FOX Announces April Return for 'House'

Zap2It.com | February 19, 2008

Hugh Laurie, 'House'

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'House' is set to begin post-strike production along with 'Back to You,' ''Til Death' and 'Bones'

FOX has added original episodes of "Bones," Back to You," "'Til Death" and "House" to a spring schedule already loaded with fresh series premieres.

The network announced Tuesday (Feb. 19) that those four returning shows will return to production for new episodes (exact numbers to be determined) in April and May. In addition, "24" will go back to shooting its seventh season, though that Emmy-winning drama won't return until Jan. 2009, when it can stick to tradition by airing 24 consecutive episodes.

The move that's bound to interest the greatest number of viewers is the shift of "House" to Monday nights. The medical drama will have its time period premiere on Monday, April 21 with an encore episode at 9 p.m. ET, followed by the first of an unspecified original post-strike episodes premiering the following week. FOX had already announced plans to air repeats on "House" on Mondays through the summer.

"House" will be paired with "Bones," which was already set to take the Monday 8 p.m. slot starting on April 14. The forensic series had a number of episodes in the can already and will shoot new ones as well.

The return of "House" means that FOX is moving up the premiere of " Canterbury's Law." Already on its third or fourth different premiere date and time slot, "Law" will now premiere on Monday, March 10 at 8 p.m.

The comedies "Back to You" and "'Til Death" will also stagger back onto the air in the weeks to come. With "Back to You," the network was already set to air original episodes on Tuesday, Feb. 26 and Wednesday, Feb. 27 in the post-"Idol" 9:30 p.m. slots. The series will then vanish until Wednesday, April 16, when it will have its 8:30 p.m. time slot premiere, beginning a run of new episodes. Wednesday, April 16 will also be the time period premiere for "'Til Death" in the 8 p.m. slot, but the comedy will air an isolated new episode on Tuesday, March 25 at 9:30 p.m.

In addition, FOX still has "Unhitched" (March 2), "New Amsterdam" (preview 03/04, time period premiere March 10), "The Return of Jezebel James" (March 14) and a new season of "Hell's Kitchen" (April 1) premiering this spring.

FOX also announced that the animated comedies "American Dad," "Family Guy" and "The Simpsons" are resuming production.