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For more than 30 years, John Kiesewetter has been the source for information about all things in local media — comings and goings, local people appearing on the big or small screen, special programs, and much more. Contact John at johnkiese@yahoo.com.

Fox Adds Only 3 New Fall Shows, Cancels 'The Grinder,' 'Grandfathered'

Courtesy Fox Broadcasting

Who will tell Dean Sanderson that he's been canceled again?

After just one season, Fox axed "The Grinder," Rob Lowe's sitcom  about a TV lawyer who joined his brother's (Fred Savage) law practice.

Like NBC's fall announcement Sunday, Fox will add only three new fall shows – a comedy and two dramas – and will keep the bench loaded for midseason with revivals of "24" and "Prison Break"; another musical-drama called "Star" from "Empire" producers featuring Grammy-winners Queen Latifah and Lenny Kravitz;  and new shows starring Jimmy Smits and Richard Dreyfuss. 

Credit Fox Broadcasting
Damon Wayans Sr. (left) and Clayne Crawford star in Fox's "Lethal Weapon" series.

Both new fall dramas are movie spinoffs: "Lethal Weapon" starring Clayne Crawford (“Rectify”) and Damon Wayans Sr. (“My Wife and Kids”) as officers Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh (8 p.m. Wednesday), and an update of "The Exorcist" (1973) starring Oscar-winner Geena Davis (“Commander in Chief,” “Thelma & Louise”),  Alfonso Herrera (“The Chosen”) and  Ben Daniels ("House of Cards”) battling demonic possessions (9 p.m. Friday).

Jason Sudeikis stars in "Son of Zorn" (8:30 p.m. Sunday), a hybrid animated/live action comedy about a cartoon warrior trying to woo back his ex-wife (Cheryl Hines, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”).

GONERS:  "The Grinder," John Stamos' "Grandfathered," Ciara Bravo's "Second Chance," "Minority Report," "American Idol" and "Knock Knock Live." No mention was made about making more episodes of "The X-Files."

Credit Fox Broadcasting
Corey Hawkins stars with Jimmy Smits in "24:Legacy" after Super Bowl LI on Feb. 5, 2017.

BIG MOVES: "24: Legacy" starring Jimmy Smits ("Sons of Anarchy," "NYPD Blue"), Corey Hawkins (“Straight Outta Compton”) and Miranda Otto (“Homeland”) premieres Sunday, Feb. 5, immediately after Fox's Super Bowl LI postgame show. Former star Kiefer Sutherland and the original "24" production team will oversee the drama about a U.S. terrorist threat while a prominent senator (Smits) runs for president.

Credit Fox Broadcasting
Kylie Bunbury (right), the first woman Major League pitcher, confers with her manager (Dan Lauria) and catcher (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) in Fox's "Pitch."

MIDSEASON:  "Sleepy Hollow," "Wayward Pines," "Coupled," "Megyn Kelly Presents" will return next year, the first January since 2003 without "American Idol."

New shows include "Star"; a "Prison Break" revival with  Wentworth Miller, Dominic Purcell, Sarah Wayne Callies, Amaury Nolasco, Robert Knepper, Rockmond Dunbar and Paul Adelstein from the 2005-09 Fox series;  "Pitch," a drama about the first female pitcher (Kylie Bunbury, "Under the Dome") in the Major Leagues; "Shots Fired," a 10-hour drama series about a North Carolina businessman (Richard Dreyfuss) investigating corruption behind the fatal shooting of an African-American teen; a Chicago police drama with Ernie Hudson ("Ghostbusters") called "APB";  and Kaitlin Olson ("It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia") starring as "The Mick," a two-bit hustler who becomes guardians of her estranged sister's three spoiled teens.

SPECIALS: In October, Fox broadcasts an updated version of the cult classic "Rocky Horror Picture Show" starring "American Idol" alum Adam Lambert, Tim Curry (from the 1975 film), Staz Nair (“Game of Thrones”), Christina Milian (“Grandfathered”), and Tony winners Annaleigh Ashford and Ben Vereen.

REALITY:  Ten experienced survivalists and their "pampered partners" compete for $500,000 in a Fiji jungle on "Kicking & Screaming" from the producers of "Fear Factor" and "Wipeout." Fox also  imports the "My Kitchen Rules" format from Australia, which will feature a celebrity cooking competition filmed in Hollywood homes.

Also renewed were "Hotel Hell," "So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation," "Miss Universe," "Miss USA" and "Teen Choice 2016."

THE LINEUPS: Fox announced both a fall and midseason schedule (new shows in bold).

FALL 2016

SUNDAY: 7, NFL on Fox; 7:30, The OT/Bob's Burgers; 8, The Simpsons; 8:30, Son of Zorn; 9, Family Guy; 9:30, The Last Man on Earth.

MONDAY: 8, Gotham; 9, Lucifer.

TUESDAY: 8, Brooklyn Nine-Nine; 8:30, New Girl; 9, Scream Queens.

WEDNESDAY: 8, Lethal Weapon; 9, Empire.

THURSDAY: 8, Rosewood; 9, Bones.

FRIDAY: 8, Hell's Kitchen; 9, The Exorcist.

SATURDAY: 7:30, Fox Sports Saturday (college football).

MIDSEASON SCHEDULE

SUNDAY: 7, animation reruns; 7:30, Bob's Burgers; 8, The Simpsons; 8:30, Making History; 9, Family Guy; 9:30, The Last Man on Earth.

MONDAY: 8, 24: Legacy/Gotham (spring); 9, APB/Lucifer (spring).

TUESDAY: 8, New Girl/Brooklyn Nine-Nine (spring); 8:30, The Mick; 9, Kicking & Screaming/Pitch (spring).

WEDNESDAY: 8, Lethal Weapon/Shots Fired (spring) ; 9, Star/ Empire (spring)

THURSDAY: 8, Rosewood; 9, Prison Break (new).

FRIDAY: 8, Masterchef Junior; 9, Sleepy Hollow.

SATURDAY: 8, Fox Sports Saturday.

Read the Fox 2016-17 season announcement here.

John Kiesewetter, who has covered television and media for more than 35 years, has been working for Cincinnati Public Radio and WVXU-FM since 2015.