Jones (“Sons of Anarchy”), Jorge Garcia (“Lost”) and Sam Neill (“Jurassic Park”) as a unique team investigating the shocking reappearance of Alcatraz’s most notorious prisoners, 50 years after they vanished.
THE FINDER, the one-hour procedural centering on a remarkable man with an extraordinary ability to help people find the unfindable, joins the schedule Thursday, Jan. 12 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT). The debut follows an encore episode of BONES (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT), in which THE FINDER’s “Walter Sherman” (Geoff Stults, “She’s Out of My League,” “October Road”) and “Leo Knox” (Michael Clarke Duncan, “The Green Mile”) were first introduced.
NAPOLEON DYNAMITE, the new animated comedy based on the hit movie, joins the ANIMATION DOMINATION lineup with a double dose of DYNAMITE episodes Sunday, Jan. 15, beginning with the series premiere at 8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT, followed by a second all-new episode at 9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT. Featuring the voices of the original cast, NAPOLEON DYNAMITE follows the continuing adventures of America’s most awesomely awkward teenager and his quirky family and friends, as they navigate small-town life in rural Idaho.
Beginning March 6, the Tuesday laughs keep coming with a new block of four half-hour comedies led by encores of NEW GIRL (8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT), followed by the Season Two return of BREAKING IN (8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT), the workplace comedy starring Christian Slater, Bret Harrison and new series regular Megan Mullally (“Will & Grace”). The Tuesday night of comedy continues with all-new episodes of NEW GIRL (9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT), followed by the all-new misadventures of the Chance family on RAISING HOPE (9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT).
BOB’S BURGERS joins the ANIMATION DOMINATION menu when it makes its Season Two opening Sunday, March 11 (8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT). This season, Bob (the voice of H. Jon Benjamin) and the family test-drive the food truck industry, dive into the world of synchronized swimming, search for treasure in an abandoned taffy factory and get tied up with a very needy bank robber.
All-new episodes of fan-favorite series and specials return in January. Starting Tuesday, Jan. 17 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT), all-new installments of GLEE lead off a night of FOX comedies, followed by NEW GIRL (9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT) and RAISING HOPE (9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT). MOBBED flashes back to the schedule with all-new episodes airing Wednesdays (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), Jan. 4, Jan. 11, Feb. 1 and Feb. 8. KITCHEN NIGHTMARES begins serving up a full plate of fresh episodes on Friday, Jan. 13 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT), followed by new installments of FRINGE (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT).
COPS lays down the law with an arresting new episode Saturday, Jan. 7 (8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT) and all-new episodes air back-to-back beginning Saturday, Jan. 14 (8:00-8:30 and 8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT). Another AMERICA’S MOST WANTED SPECIAL EDITION airs Saturday, Feb. 11 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT). On Sunday, Jan. 8, ANIMATION DOMINATION rules with all-new episodes of THE SIMPSONS (8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT), THE CLEVELAND SHOW (8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT), FAMILY GUY (9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT) and AMERICAN DAD (9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT).
FOX 2011-2012 MIDSEASON SCHEDULE
(Times for All-New episodes are ET/PT except as noted)
MONDAY
Monday, Jan. 16:
8:00-10:00 PM ALCATRAZ (Series Premiere)
Mondays, beginning Jan. 23:
8:00-9:00 PM HOUSE (Time Period Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM ALCATRAZ (Time Period Premiere)
Monday, March 12:
8:00-10:00 PM ALCATRAZ (Two-Hour Episode)
Mondays, beginning March 19:
8:00-9:00 PM HOUSE
9:00-10:00 PM TOUCH (Series Premiere)
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TUESDAY
Tuesdays, beginning Jan. 17:
8:00-9:00 PM GLEE
9:00-9:30 PM NEW GIRL
9:30-10:00 PM RAISING HOPE
Tuesdays, beginning March 6:
8:00-8:30 PM NEW GIRL (encore)
8:30-9:00 PM BREAKING IN (Season Premiere)
9:00-9:30 PM NEW GIRL
9:30-10:00 PM RAISING HOPE
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WEDNESDAY
Wednesday, Jan. 4:
8:00-9:00 PM GLEE (encore)
9:00-10:00 PM MOBBED
Wednesday, Jan. 11:
8:00-9:00 PM MOBBED (encore)
9:00-10:00 PM MOBBED
Wednesday, Jan. 18:
8:00-10:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL (Season Premiere, Part One)
Wednesday, Jan. 25:
8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL
9:00-10:00 PM TOUCH (Special Preview)
Wednesdays, beginning Feb. 1:
8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL
9:00-10:00 PM MOBBED
Wednesdays, beginning Feb. 15:
8:00-10:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL (Two-Hour Episodes)
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THURSDAY
Thursday, Jan. 12:
8:00-9:00 PM BONES (encore)
9:00-10:00 PM THE FINDER (Series Premiere)
Thursdays, beginning Jan. 19:
8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL (Season Premiere, Part Two)
9:00-10:00 PM THE FINDER
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FRIDAY
Friday, Jan. 6:
8:00 PM-CC ET FOX SPORTS SPECIAL: 2012 AT&T COTTON BOWL CLASSIC (Live)
Fridays, beginning Jan. 13:
8:00-9:00 PM KITCHEN NIGHTMARES
9:00-10:00 PM FRINGE
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SATURDAY
Saturdays, beginning Jan. 7:
8:00-8:30 PM COPS
8:30-9:00 PM COPS
9:00-10:00 PM DRAMA ENCORES
11:00 PM-Midnight ENCORES
Midnight-12:30 AM ENCORES
Saturday, Feb. 11:
8:00-10:00 PM AMERICA’S MOST WANTED SPECIAL EDITION
11:00 PM-Midnight ENCORES
Midnight-12:30 AM ENCORES
***************************
SUNDAY
Sunday, Jan. 8:
7:00-7:30 PM BOB’S BURGERS (encore)
7:30-8:00 PM THE CLEVELAND SHOW (encore)
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM THE CLEVELAND SHOW
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM AMERICAN DAD
Sunday, Jan. 15:
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM NAPOLEON DYNAMITE (Series Premiere)
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM NAPOLEON DYNAMITE (Special Time)
Sunday, Jan. 22:
6:00 PM-CC ET FOX SPORTS SPECIAL: NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (Live)
10:00 PM ET/7:00 PT AMERICAN IDOL (Special Broadcast; Approximate Start Time)
Sundays, beginning Jan. 29:
7:00-7:30 PM BOB’S BURGERS (encore)
7:30-8:00 PM THE CLEVELAND SHOW
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM NAPOLEON DYNAMITE
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM AMERICAN DAD
Sundays, beginning March 11:
7:00-7:30 PM ANIMATION DOMINATION ENCORES
7:30-8:00 PM THE CLEVELAND SHOW
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM BOB’S BURGERS (Season Premiere)
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM AMERICAN DAD