The US networks continue to announce their imminent plans. FOX spoke on Wednesday about some of its highlights: including 24: Legacy, Lethal Weapon and The Exorcist…
It’s FOX‘s turn to announce its upcoming plans and we’re starting to get a better idea of when and where some of its heavy-hitters will air…
24: LEGACY
24: Legacy… won’t be hitting screens in the Autumn, but is being saved as a mid-season replacement. However there’s a big vote in confidence for the show by having the pilot episode debut immediately after the Super Bowl event in February which should secure a massive ratings debut.
FOX says of the show: The clock ticks again with 24: LEGACY, the next evolution of the Emmy Award-winning “24.” From Emmy Award-winning executive producer Howard Gordon (“Homeland,” “24: Live Another Day”), Academy Award- and Emmy Award-winning executive producer Brian Grazer, writers and executive producers Manny Coto and Evan Katz, director and executive producer Stephen Hopkins and executive producer and original series star Kiefer Sutherland, 24: LEGACY chronicles an adrenaline-fueled race against the clock to stop a devastating terrorist attack on United States soil – in the same real-time format that has propelled this genre-defining series.
Six months ago in Yemen, an elite squad of U.S. Army Rangers, led by Sergeant Eric carter (Corey Hawkins), killed terrorist leader Sheik Ibrahim Bin-Khalid. In the aftermath, Bin-Khalid’s followers declared a fatwah against Carter, his squad and their families, forcing them into federal witness protection. But a recent attempt on Carter’s own life makes it clear to him that his team is now exposed. To thwart further attacks, Carter enlists Rebecca Ingram (Miranda Otto), who quarterbacked the raid that killed Bin-Khalid. She’s a brilliant and ambitious intelligence officer who has stepped down from her post as National Director of CTU to support her husband, Senator John Donovan (Jimmy Smits), in his campaign for President of the United States. Decades of sleepless nights and missed anniversaries landed her at the top. With the White House within their grasp, can she truly embrace a new role as First Lady? Or will her love of the action draw her back in? Together, in this fast-paced thrill ride, Carter and Ingram uncover a sophisticated terrorist network that will force them to ask: “Who can we trust?” As they battle Bin-Khalid’s devotees, they are forced to confront their own identities, families and pasts…
Early word is that new series star Corey Hawkins (Straight Outta Compton) makes a solid leading man and that Miranda Otto (Lord of the Rings) also has strong screen-presence in her demanding role.
LETHAL WEAPON
Lethal Weapon… the adaptation of the Mel Gibson / Danny Glover movie franchise, will air on Wednesdays on FOX, leading in to another current ratings-winner Empire. The official description of the series reads:
“Combining action and drama with friendship and humor, Lethal Weapon reboots the hit movie franchise, as it follows classic cop duo Riggs and Murtaugh, who are working a crime-ridden beat in modern-day Los Angeles. Grief-stricken after the loss of his young wife and unborn child, ex-Navy-Seal-turned-detective Martin Riggs (Clayne Crawford) moves to California to “start over” at the LAPD. He’s paired up with Roger Murtaugh (Damon Wayans, Sr.), who’s just coming back to the job after a near-fatal heart attack. Riggs’ penchant for diving headfirst into the line of fire immediately clashes with Murtaugh’s prudent, by-the-book technique. It’s clear from the moment they meet, this partnership could be lethal. But during their first case together, Riggs drags Murtaugh on a high-speed chase culminating inside the Long Beach Grand Prix and into a seaport shootout with drug dealers – and despite his protests, the older cop feels more alive than he has in years. Meanwhile, Riggs gets a glimpse of why Murtaugh is so determined to get home safely at the end of each day – he’s got a family and a newborn baby of his own. By the time their investigation ends, Riggs realizes he may have found something worth living for – a partner and friend like Murtaugh. And even Murtaugh figures this arrangement might just work out after all. If only Riggs doesn’t get them killed first.”
THE EXORCIST
The Exorcist… inspired by the classic book and film, is going to ‘turn heads‘ on Fridays at 10:00pm according to the wise-cracking executives at the upfront presentation Monday. Early word is that it’s genuinely scary.
The premise: “The Exorcist is a propulsive psychological thriller following two very different priests tackling one family’s case of horrifying demonic possession. Father Thomas Ortega (Alfonso Herrera) is the new face of the Catholic Church: progressive, ambitious and compassionate. He runs a small but loyal parish in the suburbs of Chicago. He has no idea that his quiet life is about to change forever. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, another priest finds himself locked in a life-and-death struggle with evil. Father Marcus Brennan (Ben Daniels) is a modern-day Templar Knight, an orphan raised since childhood by the Vatican to wage war against its enemies. Father Marcus is everything Father Tomas is not: relentless, abrasive and utterly consumed by his sacred mission. Caught in the middle is the Rance family, members of Tomas’ parish. On the surface, they’re a normal, suburban family, but all is not as it seems in this household. The patriarch, Henry Rance (Alan Ruck), is slowly but surely losing his mind. Eldest daughter Katherine (Brianne Howey) has become a recluse who refuses to leave her room. Her younger sister, Casey (Hannah Kasulka), thinks she’s hearing strange noises coming from inside the walls. And mother Angela (Geena Davis) has been plagued by recurring nightmares, each more frightening than the last. Angela believes there is something in the house, a demonic presence, growing stronger by the day. Desperate, she begs Father Tomas for help, unwittingly setting the naïve young priest on a collision course with Father Marcus. Separately, each faces an insurmountable task, but together they become the only hope against an evil force that has been mobilizing for centuries.”
SON OF ZORN
Son of Zorn… is a new hybrid live-action/animated comedy about an animated warrior from a faraway island in the Pacific Ocean – where everything and everyone is animated – who returns to Califonia to win back his live-action ex-wife and teenage son. Zorn (Jason Sudeikis), the Defender of Zephyria, Conqueror of the tribes of Agon, decapitator of the dark herdsmen of Grith, has fought in countless epic battles throughout his life, but may find the greatest challenge of all when travels back to suburbia to reconnect with his family.
Once there, Zorn finds himself estranged from his son, Alangulon or just “Alan” (Johnny Pemberton from 21 Jump Street), a 17-year-old with a mellow, P.C. attitude; and Alan’s mother, Zorn’s ex-wife, Edie (Cheryl Hines from Curb Your Enthusiasm), a former wild child now living the life of an upper middle class mom. Zorn’s efforts to win them back are complicated by the fact that Edie is now engaged to Craig (Tim Meadows from Saturday Night Live), an online psychology professor and a stable presence in their lives. Nevertheless, to be a good dad, Zorn commits to remaining in Orange County for the long haul, renting an apartment and even working in the exciting field of industrial soap sales under his boss, Linda (Artemis Pebdani – Scandal It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), who likes his passion, but just wants him to rein it in at the office. As he adjusts to life in the suburbs, Zorn is the classic fish out of water, navigating his way through fatherhood, divorce and a boring office job. Sure, as an overlord of pain, he defeated glombeasts, wolf-bats and bloodthirsty arachnobots, but now he’ll go toe-to-toe with a new set of enemies: meter maids, dress codes and the DMV.
Finally, after a mixed-reaction to the recent mini-series ‘event’, the network also confirmed a desire by everyone involved to make more The X-Files though that won’t be part of their plan for the upcoming season.
