…but let’s get the bad news out of the way first: we asked Peter Liguori, Fox’s President of Entertainment, point blank as to whether the show might yet be saved if it somehow sets ratings records when its last two episodes air on July 4th.

His response: “As near and dear to my heart as that show is, I would say that that’s definitely a long shot.”

Ah, well. Not that anyone expected it would play out any differently, I’m sure, but it would’ve been nice if he’d gone out on a limb and, “By God, if that thing scores such-and-such a rating, then we sure WILL pick it back up!” But no such luck.

So, okay, now that we’re pretty sure about what isn’t going to be on Fox’s 2007 – 2008 fall schedule, let’s take a look at what will…but be forewarned about one thing: Fox is playing the game of having one schedule in the fall and one schedule in the spring. Not that that’s anything new, but it does show a certain amount of foresight to be willing to lay out their strategy this early.

MONDAY

The fall starts out with “Prison Break” in the 8 PM timeslot, followed by a new drama, “K-Ville,” which is already destined to create a stir because of its setting.

K-VILLE: From writer and executive producer Jonathan Lisco (“NYPD Blue,” “The District”) comes a heroic police drama set in New Orleans. Two years after Katrina, the city is still in chaos. Many cops have quit, and the jails, police stations and crime labs still haven’t been properly rebuilt. But the cops who remain have courage to burn and a passion to reclaim and rebuild their city. MARLIN BOULET (Anthony Anderson, “The Departed,” “The Shield”) is a brash, funny, in-your-face veteran of the NOPD’s Felony Action Squad, the specialized unit that targets the most-wanted criminals. Even when his partner deserted him during the storm, Boulet held his post, spending days in the water saving lives and keeping order. Now he’s unapologetic about bending the rules when it comes to collaring bad guys. Boulet’s new partner, TREVOR COBB (Cole Hauser, “The Break-Up,” “ER”), was a soldier in Afghanistan before joining the NOPD. He’s tough and committed, but if he’s less than comfortable with Boulet’s methods, it’s because he’s harboring a dark secret. Cobb has come to New Orleans seeking redemption, but redemption can be dangerous. Will Boulet be able to trust him? Will Cobb’s past endanger them both? Rounding out the crew of cops are hotheaded BILLY “K-9” FAUST (Maximiliano Hernández, “Law & Order,” “Shark”), who often speaks before thinking; wisecracking JEFF “GLUE BOY” GOODEN (Blake Shields, “Sleeper Cell,” “Veronica Mars”), the team’s comic relief; tough-as-nails GINGER “LOVE TAP” LeBEAU (Tawny Cypress, “Heroes”), the only female on the squad, who gives as good as she gets; and CAPTAIN JAMES EMBRY (John Carroll Lynch, “Zodiac,” “The Drew Carey Show”), who wrangles the eclectic personalities of his squad with equal parts humor and tenacity.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER/WRITER: Jonathan Lisco
DIRECTOR: Deran Sarafian
CAST: Anthony Anderson as Marlin Boulet, Cole Hauser as Trevor Cobb, Maximiliano Hernández as Billy “K-9” Faust, Blake Shields as Jeff “Glue Boy” Gooden, Tawny Cypress as Ginger “Love Tap” LeBeau, John Carroll Lynch as Captain James Embry

Come January, “K-Ville” will apparently move to the 8 PM timeslot, and, upon its completion, “Prison Break” will return to that timeslot while “24” reclaims the 9 PM slot.

Oh, and check this out: another writer on the teleconference basically called Fox out on how crap “24” has been this season and wanted to know if things were gonna change next year. Having been put on the spot, Mr. Liguori responded thusly:

“We’ve heard what the show’s loyal audience has said to us, and I’ll tell you that it’s really fuelled the show runners to be more daring with what they do next year. I’ve always likened ‘24’ to a James Bond movie – every one offers a different vision, different villains, a different love interest – and I have every confidence that Joel (Surnow), Bob (Cochran), and Howard (Gordon) will come back with a daring and loquacious swing at the plate with the next season of ’24,’ and I’m looking forward to next year.”

Nice comeback. We’ll see if his confidence turns out to be warranted…

TUESDAY

“House” is still gonna be in its regular 9 PM location for the entire year, so feel free to set you TiVo now, but before “American Idol” returns in January to swipe back its 8 PM timeslot, we’ll be seeing…ph, man, another cop show? Well, trust me, “New Amsterdam” isn’t exactly your average cop show: the concept sounds straight out of a comic book, and I mean that in a good way.

NEW AMSTERDAM: Directed and executive-produced by visionary Lasse Hallström (“My Life As a Dog,” “The Cider House Rules,” “Chocolat,” “The Hoax”) and written by Allan Loeb (“Things We Lost in the Fire,” “21”) and Christian Taylor (“Showboy,” “Six Feet Under”), NEW AMSTERDAM is the story of a New York homicide detective unlike any other. He is brilliant, mysterious, reckless, magnetic, unknowable. And he has a profound secret – he is immortal. In 1642, JOHN AMSTERDAM (Nikolaj Coster Waldau, “Kingdom of Heaven”), then a Dutch solider in the colony of New Amsterdam – later to become New York City – stepped in front of a sword to save the life of a Native Indian girl during a massacre of her indigenous tribe. The girl in turn rescued Amsterdam, weaving an ancient spell that conferred immortality upon him. Amsterdam will not age, she told him, until he finds his one true love. Only then will he become whole and ready for mortality. But Amsterdam has found this to be a mixed blessing. Over the course of three centuries, he’s experienced endless adventure and honed his many talents. But everyone Amsterdam meets must leave him in time; lovers and children die while he remains young. His sole confidant and current lifelong friend is the sage jazz club owner OMAR (Stephen Henderson, “Law & Order: SVU”), the keeper of Amsterdam’s secret, as well as a few of his own. As the exhilaration of eternal life has given way to emotional isolation and bitter loneliness, Amsterdam discovers the blessing has become a curse. Bringing to bear the unorthodox techniques and unique knowledge gained from his vast life experience, Amsterdam today is one of the NYPD’s best homicide detectives, sparring with his vibrant, strong-willed partner EVA MARQUEZ (Zuleikha Robinson, “Rome,” “The Lone Gunmen”) as they solve difficult murder cases. But when Amsterdam suffers and then recovers from what appears to be a massive heart attack while chasing a suspect, and DR. SARA DILLANE (Alexie Gilmore, “Find Love”) pronounces him dead in the ER, he realizes that the Indian girl’s prophesy may have come true – he felt the pain in his heart that she had foretold so long ago. His soul mate must have been nearby. As he works to find a killer on the streets of New York, Amsterdam understands that his own life – and possibly his death – have changed forever.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Allan Loeb, David Manson, Lasse Hallström, Leslie Holleran, Steven Pearl
WRITERS: Allan Loeb & Christian Taylor
DIRECTOR: Lasse Hallström
CAST: Nikolaj Coster Waldau as John Amsterdam, Zuleikha Robinson as Eva Marquez, Alexie Gilmore as Dr. Sara Dillane, Stephen Henderson as Omar

Yeah, unfortunately, the biggest problem this show has to overcome is…c’mon, let’s say it together, shall we?…it’s on Fox. It sounds creative and cool…and given Fox’s track record with shows that are described with those adjectives, odds are that the complete series will be available on DVD in time for Christmas. Fox has enough confidence in the show to have listed as part of its spring line-up, too, but the confidence is clearly pretty muted; instead of keeping it on Tuesday night for the long haul, the plan is to bury it on Fridays at 9 PM come January. Ugh.

WEDNESDAY

I’m not a huge fan of “‘Til Death,” but some of ya’ll must be, because it made it through its freshman year and will be in the 8:30 timeslot. Preceding it, though, will be the lone new sitcom being added to Fox’s fall line-up: “Back to You.” Damn, just dig that cast…

BACK TO YOU: In the ‘90s, the local TV news scene in Pittsburgh was dominated by one team: CHUCK DARLING (Kelsey Grammer, “Frasier,” “Cheers”) and KELLY CARR (Patricia Heaton, “Everybody Loves Raymond”). They had that elusive quality all news teams need: chemistry … at least on-screen. Off-screen, Chuck was a bit of a self-centered womanizer, Kelly a bit of an uptight know-it-all. So when Chuck got the call to move up to a larger market, no tears were shed. But after an embarrassing on-air tirade ended up on the Internet, Chuck found himself on the downswing career-wise. He even questioned whether his lifestyle of chasing women and living in hotels was as exciting as it used to be. So when he got the call to return to Pittsburgh, to reunite with Kelly and try to take the newscast back to No. 1, it was an offer he couldn’t refuse. Back in Pittsburgh, Chuck has a new coworker in RYAN CHURCH (Josh Gad, “Mary and Joe”), the overstressed news director. There are also familiar faces like MARSH McGINLEY (Fred Willard, “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy,” “Best in Show”), the affable, endlessly inappropriate sports anchor, and GARY CREZYZEWSKI, pronounced Kre-shoov-ski (Ty Burrell, “In Good Company,” “Out of Practice”), the perennially put-upon field reporter who always seems to get left out in the snow. But, mostly, there’s Kelly, now a single mom to 10-year-old GRACIE (Laura Marano, “Without a Trace”). There was magic between them once. Can they find it again?

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS/CREATORS: Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd
DIRECTOR: James Burrows
CAST: Kelsey Grammer as Chuck, Patricia Heaton as Kelly, Fred Willard as Marsh, Josh Gad as Ryan, Ty Burrell as Gary, Laura Marano as Gracie

Nice work, Fox. You had me with Kelsey Grammer, won my confidence with Patricia Heaton, and by adding Fred Willard to the mix, you’ve got me sitting in front of the TV, waiting for the premiere. January, however, bodes even better for that 8 – 9 PM timeslot; they’ll be bumping “‘Til Death” to 9:30, so that it follows the “American Idol” results show, and, in the 8:30 slot, we’ll have a show that’s tentatively titled “The Return of Jezebel James.”

THE RETURN OF JEZEBEL JAMES (working title): Can two estranged sisters, polar opposites, live together when one agrees to carry the other’s baby? SARAH THOMKINS (Parker Posey, “For Your Consideration,” “Best in Show”) is a bright, optimistic, determined woman who seems to have it all – a great job as a children’s book editor, an eager-to-please assistant, BUDDY (Michael Arden), who helps keep her life together, and a no-strings-attached personal relationship with successful businessman MARCUS SONTI (Scott Cohen, “Kissing Jessica Stein”). Nevertheless, as her father, RONALD (Ron McLarty, “Law & Order”), is constantly pointing out, something is missing from Sarah’s life. Her hard work may garner accolades, but when she goes home at night, she is very much alone. All too aware that she isn’t getting any younger, Sarah decides to have a baby on her own and gets the shock of her life when the doctor tells her she can’t get pregnant. Having no concept of the term “can’t,” Sarah wills herself to execute a plan. With nowhere else to turn, Sarah sets up a meeting with her quirky younger sister, COCO (Lauren Ambrose, “Six Feet Under”), and proposes a plan for Coco to carry her baby. They haven’t seen each other in a while, and Coco refuses to go along with such a huge favor. But something happens when Sarah mentions that she’s turned Coco’s imaginary childhood friend, Jezebel James, into a children’s book. Even though she doesn’t say so out loud, Coco is clearly touched, and, realizing that her current living situation – sharing a couch with her friend’s sick dog – isn’t working out, Coco decides that this just might be worth a try.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Amy Sherman-Palladino, Dan Palladino
DIRECTOR: Amy Sherman-Palladino
CAST: Parker Posey as Sarah, Lauren Ambrose as Coco, Scott Cohen as Marcus, Michael Arden as Buddy, Ron McLarty as Ronald

A sitcom from the creators of “Gilmore Girls” that stars Parkey Posey and Lauren Ambrose (you know, the redhead from “Six Feet Under”) as sisters? SOLD.

THURSDAY

Foxworthy fans, fear not! “Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?” is locked into place at 8 PM for the forseeable future, i.e. all season. 9 PM, however, flips come January. First off, we see the return of Gordon Ramsay…but not in “Hell’s Kitchen.” This time, he’s experiencing “Kitchen Nightmares.”

KITCHEN NIGHTMARES: Hell hath no fury like an angry chef, and no chef has a sharper temper than Gordon Ramsay when things go wrong in the kitchen. The star of the highly rated culinary boot camp “Hell’s Kitchen” returns to FOX with another sizzling unscripted series. This time, Chef Ramsay hits the road in each episode, tackling a restaurant in crisis and exposing the stressful realities of trying to run a successful food business. Inspired by one of the UK’s biggest hits, KITCHEN NIGHTMARES is seen in more than 50 territories around the globe, and the series reveals a whole new side to Ramsay. He’s still prone to the explosive outbursts and spectacular confrontations familiar to fans of “Hell’s Kitchen,” but he also shows his sensitive and nurturing side – a unique blend of fury, passion, inspirational leadership and tough love that can coax a small spark of talent into a roaring flame. There’s no time for polite small talk as Ramsay embarks on his mission to turn things around. If the wine waiter’s service isn’t up to par, he’ll be out the door before he can say “merlot.” If the head chef doesn’t match up to Ramsay’s expectations, Ramsay will hammer him into shape, and if he can’t stand the heat, he may quit the kitchen. Ramsay’s reputation is on the line, so there’s bound to be high blood pressure, raised voices and serious clashes as he attempts to do the impossible: turn a deserted dining room into the most sought-after venue in town in just a week.

PRODUCTION COMPANIES: Granada America, Optomen Television, A. Smith & Co.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Arthur Smith, Pat Llewellyn, Kent Weed, Gerry McKean, Curt Northrup
CAST: Gordon Ramsay

Meh. I’m more looking forward to the show which takes the spot come January: “Canterbury’s Law.”

CANTERBURY’S LAW: From executive producers Denis Leary and Jim Serpico (“Rescue Me,” “The Job”) and writer Dave Erickson (“Murder in Greenwich”) comes CANTERBURY’S LAW, a courtroom drama about a rebellious female defense attorney who’s willing to bend the law in order to protect the wrongfully accused. ELIZABETH CANTERBURY (Julianna Margulies, “ER”) is a force of nature. An attorney on the rise, she puts her career on the line to take on risky and unpopular cases, even when they take a toll on her personal life. Elizabeth and her law professor husband MATTHEW CANTERBURY (Linus Roache, “Batman Begins,” “The Chronicles of Riddick”), haunted by the disappearance of their young son, have settled in Providence, Rhode Island, in an attempt to distance themselves from the tragedy and put their relationship back together. But those goals become elusive whenever Elizabeth’s work provides a stark reminder of the justice absent in their own lives. At the office, Canterbury has surrounded herself with a brilliant but motley crew of attorneys. RUSSELL CROSS (Ben Shenkman, “Pi,” “Angels in America”) was forced out of the Providence District Attorney’s Office when he went toe-to-toe with his morally bankrupt boss, D.A. Zach Williams. His reputation tarnished, Russell turned to Canterbury, the only attorney willing to take him in. Now Russell provides a much-needed voice of reason for Canterbury even when she doesn’t want to hear it, his position of influence well-earned by their years of friendship. CHESTER FIELDS (Jocko Sims, “Dreamgirls,” “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”) and MOLLY McCONNELL (Trieste Dunn, “United 93”) are the associates rounding out Canterbury’s legal crew. Chester is a blue-blooded congressman’s son who is embarrassed by his privileged upbringing and has turned his back on politics. Molly, in contrast, is headstrong, passionate and quick to take sides – even if she finds herself in the opposite corner from Canterbury.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Denis Leary, Jim Serpico, Mike Figgis
WRITER: Dave Erickson
DIRECTOR: Mike Figgis
CAST: Julianna Margulies as Elizabeth Canterbury, Linus Roache as Matthew Canterbury, Ben Shenkman as Russell Cross, Trieste Dunn as Molly McConnell, Jocko Sims as Chester Fields

I know: there are already plenty of legal dramas. But Mike Figgis, Denis Leary, and Julianna Margulies make it worth investigating. It sounds like a female version of “Shark,” more or less. Or “House” if he was a she and was a lawyer instead of a doctor. Actually, that’s pretty much a completely different show, so forget that one…

FRIDAY

It’s one reality show after another as the season begins. First, at 8 PM, Fox begins “The Search for the Next Great American Band.”

THE SEARCH FOR THE NEXT GREAT AMERICAN BAND (working title): What “American Idol” did for individuals, THE SEARCH FOR THE NEXT GREAT AMERICAN BAND is going to do for musical groups. The producers of “American Idol” will conduct the ultimate search for an undiscovered band. THE SEARCH FOR THE NEXT GREAT AMERICAN BAND is scouring the country, seeking groups from all musical genres who think they have what it takes to make it big. Judges will narrow down bands from all walks of life – musicians of different ages, family acts, garage bands, etc. – to 10 semi-finalists, who will perform in front of a live studio audience. Viewers then will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite bands. The final three acts will compete for a major recording contract and the chance to become music superstars.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Simon Fuller, Nigel Lythgoe, Ken Warwick, Cecile Frot-Coutaz

I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say that whoever wins this contest will, in fact, not actually be a great American band, and even if they miraculously turn out to be halfway decent, their success will be about as long-lived as, say, Supernova. Statement of fact: the only thing worse than America’s taste in music is its collective memory. “Are you sure I liked you enough to buy your album? I think you must be mistaken…”

Next up: a series we here at Bullz-Eye like to call “The Mike and Jen Farley Story.” But for Fox’s purposes, they’re simply calling it…”Nashville.”

NASHVILLE (working title): From the creative minds behind the hit series “Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County” comes NASHVILLE, a high-stakes, high-drama docu-soap set in “the biggest small town in America.” The show focuses on the dreamers and dream-makers in the music industry, as well as those trying to make their mark on Nashville’s big business and high society. The series features a diverse, vibrant young cast perched on the cusp of achieving their greatest successes in a town that can make you or break you. Talent, power, drive, love and hope are the fuel that makes Nashville burn bright – and makes this unique place the true embodiment of the American Dream. Behind every song there’s a story waiting to be told, and there are many such stories in NASHVILLE.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Gary Auerbach, Julie Auerbach

If you’re bored by this Friday night line-up, don’t worry: we move back to fiction come January, with “Bones” and “New Amsterdam” taking the 8 and 9 timeslots, respectively. Sorry, “Bones.” Friday’s a bitch. Here’s hoping there are lots of obsessive David Boreanaz fans who’ll stay home to watch the show.

SATURDAY

Well, you have to give Fox credit: they’re pretty much the only network willing to have a Saturday night line-up that’s filled with original programming. Of course, the fact that it’s all reality TV – “Cops” from 8-9, “America’s Most Wanted” from 9-10 – means it’s not that expensive a proposition for them, either. If you’re wondering, both “Mad TV” and “Talk Show with Spike Feresten” are both returning to the late night line-up.

SUNDAY

The fall finds the same line-up you’ve come to know and love: football, followed by “The Simpsons,” “King of the Hill,” “Family Guy,” and “American Dad.” Good times, good animation, and – bonus! – at least or or two of those shows are actually still funny.

Once football’s over, though, look out: the animation block moves back an hour and has its order shifted (it’ll be “King of the Hill” at 7, “American Dad” at 7:30, and “Family Guy” at 8:30, with “The Simpsons” staying put) in order to make room for the most buzzed-about show of the year: “The Sarah Connor Chronicles.”

THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES: Executive producers Josh Friedman (“War of the Worlds”), David Nutter (“Supernatural,” “Smallville”) and C-2 Pictures (“Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines”) bring to television an intense new drama based on the celebrated heroine of the “Terminator” movies: Sarah Connor. At the end of “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” Sarah vanquished the liquid metal Terminator sent from the future to kill her teenage son, John. Sarah and John now find themselves alone in a very dangerous, complicated world. Fugitives from the law, they are confronted with the reality that still more enemies from the future, and the present, could attack at any moment. THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES reveals what happens when SARAH (Lena Headey, “The Brothers Grimm,” “300”) stops running and goes on the offensive against an ever-evolving technological enemy bent on destroying her life, and perhaps the world. Her son, 15-year-old JOHN CONNOR (Thomas Dekker, “Heroes”), knows that he may be the future savior of mankind, but is not yet ready to take on the mantle of leadership that he’s told is his destiny. John finds himself inextricably drawn to CAMERON (Summer Glau, “Serenity,” “The Unit”), an enigmatic and otherworldly student at his high school, who soon proves to be much more than his confidante – she assumes the role of Sarah and John’s fearless protector. On their trail are not only threats from the future, but an intelligent and tough FBI agent, JAMES ELLISON (Richard T. Jones, “Judging Amy”), who soon becomes a powerful ally. Directed by David Nutter and produced by Warner Bros. Television and C-2 Pictures, THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES represents an exciting reinvention of the “Terminator” franchise, in which the strong and intrepid Sarah discovers that protecting her son and stopping the rise of the machines is more difficult than she had ever imagined.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Josh Friedman, David Nutter, James Middleton, Mario Kassar, Andrew Vajna, Joel Michaels
WRITER: Josh Friedman
DIRECTOR: David Nutter
CAST: Lena Headey as Sarah Connor, Thomas Dekker as John Connor, Richard T. Jones as James Ellison, Summer Glau as Cameron

I’ll tune in, of course. But I think we’re all going to be using the same yardstick to measure this thing by: it doesn’t have to be as good as “T2,” but if it ain’t better than “T3,” then we won’t be back.