More Fall 2011 Cast Shakeups – FOX: Saffron Burrows Leaving Bones Spinoff, The Finder… Damon Wayans, Jr. Leaving New Girl

Before their pilot episodes will even air this Fall, two lead cast members from two of FOX’s new series are leaving their respective shows.  Saffron Burrows, who played Ike on the Bones back-door pilot for the new series The Finder is exiting as producers are re-imagining the character.  In related news, Damon Wayans, Jr.’s role on the Zooey Deschanel comedy, New Girl will also have to be recast as Wayans’ other show, ABC’s Happy Endings, was renewed for a second season.

Check out the FOX 2011- 2012 schedule, here, and check out the our Preview – Reviews for all of FOX’s new shows, here, along with all the new trailers.

ALERT! FOX Announces 2011 – 2012 Schedule

Here it is, folks, direct from the FOX Upfront Advertising Event, FOX’s 2011 – 2012 Primetime Programming Schedule (scroll down for complete schedule).  Please note, if you don’t see your favorite show from this season, recent cancellations have been covered here, however as we reported, the status of Breaking In is reported to be still up in the air.

If you have any questions about other shows, post them below.

Some programming notes:

• Some solid scripted shows, however the new comedies seem weak, despite the star power behind them.
• The elephant in the room that is Terra Nova: The Big Gamble.  Depending on how well or poorly this does could change the direction of the entire schedule. Read why we believe TN is such a big gamble, here and here.  Believe us, we’re rooting for it, we’re just nervous about it and we think FOX is too.  We’re still trying to figure out if they plan to run this for an entire 22 episode run because it’s nowhere on the mid-season schedule.  So it’s either going for 13 episodes (which we believe would be the smarter move) or it will have an abbreviated 19 episode season non-stop through December.
• New J.J. Abrams, series Alcatraz to premiere mid-season.  Perhaps the smartest move of the schedule to avoid hiatuses and loss of interest by audiences of what no doubt will be a Lost-type serial.
• After 24 seasons, America’s Most Wanted is no longer a regular series.  It will now be shown as four specials throughout the year.
• The Cleveland Show has swapped places with American Dad, going to the less desirable 7:30 – 8:30 PM spot on Sunday and putting AD back into its longstanding 9:30 – 10:00 PM for the first half of the season.  New series Allen Gregory will be in the 8:30 – 9:30 PM slot, a slot that was filled by The Cleveland Show for the first half of the season and Bob’s Burgers for the second half.  This gives credence to our suggestion that we made when the announcement for AD‘s renewal was made in which the press release claimed that an order had been placed for 22 episodes, however it contradicted itself by stating that the show was renewed through 2013.  We suggested that one of the only ways this would make sense would be if AD was going to get half-season treatment, although we did find that scenario the most unlikely.  This could change, however depending on the success/failure of AG and ND.
• We’re not expecting a whole lot from AG and ND and we don’t think FOX is either.  We explain why here.  We expect these shows to both be canceled pretty quickly as the two had seven and six episodes orders, respectively.  We hear that FOX has at least two more animated shows in the hopper waiting to go, though, just in case.
• Finally, keep in mind that an NFL lockout is looming.  This could send ripples through the entire FOX schedule.

So without further adieu:

FOX FALL 2011 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE
(All Times ET/PT)

MONDAY

8:00-9:00 PM    Terra Nova (NEW!)
9:00-10:00 PM   House

TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM    Glee
9:00-9:30 PM    The New Girl (NEW!)
9:30-10:00 PM   Raising Hope

WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:30 PM    The X-Factor  (NEW!)
9:30-10:00 PM   I Hate My Teenage Daughter (NEW!)

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM    The X-Factor (Results Show) (NEW!)
9:00-10:00 PM   Bones

FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM    Kitchen Nightmares
9:00-10:00 PM   Fringe

SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM    COPS 
8:30-9:00 PM    COPS
9:00-10:00 PM   (Encores) / America’s Most Wanted (Specials)

SUNDAY
7:00-7:30 PM    The OT (NFL post-game show)
7:30-8:00 PM    The Cleveland Show
8:00-8:30 PM    The Simpsons
8:30-9:00 PM    Allen Gregory (NEW!)
9:00-9:30 PM    Family Guy
9:30-10:00 PM   American Dad

FOX MIDSEASON 2012 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE
(All Times ET/PT)

MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM    House
9:00-10:00 PM   Alcatraz (NEW!)

TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM    Glee
9:00-9:30 PM    The New Girl (NEW!)
9:30-10:00 PM   Raising Hope

WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:30 PM    American Idol
9:30-10:00 PM   I Hate My Teenage Daughter (NEW!)

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM    American Idol  (Results Show)
9:00-10:00 PM   The Finder (NEW!)  / Bones (Spring)

FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM    Kitchen Nightmares
9:00-10:00 PM   Fringe

SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM    COPS
8:30-9:00 PM    COPS
9:00-10:00 PM   (Encores) / America’s Most Wanted (Specials)

SUNDAY
7:00-7:30 PM    The OT (NFL post-game)
7:30-8:00 PM    The Cleveland Show
8:00-8:30 PM    The Simpsons
8:30-9:00 PM    Napoleon Dynamite (NEW!)
9:00-9:30 PM    Family Guy
9:30-10:00 PM   American Dad