FOX Schedules American Idol Premiere and Spring Schedule Set!

FOX unveiled its midseason schedule on Thursday (Jan. 5) and, in reliable FOX fashion, it hardly bears any resemblance to the lineup announced to advertisers back in May.

For FOX, the real season begins in January with the premiere of American Idol and the biggest question is always which shows will benefit from proximity to the unwavering karaoke juggernaut.

The answer for this year appears to be Fringe and the Tim Roth drama Lie to Me.

FOX has set a two-night, four-hour premiere for the eighth season of American Idol for Tuesday, Jan. 13 and Wednesday, Jan. 14 (the nights after the two-night, four-hour premiere of 24). After one week of supersized episodes, Idol will take its normal hour-slots at 8 p.m. ET, followed by Fringe on Tuesdays and Lie to Me on Wednesdays (series premiere on Jan. 21).

The Idol ripple effect will touch every corner of FOX’s schedule.

With Idol grabbing 8 p.m. on Tuesdays, House will move to 8 p.m. on Mondays, leading into 24. Then, with House taking residence on Mondays, Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse will be shifted to Friday nights at 9 p.m. where, starting on Friday, Feb. 13, it will be paired with the current occupant of the Monday 8 p.m. slot, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

And yes, that sound you just heard was a collective wail from Whedon’s very vocal fanbase.

With Idol also holding the 8 p.m. hour on Wednesdays — no talk of half-hour results shows this season — Bones is on the move. While FOX had originally slated the reliable procedural for Fridays, it will instead air at 8 p.m. on Thursdays, where it will be joined by a new season of Hell’s Kitchen starting on Jan. 29. And with Thursdays occupied, Hole in the Wall will take its disappointing ratings off to Sunday nights at 7 p.m.

FOX promises that Prison Break and ‘Til Death will return to the schedule at a later date. The network will also need to find slots for the animated comedies The Cleveland Show and Sit Down, Shut Up, which were both slated for midseason and are both absent from the newly unveiled schedule.

As always, FOX schedules are subject to change, almost without notice.

For now, though, here’s what your FOX schedule will look like, starting in January:

Monday, Jan. 12:
8:00-10:00 PM 24 (Season Premiere, Part 2)

Mondays, beginning Jan. 19:
8:00-9:00 PM House (Time Period Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM 24 (Time Period Premiere)

Tuesday, Jan. 13:
8:00-10:00 PM American Idol (Season Premiere, Part 1)

Tuesdays, beginning Jan. 20:
8:00-9:00 PM American Idol (Time Period Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM Fringe

Wednesday, Jan. 14:
8:00-10:00 PM American Idol (Season Premiere, Part 2)

Wednesdays, beginning Jan. 21:
8:00-9:00 PM American Idol (Time Period Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM Lie to Me (Series Premiere)