The move doesn’t come as a surprise considering the negative buzz and poor ratings for Utopia. After posting mediocre numbers in a special Sunday preview, the series has floundered on both Tuesdays and Fridays, putting FOX in fourth place in the time slot and possibly harming comedies New Girl and The Mindy Project. This way, the show can concentrate its audience and FOX doesn’t have to worry about falling to fifth place this coming Tuesday when The CW’s likely potent Flash/Supernatural lineup premieres.

The first new fall series to premiere this season, Utopia becomes the first new fall show to be pulled, though it might be able to avoid becoming the first outright cancellation if it can post some decent Friday numbers. The show recently instituted a voting-out process designed to rid itself of some of the characters that drew negative buzz upon the show’s initial airings.

Are you surprised that FOX didn’t cancel Utopia entirely? What do you think will air on Tuesdays after MasterChef Junior finishes its second season? Should FOX have moved another series (e.g. Red Band Society) to Tuesdays instead of MasterChef Junior?

The post Fox Pulls Tuesday Utopia, Moves MasterChef Junior appeared first on TVHackr.

“MasterChef Junior has proven itself to be the little show with a big bite – so big, we’ve picked it up for a third season,” said Simon Andreae, Executive Vice President, Alternative Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company. “It’s incredible to see how unbelievably creative and skilled kids can be in the kitchen – some before they’ve even learned how to spellwhat they’re cooking! We can’t wait to meet the talent that our judges discover in the next two cycles.”

It’s a surprising vote of confidence for the competition series, which performed better than the network could have expected while not gathering as much buzz as some of its lower-rated fare. Still, it further solidifies the network’s relationship with Ramsay, who is currently responsible for five series (MasterChef Junior, MasterChef, Hell’s Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares, Hotel Hell) on FOX, and gives them a strong piece at a time when the rest of their lineup is imploding. With American Idol severely down, New Girl losing 50% of the audience it had in September, Brooklyn Nine-Nine softening following Super Bowl exposure, Rake being DOA, and The Following edging toward the bubble, among many other troubling developments, FOX needs shows like MasterChef Junior to take up scheduling space and allow them to focus their efforts elsewhere. With the positive word of mouth that the first season received, it’s possible that season two will prove to be an even sturdier workhorse and breathe some life into Fridays.

Do you think FOX made the right decision in already renewing MasterChef Junior for a third season? Will the show become a Friday night staple for the network as they look to rebuild elsewhere? Exactly how many more Gordon Ramsay shows will air on FOX in our lifetime?

The post MasterChef Junior Renewed for Season 3 by FOX appeared first on TVHackr.

“MasterChef Junior is one of the few shows on television that the entire family can truly enjoy together, and  I can’t wait to see what Gordon, Joe, Graham and the next round of rambunctious, ridiculously talented junior chefs cook up in Season Two,” said FOX Broadcasting Company Chairman of Entertainment Kevin Reilly.

The latest series from kitchen guru Gordon Ramsay, MasterChef Junior pitted kids between the ages of eight and 13 against one another in a series of challenges that demonstrate their culinary ability and passion for cooking. Among the challenges Ramsay, restaurateur Joe Bastianich, and chef Graham Elliot had to judge the contestants were the judges’ favorite childhood foods, desserts, and restaurant takeover, with the winner of season one being three-time challenger winner Alexander.

During its first season, which concluded November 8th, MasterChef Junior averaged 5.1 million total viewers and ranked No. 1 in its time period among Adults 18-49, Adults 18-34, Women 18-49/18-34, Men 18-49/18-34 and Teens. The success of the series allowed FOX to make the awkward transition from the beginning of its fall season to the World Series, an event that often wreaks havoc on the moment of its scripted series, a bit more smoothly and be able to concentrate on other nights with its surprisingly strong Friday. There’s no guarantee that the show will stay on Fridays in the fall, though, especially since Ramsay’s other series have been used to plug holes in the network’s schedule over the past several years.

What did you think about the first season of MasterChef Junior? How could the show be improved for the upcoming second season? Is FOX in danger of being on Ramsay Overload or was the execution of something like MasterChef Junior fresh enough to where it could survive for several more seasons?

The post MasterChef Junior Renewed for Season 2 by FOX appeared first on TVHackr.

You can check out FOX’s 2013 schedule here, as well as trailers for its new shows here and the premiere dates for NBC, CBS, and The CW here, here, and here.

Which FOX shows will you be watching next season? Do you think they ordered too many new shows to be able to fit everything into the season? Will they find their next big hit out of the most recent series orders they made?

Wednesday, September 11th
8:00 The X Factor (Season Premiere, Part One)
9:00 Masterchef (Season Finale)

Thursday, September 12th
8:00 – 10:00 The X Factor (Season Premiere, Part Two)

Monday, September 16th
8:00 Bones
9:00 Sleepy Hollow

Tuesday, September 17th
8:00 Dads
8:30 Brooklyn Nine-Nine
9:00 New Girl
9:30 The Mindy Project

Wednesday, September 18th
8:00 – 10:00 The X Factor (All-New, Regular Time Period)

Thursday, September 19th
8:00 The X Factor (All-New, Regular Time Period)
9:00 Glee

Friday, September 27th
8:00 Masterchef Junior
9:00 Sleepy Hollow (Encore)

Sunday, September 29th
8:00 The Simpsons
8:30 Bob’s Burgers
9:00 Family Guy
9:30 American Dad

Monday, November 4th
8:00 Almost Human
9:00 Sleepy Hollow

Friday, November 8th
8:00 Bones (Time Period Premiere)
9:00 Raising Hope
9:30 Enlisted

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