The Question, Monday 1/21/13: Can Fox Develop a Drama with a Large Following?

Tonight, the network with by far the worst recent drama development will take its last best stab at the space until next fall. Reviews for Kevin Bacon's The Following have been mixed but generally leaning positive. Fox is hoping this show will do well enough that they can use it as a schedule tentpole in the winter/spring months as they did for years with 24. As few solid scripted options as Fox has these days, it probably won't take much. Can Fox develop a drama with a large Following? That's The Question for Monday, January 21, 2013.

The Mob Doctor In This Timeslot	Recent Fox Drama Premieres
0.90 average (0.96 only on Monday) 1.5 premiere (9/17/12, 2.4 Bones lead-in) 0.9 finale (1/7/13, 0.9 Bones (R))	3.1 (Terra Nova, 9/26/11) 1.7 (The Finder, 1/12/12, 2.5 Bones) 3.3 (Alcatraz, 1/16/12) 3.9 (Touch, 1/25/12, 7.1 American Idol) 1.5 (The Mob Doctor, 9/17/12, 2.4 Bones)

While it may well end up being a better show, I don't think The Following has as clear a hook as Terra Nova (dinosaurs!) or Alcatraz (famous prison! JJ Abrams!) or Touch (it's Kiefer Sutherland!). So even if it may well settle at a higher level, I don't think it'll premiere quite as well. With that being said, there's been too much promotion and the concept has too much intrigue for it to fall anywhere near the The Mob Doctor or The Finder vicinity.

Over/Under: 2.85.

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