Fox Picks Up Another Drama, Further Complicating Renewal Prospects of The Resident and Prodigal Son

Fox has ordered yet another new drama for the 2021-22 broadcast season, and we’re beginning to get a little antsy about some of our favorite shows.

The Hollywood Reporter has been all over the Fox schedule today, and if history is indicative of future results, we might be hearing from the network about pickups or cancellations very soon.

The latest pickup is a country music drama titled Monarch from Melissa London Hilfers with showrunner Michael Rauch.

While Hilfers is a newcomer, Rauch is well-known to TV Fanatic readers for his work on Royal Pains.

According to THR, Monarch “is described as a Texas-sized, multigenerational musical drama about America’s first family of country music.

“The Romans are fiercely talented, but while their name is synonymous with honesty, the very foundation of their success is a lie.

“When their reign as country royalty is put in jeopardy, Nicky Roman, the heir to the crown, already battling an industry stacked against her, will stop at nothing to protect her family’s legacy.”

This script has been gestating for a long time, first picked up by Fox almost two years ago but languishing for various production issues.

Those issues resulted in Monarch becoming Fox’s first fully-owned live-action scripted series since the network gained its independence a few years back.

Monarch’s production includes a top music manager, Jason Owen, as an executive producer, who has clients like Faith Hill and Kacey Musgraves and counts the estates of Johnny and June Carter Cash on his roster.

That opens up the possibility that this series could feature artists Owen works with, and that will surely be a boon for the show and the network.

Monarch is the fifth new series that Fox has picked up for the upcoming season.

Earlier today, they picked up The Cleaning Lady, which joined The Big Leap, starring Scott Foley, and Out Kind of People, produced by Lee Daniels, and a mockumentary from Paul Feig titled This Country.

That’s in addition to the Fantasy Island reboot scheduled to premiere in August.

There are other shows that are still in consideration, which doesn’t bode well for the shows we adore here at TV Fanatic, including The Resident, 9-1-1, 9-1-1: Lone Star, and Prodigal Son.

While 9-1-1 was once a top performer, if it’s not already renewed, that means it’s on the bubble. 9-1-1: Lone Star never achieved the same level of success as the mothership.

The Resident has never gotten the recognition it deserves, and Prodigal Son was a Hail Mary renewal going into its sophomore season.

There is a lot for us to worry about with regard to the Fox schedule, and it’s a shame since the aforementioned shows are some of the most diverse on the TV landscape.

Losing them would be a significant loss.

Are you beginning to get a little worried about your favorite Fox shows?

Are there any shows recently picked up that could win their way into your heart?

Let us know what you think.

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Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She’s a member of the Critic’s Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on Twitter and email her here at TV Fanatic.

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