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[11/14/03 - 12:00 AM] Correction: FOX to Be 'Cracking' and 'Straight' on Mondays By Brian Ford Sullivan (TFC) |
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Correction: FOX has informed us that this information, taken from USA Today's Friday issue, is incorrect. No air date information has been announced yet for either "Cracking Up" or "Playing It Straight."
CHICAGO (thefutoncritic.com) -- FOX has provided the first glimpse at its midseason schedule as the network announced today the debuts of two new series. "Cracking Up," a new comedy featuring Molly Shannon and Chris McDonald, and "Playing It Straight," a new reality series that puts a straight twist on Bravo's "Boy Meets Boy," will both premiere Monday, January 12.
"Cracking Up," which will air at 8:30/7:30c, stars Jason Schwartzman ("Rushmore") as Ben, "a psychology graduate student who lands the clinical opportunity of a lifetime when he moves into the guest house of a wealthy Beverly Hills family to counsel their introverted youngest son," according to a network press release. "Once settled into his new surroundings, Ben realizes that this seemingly perfect family home is actually a breeding ground for dysfunction, neuroses, and paranoia and his young patient is the least of his worries."
Schwartzman replaces Nicholas D'Agosto on the comedy, who exited the series in September to become a regular on NBC's "ER" (read the story). Shannon ("Saturday Night Live," "Superstar"), McDonald ("Family Law," "Happy Gilmore"), David Walton, Caitlin Wachs, Jake Sandvig and Nathan Norton round out the cast. Mike White ("School of Rock") created and is the executive producer of the series, a co-production of 20th Century Fox Television and Brad Grey Television, along with Brad Grey.
As for "Straight," which will fill the 9:00/8:00c hour, the reality series follows a single, straight woman as she looks for love among a pool of single men on a Western-style dude ranch. The twist in this case, along the lines of the aforementioned Bravo series, is that some of the men are gay pretending to be straight. If she ultimately chooses a straight mate, she wins a substantial cash prize (believed to be near $1 million) but if a gay man fools her, he gets the cash. Unlike "Boy" however, those involved with the series were aware of the twist at the start of production. Jeremy Mills and Ciara Byrne of Lion Television are the executive producers of the series, which was developed under the title "Who Will She Choose?"
It's not clear how many episodes of each series FOX has ordered or what will air in the Monday, 8:00/7:00c half-hour. FOX had previously announced at its upfront presentation (read the story) that the midseason dramedy "Wonderfalls" was being eyed for the Monday, 8:00/7:00c hour come January however that doesn't seem to be the case any longer. It also seems unlikely that struggling Friday drama "Boston Public" will return to its old Monday home any time soon based on this news.
As for the rest of its midseason schedule, FOX has yet to reveal the exact start date for the third season of "American Idol." Also on tap for midseason are the drama "Still Life," the comedy "The Ortegas," new episodes of "Cedric the Entertainer Presents" and the reality trio of "Love Again," "The Swan" and "The Complex."
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[12/09/25 - 12:00 PM] FOX Kicks Off Its Winter Lineup with Special Advance Premiere Dates for New Series "Best Medicine" and Returning Comedy Series "Animal Control" Following FOX NFL Doubleheaders Plus: look for a two-night premiere event for new drama series "Memory of a Killer," starring Patrick Dempsey and Michael Imperiloi, beginning immediately after the NFC Championship Game.
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[12/09/25 - 10:31 AM] John Stamos, Dale Dickey, and Cam Gigandet Join "The Hunting Wives" Season 2 The trio joins previously announced new cast members Kim Matula and Alex FitzAlan, alongside returning cast members Brittany Snow, Malin Akerman, Jaime Ray Newman, Dermot Mulroney, Evan Jonigkeit, George Ferrier, Karen Rodriguez, Hunter Emery, and Branton Box.
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[12/09/25 - 10:01 AM] BET+ Original Film, "A Soulful Christmas," Premieres Thursday, December 25 The film stars Kaci Walfall, Myles Truitt, Shanice, Kenny Lattimore, Taylor Symone, E. Roger Mitchell, Towanda Braxton, KB Holland, Kyler Chavis, Gail Everett-Smith, Gerard Catus, Ryan James, and Elijah Resurreccion.
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[12/09/25 - 09:31 AM] "The Upshaws" Returns to Netflix on January 15 with Final Season As Regina makes a run for office and Bennie's garage falls on hard times, the Upshaws will always find a way to keep it real, loud and full of love.
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[12/09/25 - 09:22 AM] Viaplay January 2026 Exclusive U.S. Premieres: "Sport vs. Money," "Stayer," "The Curse," "Scenes After a Marriage" "Slayer" follows an aging rock musician forced to confront his greatest challenge when the mother of his child dies tragically - struggling to balance fatherhood, fame, and the haunting choices of his past.
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[12/09/25 - 09:01 AM] Video: Official Trailer - "The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball" Season 2 The series, produced by Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe, returns on Monday, December 22 only on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers.
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[12/09/25 - 09:01 AM] The History Channel's New Series "History's Deadliest with Ving Rhames" to Premiere on Monday, January 26 The 10-part series produced by Propagate Content will reveal the unbelievable details surrounding the world's most prolific and powerful killers.
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[12/09/25 - 08:10 AM] Roku Originals Hits the Road for Sophia Bush and Lauren Holly Comedy Feature "Broad Trip" From Muse Entertainment and Motion Content, the film recently wrapped production and will debut on The Roku Channel in May 2026.
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[12/09/25 - 08:09 AM] FOX Nation Taps Zachary Levi for New Docudrama "David: King of Israel" Slated for Early 2026 Released weekly, the program brings to life the thrilling, turbulent and deeply human story of David, the shepherd boy who rose to become the greatest king in Israel's history, and whom Christians regard as the ancestor of Jesus Christ.
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[12/09/25 - 08:08 AM] OWN Announces "Maxxed Out": A Bold New Financial Intervention Series Premiering January 10, 2026 This unflinching eight-episode series reveals how money (and mismanaged money) can strain even the strongest relationships.
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[12/09/25 - 08:01 AM] Tyrese Haliburton Joins "NBA on Prime" as Player Contributor Haliburton will make his debut tonight on "NBA on Prime's" postgame show, "NBA Nightcap," following the Emirates NBA Cup Quarterfinals doubleheader featuring the Miami Heat at Orlando Magic (6:00 p.m. ET) and New York Knicks at Toronto Raptors (8:30 p.m. ET).
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[12/09/25 - 07:01 AM] Apple TV Reveals First Look at "Margo's Got Money Troubles" from David E. Kelley Based on Rufi Thorpe's bestselling novel of the same name, the eight-episode series will premiere globally on Wednesday April 15, 2026 with three episodes, followed by new episodes every Wednesday through May 20, 2026.
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[12/09/25 - 07:01 AM] Prime Video Reveals First-Look Images and Premiere Date for "56 Days," Starring Dove Cameron and Avan Jogia All eight episodes will be released on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
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[12/09/25 - 06:01 AM] Video: "Unlocked: A Jail Experiment" - Season 2 Official Trailer - Netflix At an Arizona correctional facility, a sheriff implements a bold experiment to grant incarcerated men more agency in this eye-opening reality series.
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[12/09/25 - 06:01 AM] The Game is Afoot! Prime Video Releases First-Look Images for "Young Sherlock" Series The thrilling series, brought to life by visionary director and executive producer Guy Ritchie, charts the origin story of Sherlock Holmes in an irreverent, action-laden mystery that follows the iconic detective's early adventures.
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