At its winter 2018 Television Critics Association (TCA) press tour in Pasadena, California, on Thursday, Jan. 4, FOX made a few exciting announcements for “Family Guy,” “New Girl,” “The Gifted” and more. Fox Television Group Chairmen and CEOs Dana Walden and Gary Newman were joined by Michael Thorn, President of Entertainment for FOX; and Rob Wade, President, Alternative Entertainment and Specials for FOX Broadcasting Company during their Executive Session.
Here’s an overview of FOX’s day at the winter 2018 TCA press tour:
A ‘Family Guy’ first
On Sunday, March 11, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on FOX, “Family Guy” will air an extended-length episode with fewer ad pods than a standard episode of the Emmy Award-winning animated series. This move is in line with Fox Network Group’s ongoing efforts to reduce ad loads and give viewers a better experience. It was also made to accommodate an episode (“Send in Stewie, Please”) with a longer-than-usual run time, according to the show’s producers.
“Family Guy,” now in its 15th season, will air its 300th episode (“Dog Bites Bear”) on Sunday, Jan. 14, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on FOX.
A final bow for ‘New Girl’
The seventh and final season of “New Girl” will run eight episodes long and boast a long list of new and returning guest stars featuring JB Smoove, Tig Notaro, Nasim Pedrad, Damon Wayans, Jr., Dermot Mulroney, David Walton, Nelson Franklin, Sam Richardson, Jamie Lee Curtis and Rob Reiner. Creator Liz Meriwether said the remaining slate of episodes is “a love letter to the fans.” Devoted viewers of the show will enjoy some Easter eggs throughout the last season of the comedy.
The last season of “New Girl” will premiere Tuesday, April 10, at 9:30 p.m. ET on FOX. The one-hour series finale will air on Tuesday, May 15, at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
‘The Gifted’ returns
FOX also announced that “The Gifted” has been renewed for a second season. The No. 3 new drama of the 2017-18 season will air a two-hour season finale (“eXtraction/X-roads”) on Monday, Jan. 15, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FOX.
In September, we spoke with “The Gifted” executive producer Lauren Shuler Donner about the Marvel universe show.
Other tidbits
The future of “The X-Files,” which just began Season 11, is up in the air; a new iteration of “Prison Break” is in development; Season 2 of “The Orville” will feature more episodes than Season 1; and creator, writer and executive producer Ryan Murphy said “9-1-1” was inspired by a real-life family emergency.
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Take a look at TCA-related tweets with the #FOXTCA hashtag and follow @FOXTV on Twitter for real-time updates.
