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Upfronts 2022: Fox Goes Down To The Wire On ‘9-1-1’ & ‘The Resident’ Renewals – 2nd Update

Nellie Andreeva
·3 min read

2nd UPDATE SUNDAY PM: Last-minute efforts to close deals on 9-1-1 and The Resident renewals before Fox’s Monday upfront presentation have not been successful. I hear the two sides are not far apart on financial terms and the pacts will close in the coming days but likely not tonight. As we reported last night, 9-1-1: Lone Star‘s renewal is believed to be a done deal. 9-1-1 has been Fox’s top scripted series for several years.

UPDATE SATURDAY PM: Forty-one hours before Fox is to present its 2022-23 slate to advertisers in New York, the network still does not have its top drama series, 9-1-1 and The Resident locked in for next season. (The 9-1-1: Lone Star renewal is pretty much a done deal, I hear.) This is a throwback to some 11th hour Two and a Half Men renewals we had years ago that also closed hours before CBS’ upfront presentation.

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From what I hear, the situation is not as dramatic in this case, it seems like the network focused its attention on the tough decisions and bubble show renewals, and the ones that were no-brainers ended up taking longer in the final stretch. Renewal negotiations are more complicated now that Fox and 9-1-1, 9-1-1: Lone Star and The Resident studio 20th Television are no longer part of the same company following the studio’s acquisition by Disney. The financials of the deals change, with a myriad of factors to consider, including Fox’s deal with Hulu, which is coming up. “I liked it better when we were vertically integrated,” a person close to the situation lamented.

All signs point to a successful resolution by the time Fox is to present its lineup on Monday. The network’s bubble comedies Call Me Kat and Welcome To Flatch are believed to have closed renewal deals, which will likely be announced along with 9-1-1, 9-1-1: Lone Star and The Resident‘s return.

PREVIOUS FRIDAY 9 PM: Fox, one of the two broadcast networks presenting on the first day of the upfronts Monday, was the last to make cancellation decisions this week, axing freshman comedy Pivoting and drama Our Kind of People Friday night. No announcement has been made yet on Fox’s two other bubble shows, comedies Call Me Kat and Welcome To Flatch. I hear both are being renewed, the latter after strong Season 2 pitch, including cast additions plan, as well as some creative dealmaking from Lionsgate TV.

Surprisingly, Fox also has not announced yet formal renewals for some of its strongest series, dramas 9-1-1, 9-1-1: Lone Star and The Resident. I hear all three are still in pickup negotiations with 20th Television, along with the studio’s contingent of animated Fox veterans, The Simpsons, Family Guy and Bob’s Burgers.

Talks are going down to the wire but are expected to close, sources said. Animated series are on a different timeline so their renewal may come after the upfronts.

Fox also has not yet picked up new series for next season this upfront. (The network had previously ordered dramas Monarch and Accused which are on deck for fall.) As Deadline previously reported, John Eisendrath’s missing person procedural drama Alert is expected to get a straight-to-series order. Steve Yockey’s meteorologist comedy Cindy Snow also continues to look likely for a straight-to-series order under a lower-cost production model but the pickup may not come before the upfronts.

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