Fox announces summer schedule

Fox announced the return of "So You Think You Can Dance," another round of "Hell's Kitchen" and a new scripted psych ward drama called "Mental" for this summer.

The surprise-free post-season lineup launches a little early, in late May, something NBC is doing too as networks jockey to premiere their next round of programming while viewing levels are still high. Fox is also rolling out "Don't Forget the Lyrics" and "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader." 

"Dance" has a two-night four-hour premiere starting Thursday, May 21 and Wednesday, May 27. Once auditions conclude, two-hour weekly performance shows will air Wednesdays at 8 p.m. with one-hour results shows on Thursdays at 9 p.m. 

"Mental" will air Fridays at 9 p.m., debuting May 22 (description below). "Lyrics" will serve as "Mental's" lead-in at 8 p.m. starting the same day, and will be swapped with "Grader" starting July 3.

As previously reported, "Hell's" is airing back-to-back installments this year, and will return with a two-hour debut on Tuesday, July 21 at 8 p.m. Also, Saturday night staples "COPS" and "America's Most Wanted" will continue into the summer.

There's also no new reality shows listed on the summer schedule, though that could change (and likely will).

Also absent from the list: The increasingly mythic shot-but-never-aired second season of "Moment of Truth," which some sources say is a civil war flashpoint at the network. Here's a solution: give the show to the less squeamish Fox Reality Channel, where it could easily get the cable network its highest rating ever, and could be used to drive viewers to its other reality originals.

"Mental" description: The series follows Dr. Jack Gallagher (Chris Vance), a dynamic, young psychiatrist who serves as Director of Mental Health Services at a Los Angeles hospital. At work he must reconcile his effective, yet highly unorthodox treatment methods with his conservative boss, hospital administrator Nora Skoff (Annabella Sciorra), a woman with whom he shares a romantic past. As Gallagher takes on new cases, he is confronted with patients battling unknown, misunderstood and often misdiagnosed conditions.

PREVIOUS: NBC's summer schedule revealed: 'Philanthropist,' 'Merlin,' 'Celebrity,' Conan and more

Comments

[matt]

Was this Mental show meant as a companion piece to HOUSE cause it certainly feels like it was.

Pity that its being dumped on Fridays in the summer---at least pair it up with reruns of House for goodness' sakes.

oh well at least they didn't throw away Dollhouse right?