Does that mean I entirely embrace Fox? Not exactly: the network has set Joss Whedon up to fail in some fairly egregious and unnecessary ways, and who's to say Dollhouse won't suffer under budget cuts, or Glee will get a second season, or Bones will return to its former greatness. But I think a network that's serious about off-kilter portrayals of high school students, and doctors, and cops, is doing the viewing public a service. These semi-fractured shows, and other offerings like Lie to Me, and Fringe are more invigorating than the endless iterations of CSI and Law & Order (however comforting I may find those shows). And it's a sign of some actual thinking about entertainment and how it can be intelligent that so much of Fox's fun is prickly, too.
Crazy Like a FOX
I am immoderately psyched that Glee's been picked up for a full season on Fox. This may be overinterpreting things, but I think that decision speaks well for how the network looks at shows, and for their willingness to develop somewhat off-kilter characters. There's no question that Fox produces a lot of big, flashy, lucrative products like American Idol and 24. But the network's also built substantial successes on unusual figures ranging from Dr. Gregory House (PLEASE no spoilers, guys. I had to miss the premiere for a conference call. Thoughts to come, I promise.) to Dr. Temperance Brennan, gave Wanda Sykes her own show and kept Dollhouse on in spite of what I think we can all agree were miserable ratings. I think that variety is important: it provides a competitive spur for networks like USA that have built their reputations on quirky characters, as well as driving the development of performance-oriented reality shows.