Whats With FOX & Sunday Nights?

L

Lindsey F

New member
I'm looking for a serious answer here from someone who might actually know what the situation is with FOX's lax attitude towards programming new episodes of their Sunday night schedule.

Only one new Simpsons episode aired in December. The last first-run American Dad and King of the Hill episodes aired at the end of November and there hasn't been a new Family Guy episode is almost two months. What's going on here? Is this fallout from the writer's strike, or is this some new kind of brain-dead strategy on FOX's part?
 
I'd usually be the first to defend FOX and these shows but this is getting ridiculous. If this really has something to do with the writer's strike than I suppose I understand. But if not then there's really no excuse for this. What sort of hilariously short seasons are we in for with these shows?

As much as I'd love to catch new episodes of my favorite shows I'm close to just giving up. If I miss new episodes I miss new episodes. It's not like we haven't already gotten multiple repeats of these episodes over and over again this season. And what's airing tonight on FOX? None of the shows that should be airing.

Lame.
 
I don't see this week's television reruns as being any different from the norm. Barely anyone wastes a fresh episode on early January, not when February sweeps are critical.
 
Perhaps, but no new episodes in December and most of sweeps month? Now that's just odd. You'd think they'd have enough episodes finished by now to start throwing fans a bone, even if it is during early January.
 
It's called "Holiday Season" and it is commonplace on network television. Network traditionally show mostly reruns or "mid-season replacements" between Thanksgiving and New Year's.
 
Again, unless what's going on is related to the writers strike, what's been happening this past season with these shows is definitely not normal. There should have been new episodes through most of December and almost all of November. If this was normal I wouldn't be here complaining about it.
 
I don't think it has anything to do with the writer's strike. That was last season. I think this is a case of FOX holding on to the new episodes for February.
 
Are you upset because you think Fox wants the shows to fail or are you upset because you have nothing to watch? If it's the former, then Fox is definitely not trying to get the shows cancelled. They wouldn't have ordered The Cleveland Show if they were planning on cancelling their animated block. If it's the later, then there are plenty of other things to watch on Sunday night, and even if there wasn't, there's plenty of other things to do with your time.



It is normal. Most of Fox's competition has been doing the same strategy. I believe Desperate Housewives has only had one new episode in December. This happens every year. Shows go into reruns in December and return in January with new episodes. I don't know why people are freaking out about it.
 
I know what you mean. I gave up awhile back on trying to catch new Family Guys on Sundays and am just catching up with it when a new DVD comes out. I'd like to watch them new on the air, but Fox has been making that too difficult and frustrating.
 
I imagine because of the nature of the shows on block that the ratings for reruns aren't much lower than their premieres. That's why they're such forces in syndication - specifically Simpsons and Family Guy. And because there's not much difference in the ratings they just don't care much as to when they premiere new episodes.

That's just my guess, I could be wrong though.

And yeah there is the fact that very few shows had many new episodes if it all in December, since November is when they try to get in big fall finales for the sweeps.

Plus the writer's strike has affected this season somewhat as Simpsons is losing two episodes (peanuts, but still) this season for it I believe, and I don't know what the situation is for the others. The longer production cycle means animated series feel the effects later.
 
Well, look at the production numbers vs. the broadcast order in some of the talkbacks. Family Guy's almost a full season behind; American Dad's 7 episodes behind; The Simpsons & King of the Hill are also behind somewhat.

Heck, even though Fox has cancelled KotH, they'll drag out the episodes enough to last for at least two more seasons. I don't get the deal with Fox and their animated shows. They don't hold off on their live action shows like this.
 
Yeah, but all of 24/AI/Prison Break's episodes, wether they're held off until midseason or not, still air all of their season ordered episodes all in the same season/half season. When all of Fox's LA shows end their respective seasons, all of their episodes have been aired, and there's none held over until the next airing season.

Unlike their animated shows, where they have enough episodes held over from the previous season to have a good lenghty run of new eps without having to repeat. If Fox aired all of the FG eps they're holding back, we'd probably get almost a whole season of new eps without a break.
 
While I understand why premires didn't air in December, I don't understand why they don't air new episodes in January. Especially since all the young adults who watched Sunday Night Football will have nothing to watch....
 
Fox is like that hot slutty girl that withholds sex because she knows you'll always be there and she can stockpile it until she's ready. Fox has had a nasty habit since the years of Married with Children of keeping new episodes and then busting them out like some new event so that people are more appreciative of it I guess instead of blowing their load, so to speak. OK, enough sexual metaphors.
 
you sir win this board

oh so ya, the only way I can see them justifying not airing episodes for 2 months is if they plan to air new episodes in the Summer (or they really want to stockpile so every show is a year behind like simpsons/koth)
 
Ha!

Or more likely they won't start airing new episodes until February, they'll go on a good streak for a couple of months and then end the seasons by the beginning of May.

Man I remember the days when Simpsons seasons would start early in September, end late in May and you'd never go too long without seeing new episodes. Unlike the nonsense we have to deal with now.
 
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