Fox renews Whedon's 'Dollhouse'

As Fox preps for its upfront presentation on Monday, the net is said to have renewed Joss Whedon's frosh drama "Dollhouse," and it has added another laffer to its frosh slate for the 2009-10 season.

"Dollhouse" secured a 13-episode order and is likely to stay in its Friday night berth.

Word spread Friday ayem that "Dollhouse" is looking good for a 13-episode sophomore renewal and is likely to stay in its Friday night berth. The 20th Century Fox TV fantasy drama starring Eliza Dushku has delivered modest but consistent ratings on a low-trafficked night, thanks to Whedon's built-in fan base.

The Sony Pictures TV half-hour "Brothers," penned by comedy vet Don Reo, stars former NFL player and current "Fox NFL Sunday" commentator Michael Strahan as a former NFL hot shot leaves the high life in New York City to returns to his Houston hometown in an effort to reconnect with his disabled brother and get his own life back on track. Daryl "Chill" Mitchell, Colton Dunn and Carl Weathers also star.

"Brothers" joins "Sons of Tucson," another guy-centric half-hour, on the list of Fox comedy pickups for next season. Fox unveils its new season sked to advertisers in Gotham on Monday.

"Brothers" is exec produced by Reo, Mitch Hurwitz, Eric Tannenbaum and Kim Tannenbaum through the Sony-based Hurwitz-Tannenbaum shingle Tantamount Studios.

Fox Confirms 'Terminator' Canceled

Terminator 6 On the eve of the theatrical release of the big budget "Terminator: Salvation," Fox confirmed the TV series "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" has been, well, terminated.

"It was not an inexpensive show," explained Fox entertainment president Kevin Reilly. "We had to make some choices on the night. We looked at ratings track where it had a consistent run. And that trend line was not pointing in the right direction. We make no apologies for that show -- we did a huge launch with that show. We tried. It was time to move on ... Ultimately we bet on 'Dollhouse.'"

"Terminator" topped several fan polls when viewers were asked which show at risk of cancellation they'd most like to save. Though at-risk fellow fan favorites "Chuck" and "Dollhouse" were rescued from the network axe, not so "TSCC."

Fox was less inclined to bring back "Terminator" over "Dollhouse" partly because the first show is produced by Warner Bros and the second by the network's sister studio, 20th TV

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FOX renews Fringe for a full second season

FOX has renewed FRINGE, the No. 1 new series among Adults 18-49, with a full second season, it was announced today by Kevin Reilly, President, Entertainment for Fox Broadcasting Company.

“FRINGE proved to be a notable addition to our schedule all season and it really has fans buzzing as it builds to a fantastic season finale,” said Reilly. “J.J. and the whole Bad Robot team have been phenomenal partners, and we look forward to years of making great television with them.”

“FRINGE continues to gain momentum, creatively and with viewers,” said J.J. Abrams, series co-creator and executive producer. “We couldn’t be more thrilled that FRINGE will continue to freak people out for at least another season!”

FRINGE has captivated audiences this season, winning its Tuesday time period weekly among key demographics and ranks as the No. 1 new series in primetime among Adults 18-49.

Questions will be answered when the first season of FRINGE wraps up with two all-new episodes. First, on Tuesday, May 5 (9:01-10:00 PM ET/PT), Olivia experiences “awake dreams,” Walter divulges key information about the Z.F.T. manifesto and Peter reveals a secret that yields unexpected results in a disturbing case. In the climactic finale airing Tuesday, May 12 (9:04-10:00 PM ET/PT), discoveries are made, loyalties are tested, otherworldly origins are discovered and guest star Leonard Nimoy debuts as a pivotal person of interest.

Created by J.J. Abrams & Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci, FRINGE stars Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, John Noble, Lance Reddick, Kirk Acevedo, Blair Brown and Jasika Nicole. The series is produced by Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. Abrams, Jeff Pinkner, Bryan Burk and J.H. Wyman serve as executive producers, while Kurtzman and Orci are consulting producers. Additionally, Pinkner and Wyman serve as the series’ showrunners.