Fox Orders Four More Dramas, Two More Comedies for 2019-2020 Season

The New Fox is ramping up for the 2019-2020 season with six new series pick ups.

The broadcaster handed out orders for four dramas — “Deputy,” “Prodigal Son,” “neXt,” and the untitled Annie Weisman/Jason Katims project — as well as two comedies. One of the comedies is the animated series “The Great North” and the second is the multi-cam “Outmatched,” formerly known as “Geniuses.” These orders join the previously announced straight-to-series orders for the animated comedies “Duncanville” and “Bless the Harts” at Fox.

Each of the newly announced pick ups is a co-production with Fox Entertainment (formerly Fox Broadcasting). The move will allow Fox to maintain a stake in the shows despite not having a vertically-integrated studio like they did before the 21st Century Fox-Disney merger that saw 20th Century Fox Television move under the Disney umbrella. Both “Duncanville” and “Bless the Harts” are produced by 20th TV.

These orders bring Fox’s total new series pick ups to eight for next season, up from the five the network ordered last year. That is no small feat considering pilot order volume across broadcast was down significantly this year and Fox will be giving up their Friday night primetime slot in October when WWE’s “SmackDown Live” begins airing on the network.

At the time of this publishing, Fox has renewed the shows “Empire,” “9-1-1,” “The Resident,” “Family Guy,” “Last Man Standing,” “Bob’s Burgers,” and “The Simpsons.” Comedy “Rel” and drama “The Gifted” have already been canceled.

In cop drama “Deputy,” when the Los Angeles County’s Sheriff dies, an arcane rule forged back in the Wild West thrusts the most unlikely man into the job: a fifth-generation lawman, more comfortable taking down bad guys than navigating a sea of politics. He leads a skilled team of ambitious and complicated human beings who won’t rest until justice is served.

The series stars Stephen Dorff, Yara Martinez, Brian Van Holt, Siena Goines, Bex Taylor-Klaus, Shane Paul McGhie, and Mark Moses. Will Beall is the writer and executive producer, with Chris Long and Barry Schindel also executive producing. David Ayer directed the pilot and will executive produce, with Ayer and Long’s Cedar Park producing. eOne and Fox Entertainment will produce.

“neXt” follows a Silicon Valley pioneer who discovers that one of his own creations – a powerful A.I. – might spell global catastrophe, and teams up with a cybercrime agent to fight a villain unlike anything we’ve ever seen.

The series stars John Slattery, Fernanda Andrade, Michael Mosley, Jason Butler Harner, Eve Harlowe, Aaron Moten, Gerardo Celasco, Elizabeth Cappucino, and Evan Whitten. Manny Coto is the writer and executive producer with Charlie Gogolak also executive producing. John Requa and Glenn Ficarra directed the pilot and will executive produce. 20th Century Fox Television and Zaftig Films will produce along with Fox Entertainment.

“Prodigal Son” centers on Malcolm Bright, who knows how killers think. That is because is father was one of the best, a notorious serial killer called “The Surgeon.” That’s why Bright is the best criminal psychologist around; murder is the family business. He uses his twisted genius to help the NYPD solve crimes, while dealing with a somewhat manipulative mother, an annoyingly normal sister, a homicidal father still looking to bond with his prodigal son and his own constantly evolving neuroses.

It stars Tom Payne, Michael Sheen, Bellamy Young, Lou Diamond Phillips, Halston Sage, Aurora Perrineau, Frank Harts, and Keiki Agena. Chris Fedak and Sam Sklaver are the writers and executive producers. Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter also executive produce. Lee Toland Krieger directed the pilot and will executive produce. Warner Bros. Television and Berlanti Productions will produce along with Fox Entertainment.

The untitled Weisman/Katims project is based on the Endemol Shine Australia series “Sisters” created by Jonathan Gavin and Imogen Banks. An only child finds her life turned upside down when her father reveals that, over the course of his prize-winning career as a pioneering fertility doctor, he used his own sperm to conceive upwards of a hundred children, including two new sisters. As these three young women slowly embrace their new reality, they will attempt to form an untraditional bond as sisters, even as they must welcome a tidal wave of new siblings into their rapidly expanding family.

Brittany Snow, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Emily Osment, Mustafa Elzein, Mo McRae, Victoria Cartagena, and Timothy Hutton will star. Weisman is the writer and executive producer with Katims, Banks, Jeni Mulein, and Sharon Levy executive producing. Leslye Headland directed the pilot and will executive produce.

“The Great North” follows the Alaskan adventures of the Tobin family, as single dad, Beef, does his best to keep his weird bunch of kids close, especially as the artistic dreams of his only daughter, Judy, lead her away from the family fishing boat and into the glamorous world of the local mall.

Nick Offerman, Jenny Slate, Megan Mullally, Paul Rust, Aparna Nancherla, Will Forte, and Dulcé Sloan all lend their voices to the series. Loren Bouchard will executive produce, with Wendy Molyneux, Lizzie Molyneux, and Minty Lewis writing and executive producing. 20th Century Fox Television and Fox Entertainment will produce.

“Outmatched” is a family comedy about a blue-collar couple in South Jersey trying to get by and raise four kids, three of whom just happen to be certified geniuses. The series stars Jason Biggs, Maggie Lawson, Connor Kalopsis, Ashley Boettcher, Jack Stanton, Oakley Bull, and Tisha Campbell-Martin. Lon Zimmet is the writer and executive producer. Jonathan Judge directed the pilot. 20th Century Fox Television will produce along with Fox Entertainment.

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