Fox is sticking to its usual template for the start of the 2021-22 season: Dramas to start the week, an unscripted block on Wednesdays, three days of sports and its Sunday animated comedies.
The only difference between the coming season and others from the recent past — last fall’s pandemic-induced schedule spackling aside — are the titles. The network will debut two drama series and an unscripted companion for The Masked Singer in the fall, saving the majority of its first-year shows for the second half of the season.
One rookie will also open before the official start of the season: Fox plans to launch a reboot of Fantasy Island starring Roselyn Sanchez in August.
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The new fall dramas are The Big Leap, about a group of people who try to change their lives by taking part in a “potentially life-ruining” dance reality show, and Our Kind of People, set in a wealthy Black enclave on Martha’s Vineyard.
The Big Leap, from creator Liz Heldens and starring Scott Foley, Teri Polo, Piper Perabo, Ser’Darius Blain and newcomer Simone Recasner, will follow 911 on Monday nights. Our Kind of People, from Lee Daniels and Karin Gist (Star), will be paired with The Resident on Tuesdays. Both Tuesday shows will feature Morris Chestnut, who stars opposite Yaya DaCosta in Our Kind of People and will continue to recur on The Resident.
The unscripted show for fall is Alter Ego, in which aspiring singers “given the chance to show how they’ve always wanted to be seen, create their dream avatar” to showcase their performance, per the show’s logline.
“We are presenting a fall lineup that builds upon Fox’s legacy of bold stories and truth-telling-characters; stories that meet and reflect the cultural moment,” said Fox Entertainment CEO Charlie Collier. “Fox believes it’s a time for series that offer hope and to speak to American audiences with themes of reinvention and second chances.”
Fox’s final season of Thursday Night Football will fill its usual slot in the fall, with WWE Smackdown remaining on Fridays and college football and other sports on Saturday nights. The Great North (which has been renewed through 2022-23) will join long-running series The Simpsons, Bob’s Burgers and Family Guy in the Sunday animation block.
The new midseason dramas are country music family saga Monarch — which will premiere after Fox’s broadcast of the NFC Championship game on Jan. 30 — and The Cleaning Lady, about a Cambodian doctor (Elodie Yung) who comes to the U.S. to seek medical treatment for her ailing son but is forced into hiding when the system fails. She then forges a new path in the criminal underworld.
Comedies Pivoting, starring Eliza Coupe, Ginnifer Goodwin and Maggie Q, and Welcome to Flatch, based on the British series This Country, are also set for midseason, along with returnees 911: Lone Star, Call Me Kat and I Can See Your Voice. Fox also has unscripted shows Domino Masters, Next Level Chef and the revived Don’t Forget the Lyrics on tap for 2022, along with Dan Harmon’s animated series Krapopolis.
Fox has yet to make a decision on its second-year comedy The Moodys and unscripted shows The Masked Dancer and Game of Talents.
Keep track of all the renewals, cancellations and new series orders with THR‘s broadcast scorecard, and click here for the latest on all the broadcast pilots.
Fox’s fall schedule is below. All times are ET; new series are in italics.
| 7 p.m. | 7:30 p.m. | 8 p.m. | 8:30 p.m. | 9 p.m. | 9:30 p.m. | |
| Monday | 911 | The Big Leap | ||||
| Tuesday | The Resident | Our Kind of People | ||||
| Wednesday | The Masked Singer | Alter Ego | ||||
| Thursday | Thursday Night Football | |||||
| Friday | WWE Friday Night Smackdown | |||||
| Saturday | Fox Sports Saturday | |||||
| Sunday | NFL/repeats | The Simpsons | The Great North | Bob’s Burgers | Family Guy | |
