Fox Sets Slate of Deals From Top Producers

As the only broadcast network to show prime-time ratings gains so far this season, Fox built on its momentum Friday by releasing a slate of program development deals and pilot commitments from some of television’s top producers.

The projects for next season include a drama about a cop who moonlights as a doctor from “Northern Exposure” creators Joshua Brand and John Falsey; a spinoff of Fox’s “The X-Files” by creator Chris Carter, and a one-hour “dramedy” about a pastor from “Picket Fences” creator David Kelley and with “Northern Exposure” producers Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider.

Dennis Klein, co-creator of “The Larry Sanders Show,” will present a sitcom set behind the scenes of a sitcom, and “The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd” creator Jay Tarses will executive produce a comedy from a junior-high teacher’s point of view.

In the past, many of the top producers in Hollywood have not rushed to work at Fox. But thanks to Fox’s contract with the National Football League and a strengthening lineup of affiliate stations, Fox is having more luck in its effort to compete with ABC, CBS and NBC.

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John Matoian, president of the Fox Entertainment Group, announced the development slate in Pasadena before a gathering of national TV reporters previewing mid-season programming. Matoian said producers at Fox are allowed to be “a little less restrictive, a little more free-form, a little more daring” than the other networks.

“All of them are doing shows that they brought to Fox first,” noted Matoian, who added that Fox’s eyes are now set on launching a late-night franchise.

Other prime-time series include “Kindred,” executive produced by Aaron Spelling, described as a “Godfather” saga about a kindred of vampires in present-day San Francisco. Noted Hong Kong film director John Woo is planning a detective series involving the effort to infiltrate a Pacific Rim crime syndicate.

Two documentarians will also join Fox: Errol Morris, whose “The Thin Blue Line” helped free a convicted felon, and Michael Moore (“Roger & Me”), who will bring his NBC reality show “TV Nation” over to Fox.

In other news, Matoian said that because the jury in O.J. Simpson’s murder trial is now sequestered, Fox feels free to broadcast its TV movie about Simpson and will soon announce a date.