'K-Ville,' 'Back to You' and 'New Amsterdam' set September launches

FOX has announced the September premiere dates for a bevy of returning shows, plus five of its new options.

In the past, FOX has attempted to get an early start on the fall season, often premiering shows in August or just ahead of the more conventional network premiere dates. That strategy has let FOX get traction before the fall is interrupted by the baseball postseason.

This year, with the network's baseball exposure somewhat limited, FOX's autumn launches are surprisingly conservative. Only one show, "Are You Smarter That a 5th Grader," will launch in August (premiering on Thursday, Aug. 30), with the rest of the lineup starting over three traditional weeks in September.

As the network announced back at its May upfront presentation to advertisers, the fall will see the premieres of the new scripted dramas "K-Ville" and "New Amsterdam," along with the comedy "Back to You" and the unscripted "Kitchen Nightmares" and "Nashville." The network has saved big guns like "The Sarah Connor Chronicles" and "The Return of Jezebel James" for the January season where "American Idol" and "24" arrive to make everything alright again.

Following the Aug. 30 "Smarter" premiere, FOX will wait until Saturday, Sept. 8 to unveil new episodes of its reliable "COPS" and "America's Most Wanted" duo. FOX's late-night Saturday options, "MADtv" and "Talk Show With Spike Feresten," will premiere the next week.

"Kitchen Nightmares," a new series staring Chef Gordon Ramsay, has its first airing at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday, Sept. 13 and "Nashville," from the producers of "Laguna Beach," goes out at the same time the following night.

A new season of "Prison Break," with our heroes now stuck in a Panamanian prison, begins on Monday, Sept. 17, followed by the premiere of the New Orleans police drama "K-Ville," starring Anthony Anderson and Cole Hauser.

The Kelsey Grammer/Patricia Heaton sitcom "Back to You" premieres at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 19, with the second season launch of "'Til Death" and the third season premiere of "Bones" to follow.

On Sunday, Sept. 23, "The Simpsons" and "King of the Hill" will start new seasons in the 8 p.m. hour and "Family Guy" will get an hour-long premiere. Fans of "American Dad" will have to wait until Sept. 30 for that show to launch.

FOX's other September openings will come on Tuesday, Sept. 25 with the first episode of the immortal cop saga "New Amsterdam" leading into the eagerly awaited "House" premiere.