There’s a reason FOX is our favorite network. Whether they’re taking a chance on a group of unknown high school gleeks, or continue to be the only major network to put the time and energy into crafting creative press screeners, the simple fact of the matter is this: They try harder.

Take this summer for example. Unlike their main competition — who seem only too happy to sit back and cede valuable primetime real estate, not to mention record ratings and profits to cable networks such as USA and TNT — FOX has decided to try something radical. Rather than continue to pass off the usual mix of reruns and reality as must see summer TV (Yes, we’re talking to you NBC), Kevin Reilly (Entertainment President, FOX Broadcasting Company) and Co. are… brace yourself… actually going to offer up shows that viewers will be interested in. Crazy, right?

Thus, joining summer mainstays SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE and HELL’s KITCHEN, along with GLEE and the new Tyler Labine laugher SONS OF TUCSON (both of which will run into June) are two reasons to stay home Monday evenings this summer: LIE TO ME and THE GOOD GUYS.

And while the Shawn Ryan executive produced LIE TO ME is simply a victim of the network’s success, having anxiously been waiting in the wings due to a lack of available time slots since December, where things get really interesting is with the network’s newest offering. THE GOOD GUYS is Matt Nix’s first high profile post-BURN NOTICE project and stars Bradley Whitford (THE WEST WING) and Colin Hanks (MAD MEN) as mismatched cops. In other-words, far from your usual summer burn-off-fare.

Which is why we wanted to take this opportunity to applaud the network and let them know where we’ll be Monday nights this summer: Plopped firmly on our couch watching FOX! ABC, CBS, the CW and NBC might want to take note.

FOX 2010 SUMMER SCHEDULE
MONDAY
Mondays, beginning June 7:
8PM: LIE TO ME (Summer Premiere)
98PM: THE GOOD GUYS (Series Premiere)
 
TUESDAY
Tuesday, June 1:
8PM: SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE
9PM: GLEE
 
Tuesday, June 8:
8PM: SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE
9PM: GLEE (Season Finale)
 
Tuesdays, beginning June 15:
8PM: SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE
 
WEDNESDAY
Wednesday, May 19:
8PM: THE GOOD GUYS (Series Preview)
9PM: AMERICAN IDOL
 
Wednesdays, June 2 and 9:
8PM: SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE
 
Wednesdays, beginning June 16:
8PM: GLEE (Time Period Premiere) (Encores)
9PM: SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE (Time Period Premiere)
 
THURSDAY
Thursdays, beginning May 27:
8PM: SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE (Season Premiere)
 
Thursdays, beginning June 10:
8PM: HELL’S KITCHEN (Season Premiere)
 
FRIDAY
Friday, May 28:
8PM: PAST LIFE (Two-Hour Summer Premiere)
 
Fridays, June 4 and 11: 
8PM: PAST LIFE (Time Period Premiere)
9PM: HOUSE (Time Period Premiere) (Encores)
 
Fridays, beginning June 18:
8PM: BONES (Time Period Premiere) (Encores)
9PM: HOUSE (Encores)

SATURDAY
Saturdays (no change to lineup):
8PM: COPS
9PM: AMERICA’S MOST WANTED
11PM: THE WANDA SYKES SHOW
Midnight: ANIMATION DOMINATION (Encores)
 
SUNDAY
Sundays, beginning June 6:
7:00-9:30PM: ANIMATION DOMINATION
9:30PM: SONS OF TUCSON

Photo Credit: Joe Viles/FOX

With apologies in advance to Greg “HEROES is well received all over the world” Grunberg, not to mention fellow TV Addicts who are pinning their favorite show’s renewal chances on ancillary revenue, we’ve got some bad news for you: Foreign and DVD sales are probably not going to be saving your ‘on-the-bubble’ show anytime soon.

We know this because after tiring of hearing fans passionately defend their favorite show’s chances of renewal with cries of, “It’s huge on DVD” or “Europe and Asia love it!” we decided it was high time to ask someone in the know. And who better to corner at the recent Television Critics Association (TCA) Press tour than that of FOX Primetime President Kevin Reilly himself, who was only too happy to set the record straight.

“Foreign markets have been a big part of our financing for a long time and international sales of are big component of how we make money on television so to a certain degree success overseas is a factor.” explained Reilly.

Unfortunately, it’s not the only factor. For unlike the film industry, which discovered long ago that boffo box office overseas can make up for disappointing domestic returns Stateside (see: G.I. Joe, Wolverine, Transformers and virtually every single Sylvester Stallone movie since 1996) the small screen operates differently.

“Unlike the Box Office which is a different entity entirely, television has to work on a ratings basis for FOX,” said Reilly. “In terms of making it financial viability we can do things like renew PRISON BREAK for a fourth season. But ultimately, saying it’s a flop in American but they love it in France simply doesn’t work.”

For the network or Reilly himself, who interestingly enough conceded that he can’t exactly sit in front of the TCA firing squad at Press Tour and defend a show with a one rating. “You guys [the media] would be asking what the hell am I doing, in the end I’d be hurting.”

24
Working in its favor: We’re certainly not going to be the ones to bet against Jack Bauer surviving to fight another really bad day.
Working against it: Studies have shown that Bauer kicking serious bad guy butt would look at the very least 24% cooler on the big screen.
Renewal Odds: We have a sneaking suspicion that the next time you see Jack it will cost you. Specifically $25 for a movie and some overpriced popcorn.

HUMAN TARGET
Working in its favor: By all accounts, Mark Valley is to FOX what Alex O’Loughlin is to CBS. In other words, the network isn’t gonna stop until they make this guy a star.
Working against it: Attracting less than 10 million viewers per week does not a star make.
Renewal Odds: 50/50.

FRINGE
Working in its favor: After a very shaky start to its sophomore season, FRINGE seems to have finally found its footing on one of the most competitive nights on television…
Working against it: … only to be quickly yanked off the schedule until April, which is what happens when you share a network with the unstoppable juggernaut that is AMERICAN IDOL.
Renewal Odds: Good.

PAST LIFE
Working in its favor: Lead Kelly Giddish has elevated the art of bland, blah, blonde performances to a new high.
Working against it: And by high, we mean ratings low.
Renewal Odds: Let’s just say that if ALL MY CHILDREN wants to bring Giddish’s Pine Valley alter ego back as a ghost or doppelganger, she’ll probably be available in the not-too-distant future.

TIL DEATH
Working in its favor: The fact that this so-called Brad Garrett ‘laugher’ has inexplicably managed to do what the likes of many others, including ARRESTED couldn’t: Survive to see a fourth season.
Working against it: Four seasons is all Producer Sony Pictures Television needs to sell this puppy into syndication.
Renewal Odds: RIP.

Be sure to tune in tomorrow when we put the CBS under the microscope. Same Bat Time, Same Bad Channel.

Related:
• Find Out If Your Favorite ABC Show is Coming Back Next Season
• Find Out If Your Favorite NBC Show is Coming Back Next Season
• Find Out If Your Favorite CW Show is Coming Back Next Season

Before you suit up for tonight’s soon-to-be legendary 100th episode of HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (trust us, we’ve seen it), why not take a trip to the mall down memory lane and reminisce with stars Josh Radnor, Alyson Hannigan and Cobie Smulders, who were kind enough to take some time just prior to last week’s Paley Center panel to reminisce about their most memorable HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER moments from the show’s first (yes, you heard us CBS, ‘first’) 100 episodes.

The Bad: You mean aside from SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE’s universally panned new set and the fact that our iTunes wallet has taken quite the hit courtesy of GLEE? Although they gave it the old College try, Friday on FOX was no laughing matter with BROTHERS, ‘TIL DEATH and DOLLHOUSE arriving DOA. While FRINGE squandered one of the coolest season finales ever by failing to attract an audience in what admittedly is one of the most competitive time slots in television (Alas, advertisers don’t pay premium dollars for a 47% bump in DVR/PVR viewership.)

The Prognosis: In spite of the many questions surrounding the highly-anticipated return of AMERICAN IDOL in January — including but not limited to, how viewers will respond to the revolving door of guest judges, whether or not Paula will be missed and how Ellen will fair as permanent fourth judge — one thing we know for sure is that audiences will be tuning in to find out. Which will certainly aid the sly-as-a-FOX network when it comes to launching and promoting a whole slew of new shows such as 24, OUR LITTLE GENIUS, HUMAN TARGET, SONS OF TUCSON and GLEE (When it finally returns in April).

The Grade: A-

Tune in Monday when we give the CW their midseason report card

Related:
• ABC gets its Mid-Season Report Card
• NBC gets its Mid-Season Report Card
• CBS gets its Mid-Season Report Card

Sunday January 10
8-8:30PM THE SIMPSONS (450th Episode)
8:30-9PM — THE SIMPSONS 20th Anniversary Special

Tuesday January 12
8-10PM — AMERICAN IDOL

Wednesday January 13
8-9PM — AMERICAN IDOL
9-10PM — OUR LITTLE GENIUS (Time Period Premiere)

Thursday January 14
8-9PM — BONES
9-10PM — FRINGE

Sunday January 17
8-9PM — HUMAN TARGET (Series Preview)
9-11PM — 24 (Season Premiere, Part I)

Monday January 18
8-10PM — 24 (Season Premiere, Part II)

Tuesday January 19
8-9PM — AMERICAN IDOL (Time Period Premiere)
9-10PM — OUR LITTLE GENIUS (Time Period Premiere)

Wednesday January 20
8-9PM — AMERICAN IDOL
9-10PM — HUMAN TARGET (Series Premiere)

Friday January 22
9-10PM — DOLLHOUSE (Series Finale)

Monday January 25
8-9PM — HOUSE
9-10PM — 24 (Time Period Premiere)

Friday January 29
9-10PM — KITCHEN NIGHTMARES (Season Premiere)

Thursday February 4
9-10PM — FRINGE (Winter Finale)

Thursday February 11
8-10PM — PAST LIFE (Series Premiere)

Sunday March 14
8:30-9PM — SONS OF TUCSON (Series Premiere)
9:30-10PM — CLEVELAND SHOW (Time Period Premiere)

Thursday April 1
9-10PM — FRINGE (Time Period Premiere)

Tuesday April 13
9-10PM — GLEE (Time Period Premiere)

Assuming the remaining forty-one minutes are as funny as the above three minute and thirty-one second trailer for the second installment of FAMILY GUY’s loving homage to STAR WARS titled, “Something Something Something Darkside” all is forgiven for the thirty-minute train-wreck that was SETH & ALEX’S ALMOST LIVE COMEDY SHOW. We swear.

Sincerely,
The TV Addict

BROTHERS, WAREHOUSE 13 and Jim Cameron’s upcoming Avatar. I suppose this would be one of those situations where when it rains, it pours?
CCH Pounder: Yes indeed, but I think that the one thing that connects them all is different shades of rather powerful woman. A woman who has a great sense of who she is. Each of those roles, although they are completely different is showing not sexy, bumbling, vampy woman, but WOMAN. One is a mother [BROTHERS], one you can relate to as a boss [WAREHOUSE 13] and one who you can relate to as a Queen {Avatar]. And it just so happens that they’re all coming out — because AVATAR took two years to film a very short role — at the same time.

How much more do you know about Mrs. Fredrickson than the audience?
Nothing. I know absolutely nothing and that’s the way they [the writers] keep it. In fact, when we first started WAREHOUSE 13, everybody on our show was given a packet revealing “this is where you came from, this is your history.” For Mrs. Fredrickson all I got was from the writers is, “we are not disclosing anything!” We don’t even know what quality of life is in her, whether she’s real, whether she’s a hologram (which by the way, is my theory), whether she’s lived 100 years or a 1000 years, they won’t tell me anything. Which for this story, works. There’s something kind of fantastic about keeping the mystery of her. Mrs. Fredrickson is an absolutely mysterious woman when she appears and that part is fine, for any other role it would be difficult to not have some kind of backstory.

Would it be safe to assume you know more about your character in James Cameron’s equally mysterious Avatar?
Although I think fans have seen more of the finished product that I have, I know a great deal more about Avatar because Jim has created a an entirely new world And because I have to inhabit that world you’re learning everything from the first seed just so it makes it normal for you, it’s huge. In this world, your vessel doesn’t look like the vessel you’re accustom to, it’s the most amazing film I’ve been apart of. You’re acting in no makeup, in a grey box, and you’re creating a world. It’s so much fun.

Have you ever worked with Jim before?
Nearly, I nearly got there in The Abyss, but you had to be able to swim to do that film! That’s when I first met him. But the person that I met in The Abyss to me is a completely different person to me that I met in Avatar. In The Abyss, I was just talking with him, being interviewed, where as in Avatar, I’m working with him, we’re partnering, creating something so it was much more fascinating.

BROTHERS is such a change of pace for you, what attracted you to the world of situation comedy?
I had done seventeen years of drama, i came from the theatre where you could do anything, comedy, drama, musical, whatever. But in this town [Hollywood], if you do something fabulous and you do it well, they say “No, no, no that’s what she does.” BROTHERS is my opportunity to break the spell and challenge myself and challenge the way people see me. I’ve gone from crime victims to authoritative woman and now to comedy. Let’s see how it goes.

After 13 seasons on the brink of cancellation, one of television’s most underappreciated family comedies comes to a close with an hour-long finale (Sunday 8PM on FOX). The first half of which is actually just a new episode — the real goodbye is the second half, where Hank and his son finally bond over (in what only seems appropriate for KOTH) their shared love of beef when Bobby joins a meet-inspection team. If you’ve never seen this hilarious, often incisive telling of family issues and red state America, you’ve been missing a series that had more fully-realized characters, sense of storytelling, and things to say (and funny ways to say it) than half of the live-action comedies in the last decade, and you should definitely start catching the re-runs. The final scene is touching, bringing together the Hills and all the characters that made the fictional town of Arlen, Texas a destination long overlooked. Grade: A