A bit of this and that at Fox

Fox, the No. 1 television network, is trying to bring some balance to the force.

As the final network to unveil its fall schedule this week for advertisers, Fox executives acknowledge the lofty success is lopsided -- coming from a handful of powerhouses, such as its quirky medical drama “House” and the cultural phenomenon that is “American Idol.” (In its sixth season, “Idol” almost single-handedly resurrected the network from a dismal fourth place at the beginning of this year to first by spring.)

On Thursday, Fox officially announced its fall and midseason prime-time lineups, which feature four new dramas, three new comedies and three reality-based series in hopes of bolstering its rank-and-file programming. “I’ve got to tell you, we’re very proud of our schedule,” said Peter Liguori, president of entertainment for Fox Television.

Slated for a fall release are:

* “Back 2 You,” a much-buzzed-about comedy because of its stars: Kelsey Grammer of “Frasier” fame and Patricia Heaton of “Everybody Loves Raymond.” The two play a pair of TV news anchors and former lovers who are unexpectedly reunited at a Pittsburgh station after Grammer’s career in Los Angeles crashes.

* “New Amsterdam,” a drama from acclaimed film director Lasse Hallstrom about an immortal named John Amsterdam, played by newcomer Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, and his centuries-old search for love.

* “K-Ville,” a police drama set in New Orleans two years after Hurricane Katrina. The show is from writer and executive producer Jonathan Lisco (“NYPD Blue,” “The District”).

Also, a trio of unscripted series launches in the fall:

* “The Search for the Next Great American Band” (its working title) from the producers of “American Idol.”

* “Kitchen Nightmares” follows a hot-tempered chef as he whips restaurants into shape.

* “Nashville” (working title), called a docu-soap that focuses on wannabe performers as they try to navigate the music industry.

Meanwhile, tapped for a midseason premiere are:

* “The Return of Jezebel Jane,” a comedy about a woman (“Six Feet Under’s” Lauren Ambrose) who agrees to carry a child for her infertile older sister (“For Your Consideration’s” Parker Posey).

* “The Rules for Starting Over,” another comedy about a group of newly single friends who discover that dating in their 30s after divorce is definitely different. Executive producers include the zany Farrelly brothers, whose films include “There’s Something About Mary.” It stars Craig Bierko from “Boston Legal,” Shaun Majumder from “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle” and Rashida Jones from “The Office.”

* “The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” a dramatic series based on characters from “The Terminator” movie series. Sarah (Lena Headey) and her 15-year-old son, John (Thomas Dekker), are fugitives who try to stay alive so he can save humanity in the future.

* “Canterbury’s Law,” a courtroom drama starring Juliana Margulies (“ER”) as a defense attorney who will cut corners in the pursuit of justice. Her single-mindedness is driven in part by the mysterious disappearance of her young son, which remains unsolved. The show’s executive producers include Denis Leary (“Rescue Me”).

* Fox hopes the new shows will finally invigorate its fall season, which perennially slides in the ratings largely because of the schedule disruption caused by its broadcast of the Major League Baseball playoffs.

However, this year, Fox’s once total commitment to the baseball postseason has been considerably pared.

With TBS and TNT airing all the division series playoffs, Fox now just shares the two league championship series but retains all of the World Series. This will leave the network better able to roll out its new fall for the first time in years. Fox executives will make a final decision on exactly when to launch the fall shows in the coming weeks.

While the more flexible schedule provides it with the opportunity to gain more viewers, executives know it still has to deliver better shows. Last year’s development season was a major disappointment.

Its upcoming shows reflect a network-wide trend of backing away from serialization. Because there are so many serials already, the standard to grab and hold an audience has gone from good to great, said Liguori.

But still, “I’m not stepping away from serialized shows,” he added.

Meanwhile, in a dramatic show of support, Fox also took the somewhat unusual step of renewing its action thriller hit “24,” starring Kiefer Sutherland, for two more full seasons this month.

The show, which has garnered more than 50 Emmy nominations, still draws a sizable audience, consistently more than 10 million viewers, but has been losing strength and been criticized this season for losing its way.

“The show has our full support,” said Liguori, who promised a “significant” twist next season. The creators of “24” are going to take “the most audacious, daring swing at the plate” when it returns in January, Liguori added.

In addition to baseball’s crowning moment, Fox also has football’s biggest day this season when it will broadcast the Super Bowl.

martin.miller@latimes.com

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Fox lineup

The fall prime-time schedule:

Monday: “Prison Break,” “K-Ville”

Tuesday: “New Amsterdam,” “House”

Wednesday: “Back 2 You,” “ ‘Til Death,” “Bones”

Thursday: “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?”,

“Kitchen Nightmares”

Friday: “The Search for the Next Great American Band” (working title), “Nashville” (working title)

Saturday: “Cops,” “America’s Most Wanted: America Fights Back,” “MadTV,” “Talk Show With Spike Feresten”

Sunday: “The OT (NFL post-game),” “The Simpsons,” “King of The Hill,” “Family Guy,”

“American Dad”