FUTURE ON FOX

Sharpen your pencils.

(Or pens, if you’re that confident.)

There will be a hidden Simpsons message – integral to that night’s episode – in The New York Times Sunday Crossword Puzzle on Nov. 16th.

Cause we’re nothing if not savvy, it ties into the fact that crossword puzzle creator Merl Reagle and NY Times Crossword Puzzle editor Will Shortz will be the guest voice actors in that Nov 16th episode, “Homer and Lisa Exchange Cross Words,” where Lisa discovers her amazing talent for solving crossword puzzles.

Writer-director Mike Binder has written the sitcom pilot “Two Dollar Beer,” which could be his first series since “The Mind of the Married Man.”

In Detroit, a group of young adults weather the worsening economy but refuse to move away from their hometown. “The auto industry they grew up knowing no longer exists, and they figure out ways to be happy with less,” Binder said. “They know where the $2 beer nights are and the all-you-can-eat buffet.”

“Broke Friends” is a comedy pilot about an innocent Midwestern kid who relocates to New York, where he moves in with two scam artists.

Patrick Walsh and Sonny Lee wrote the script, while Luke Greenfield will direct and exec produce.

“It’s an ensemble comedy about which road you take in life — the long, hard-working grind to the top, or the hedonistic joyride at the bottom,” Greenfield explains.

“FOX picking up nine more episodes of our show is proof that an African-American can make it in this country,” said Cleveland Brown. “This is a milestone for the United States of America.”

As if this wasn’t enough of a political statement, the show also announced that Arianna Huffington will be a recurring voice role.

With the new year comes change. Some go on diets. We move our schedule around to make room for new additions to the family (as well as American Idol).

Here’s what FOX will look like in the beginning of 2009:

Sunday Jan 11th
8/7c 24 premiere (episodes 1 & 2)
Monday Jan 12th
8/7c 24 premiere (episodes 3 & 4)

Tuesday Jan 13th
8/7c American Idol premiere

Wednesday Jan 14th
8/7c American Idol premiere

Thursday Jan 15th
8/7c Bones moves to its new night

Monday Jan 19th
8/7c House moves to its new night
9/8c 24 moves to its regular timeslot

Tuesday Jan 20th
9/8c Fringe returns (after American Idol)

Wednesday Jan 21st
9/8c Lie to Me premiere (after American Idol)

Friday Feb 13th
8/7c Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles moves to its new night
9/8c Dollhouse premiere

UPDATE: Prison Break and ‘Til Death are returning! The above schedule is just for January and February.

We’ve already got Pacey.

Now Dawson is joining his childhood friend on Fox.

James Van Der Beek joins the pilot Eva Adams as “Connor,” a former frat boy who is a good friend of the lead and an agent at the same sports management firm.

(Would it be too much to ask Michelle Williams to stop with the indie movies and Katie Holmes to stop with the Tom Cruise so that they both come to Fox to complete the Dawson’s quadrangle? No?)

Also joining the JVDB on Eva is David Denman as “Paul,” another agent who’s also a single dad reeling from a devastating divorce. (Spoiler for you Office fans: If this show takes off, then it’s less likely Roy will be returning to steal Pam back from Jim.)

Add the latest trailer to your own page:


UPDATE: For those of you outside the US…

Some unknown faces and a Bluth hermano land parts on Boldly Going Nowhere.

Maybe being funny is more important than being famous, because their performances at the table read of the pilot episode caused more than one jaded Fox exec to hyperventilate with laughter.

Tony Hale will play the ship’s robot, who thinks he’s superior to the human race.

Here’s the people you don’t yet know:

• Ben Koldyke is “Captain Ron Teague,” the rogue leader of the intergalactic spaceship
• Upright Citizens Brigade alumnae Lennon Parham is “Joyce,” the ship’s by-the-book pilot
• Chad L. Coleman is “Cobalt,” the self-absorbed, intimidating head of security

• Jessalyn Gilsig has been cast in Glee as “Terri,” the beleaguered wife of the head of the glee club. Terri is a former glee club member.

• Kevin Sussman will play the title role in Sincerely, Ted L. Nancy, Based on the book Letters from a Nut, “Ted” is a regular guy who, after suffering through too many faulty products and customer service mishaps, decides to take on the corporations by writing letters that “seek to avenge the consumer frustrations of people everywhere.”

• Fox has inked a talent holding deal with Broadway star Kathryn Hahn.