Fox Announces Thursday Debut for 'New Girl' and 'The Mindy Project'

FOX

Fox appears to be testing the waters for comedies on Thursday night.

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The network said Wednesday that original episodes of New Girl and The Mindy Project will get Glee's plum post-American Idol slot April 4. Fox had said previously that Raising Hope would see its season finale air with back-to-back episodes during the 9 p.m. hour on Thursday, March 28. Glee, which moved from Tuesdays to Thursdays for the 2012-13 season, had no original episodes scheduled for either night.

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News of a second Thursday outing for Tuesday's half-hours comes on the heels of Fox's January cancellation of Ben and Kate -- and the accompanying nixing of the two-hour Tuesday comedy block. (After Raising Hope ends its Tuesday run next week, Hell's Kitchen will fill the 8 p.m. hour starting March 12.)

While the episodes of New Girl and The Mindy Project are being billed as special outings, Fox might be curious about a possible home for half-hours that night. Thursdays have fared especially well for comedy on CBS since the network moved The Big Bang Theory to 8 p.m. during the 2010-11 season -- with Two and a Half Men joining it in the fall 2012.

And though Thursday has long been home to NBC's comedies, the upcoming series finale of The Office leaves the 9 p.m. hour wide open for comedy competition.

Email: Michael.OConnell@THR.com; Twitter: @MikeyLikesTV