Reality strengthens its network grip

With the super-hit “American Idol” close to wrapping up its third cycle, Fox on Thursday formally announced its new schedule to advertisers in New York. Actually, make that three schedules: the Fox season subdivides into summer, post-World Series and “Idol,” each brimming with drama, sitcom and reality premieres.

Meanwhile, the suddenly resurgent UPN also unveiled its new lineup Thursday, focusing on a successful block of Monday comedies and another helping of its reality hit, “America’s Next Top Model.”

Now that all of the networks have revealed their new lineups (NBC, ABC, CBS and the WB feted advertisers earlier this week), some clear patterns have emerged. Reality series continue their prime-time victory march, occupying a total of 15 hours per week on the fall lineups for ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC. Last fall, such shows filled seven hours per week on network schedules (neither figure includes newsmagazines or Fox’s Saturday lineup of “Cops” and “America’s Most Wanted”).

The rise of reality is coming at the expense of sitcoms. Last year, NBC introduced three comedies and ABC launched four. For the 2004-05 season, NBC and ABC ordered just two sitcoms apiece.

One battleground to watch: the 10 p.m. Wednesday slot, which may grow more competitive than ever with the addition of the CBS spinoff “CSI: New York” and ABC’s buzz-inducing reality show “Wife Swap.” Both new shows will face off against NBC’s long-entrenched “Law & Order,” which happens to be launching a third spinoff in January.

Fox’s summer lineup, which begins June 6, includes producer Tom Fontana’s new courtroom drama “The Jury” as well as “North Shore,” a one-hour series about life in a ritzy Hawaiian hotel. Also in the wings is producer Mark Burnett’s latest, “The Casino,” about two entrepreneurs toiling to revive the Golden Nugget hotel and casino in Las Vegas.

In November, after Major League Baseball’s World Series, Fox will roll out the medical mystery drama “House” at 9 p.m. Tuesdays, opposite CBS’ new baseball drama “Clubhouse” and NBC’s new animated series “Father of the Pride.”

The youth soap “The O.C.” will return with fresh episodes and a new, super-competitive time slot, 8 p.m. Thursdays, opposite NBC’s “Friends” spinoff “Joey,” CBS’ “Survivor: Vanuatu” and ABC’s “Extreme Makeover.” Despite dismal ratings this season, the Thursday drama “Tru Calling” and Sunday’s critically acclaimed sitcom “Arrested Development” will also return for sophomore outings.

Fox has set late-fall launches for a flurry of new reality shows. “The Billionaire: Branson’s Quest for the Best,” a reality series with British mogul Richard Branson, sounds similar to NBC’s “The Apprentice,” not to mention ABC’s new reality series “The Benefactor,” with Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. “The Next Great Champ,” a reality boxing show, will land on Fridays, typically a low viewership night, which could be a sign of limited network expectations for the show. In “The Partner,” real-life law-school grads compete for a slot at a top firm.

In January, Fox will use “Idol” as an umbrella for six more new series: three dramas and three sitcoms. Among them: “Jonny Zero,” a gritty crime drama from “ER” executive producer John Wells; a quirky teen sitcom called “Related by Family”; and a sketch comedy show from Kelsey Grammer.

Also in January: the thriller “24” returns for its fourth season in a new slot, 9 p.m. Mondays, where it will square off against NBC’s “Las Vegas.”

Viewers may need a scorecard to keep up with all the lineup changes. But in an interview earlier this week, Fox entertainment president Gail Berman said the shift is necessary because postseason baseball has proven so disruptive in the past to a traditional fall rollout. Besides, viewers are accustomed to frequent program launches on cable networks.

“It’s much more of a cable model,” Berman said of the year-round strategy.

UPN appeared dead in the ratings just a year ago. But the network has been rejuvenated by “Top Model,” its highest-rated show ever among the young adults prized by advertisers. A third cycle of supermodel Tyra Banks’ reality series will return in the fall, at 8 p.m. Wednesdays.

The long-struggling “Star Trek: Enterprise” will return for a fourth season, albeit in a relatively low-profile Friday slot. In the past, UPN has aired theatrical movies on that night.

UPN entertainment president Dawn Ostroff will also add a new romantic comedy, “Second Time Around,” plus the teen crime drama “Veronica Mars” and a bachelor-plus-kid drama, “Kevin Hill.”

Missing from the new UPN lineup: the sitcoms “The Mullets” and “Rock Me Baby” and the drama “Jake 2.0.”

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Fox lineup

In keeping with its plans for a year-round schedule of original programs, Fox on Thursday unveiled a slate of four new shows to premiere in November and six more in January, in addition to its previously announced summer shows.

What’s new

“The Billionaire: Branson’s Quest for the Best” (8-9 p.m. Tuesdays): Suggestive of “The Apprentice,” this unscripted series features the Virgin empire entrepreneur Richard Branson and a group of wannabes.

“House” (9-10 p.m. Tuesdays): An edgy, moody medical drama from one of the creators of “Homicide: Life on the Street.”

“The Next Great Champ” (8-9 p.m. Fridays): Oscar De La Hoya headlines this search for a boxing champion.

“The Partner” (9-10 p.m. Sundays): Graduates from Ivy League colleges compete with grads from less prestigious schools for a job at a big law firm in this unscripted series from the creators of “Joe Millionaire.”

What’s moved

“Arrested Development” (8:30-9 p.m. Sundays; 9-9:30 p.m. starting in January)

“The O.C.” (8-9 p.m. Thursdays)

“Tru Calling” (9-10 p.m. Thursdays)

What’s gone

(shows on Fox’s fall ’03 schedule):

“Skin,” “A Minute With Stan Hooper,” “Cedric the Entertainer Presents,” “Wanda at Large,” “Luis” and “Boston Public.”

What else

(shows premiering in January):

“Athens” (8-9 p.m. Mondays): From the creator of “The O.C.” comes a drama about young adults facing life’s challenges in New England.

“Related By Family” (8:30-9 p.m. Wednesdays): A family comedy set largely at the food court of a mall.

“The Inside” (8-9 p.m. Fridays): A federal agent passes as a high school student and other undercover assignments.

“Jonny Zero” (9-10 p.m. Fridays): An ex-con confronts life post-prison in this drama from “ER’s” John Wells.

“Kelsey Grammer Presents: The Sketch Show” (7-7:30 p.m. Sundays): A sketch comedy-variety show, based on a hit in Britain.

“American Dad” (9:30-10 p.m. Sundays): “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane is the brains behind this animated comedy about a father and husband who works for the CIA.

“Family Guy”: MacFarlane’s earlier animated show returns to the lineup in June.

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UPN lineup

UPN is adding two dramas, one comedy and a second airing (with additional footage) of its unscripted hit “America’s Next Top Model.”

What’s new

“Second Time Around” (9:30-10 p.m. Mondays): Boris Kodjoe and Nicole Parker, partners in real life, play a divorced couple that remarry in this comedy.

“Veronica Mars” (9-10 p.m. Tuesdays): “Everwood’s” Kristen Bell plays a high school student by day, budding private investigator by night in this drama.

“Kevin Hill” (9-10 p.m. Wednesdays): Taye Diggs plays the title character in this drama about a has-it-all New York lawyer saddled with caring for his late cousin’s 6-month-old daughter.

What’s moved

“One on One” (8-8:30 p.m. Mondays)

“Half and Half” (8:30-9 p.m. Mondays)

“All of Us” (8-8:30 p.m. Tuesdays)

“Eve” (8:30-9 p.m. Tuesdays)

“America’s Next Top Model” (8-9 p.m. Wednesdays)

“America’s Next Top Model Encore” (8-9 p.m. Fridays)

“Star Trek: Enterprise” (9-10 p.m. Fridays)

What’s gone

(shows on UPN’s fall ’03 schedule):

“The Parkers,” “The Opposite Sex,” “Rock Me Baby,” “The Mullets” and “Jake 2.0.”

What else

(shows not on UPN’s fall schedule):

“The Missy Elliott Project” Hip-hop wannabes travel with the performer and compete to be the next hip-hop star.