FOX ANNOUNCES 2008-2009 MIDSEASON SCHEDULE

"24" IS BACK WITH A VENGEANCE WITH TWO-NIGHT, FOUR-HOUR EVENT SUNDAY, JAN. 11 AND MONDAY, JAN. 12

"AMERICAN IDOL" RETURNS WITH TWO-NIGHT, FOUR-HOUR PREMIERE TUESDAY, JAN. 13 AND WEDNESDAY, JAN. 14

INTRIGUING NEW DRAMA "LIE TO ME" DEBUTS WEDNESDAY, JAN. 21

JOSS WHEDON'S HIGHLY ANTICIPATED ACTION-THRILLER "DOLLHOUSE" LAUNCHES FRIDAY, FEB. 13

GORDON RAMSAY'S "HELL'S KITCHEN" STARTS COOKING THURSDAY, JAN. 29

HOUSE Shifts To Mondays Starting Jan. 19; BONES Moves To Thursdays Jan. 15; TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES Travels To Fridays Feb. 13; HOLE IN THE WALL Finds Its Fit on Sundays Beginning Jan. 18

The wait is almost over as FOX announces premiere dates of new and returning series as well as revisions to its 2008-2009 midseason schedule.

January starts with the not-to-be-missed blockbuster premieres of 24 and AMERICAN IDOL. As previously announced, the non-stop action begins and a new day dawns for JACK BAUER (Kiefer Sutherland) when 24 returns with an explosive two-night, four-hour season premiere Sunday, Jan. 11 and Monday, Jan. 12 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT). AMERICAN IDOL, television's No. 1 show, returns for Season Eight with a two-night, four-hour premiere event Tuesday, Jan. 13 and Wednesday, Jan. 14 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT).

All-new episodes of HOUSE, BONES, TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES and HOLE IN THE WALL will air on new nights in midseason. Get real on Mondays with all-new episodes of HOUSE leading into real-time drama 24. Emmy-winning medical drama HOUSE moves to Mondays (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) and has its time period premiere Jan. 19 followed by the time period premiere of 24 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT).

FRINGE, the No. 1 new series of the season among Adults 18-49, will air in its regular time period Tuesdays (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) after AMERICAN IDOL starting Jan. 20.

LIE TO ME, the compelling new drama from the producers of 24, debuts Wednesday, Jan. 21 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) after AMERICAN IDOL and stars Tim Roth ("The Incredible Hulk," "Reservoir Dogs") as DR. CAL LIGHTMAN, the world's leading deception expert who studies facial expressions and involuntary body language to discover not only if someone is lying, but why. When someone shrugs one shoulder, rotates a hand or raises the lower lip, Lightman knows he's lying. Based on the real-life scientific discoveries of Paul Ekman, the series follows Lightman and his team of deception experts as they assist law enforcement and government agencies to expose the truth behind the lies.

BOOTH (David Boreanaz), BRENNAN (Emily Deschanel) and the Jeffersonian team will continue to dig up more murders when BONES moves to Thursdays (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) beginning Jan. 15 followed by more all-new episodes of KITCHEN NIGHTMARES (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT). On Thursday, Jan. 29 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), Chef Gordon Ramsay steps into another kitchen to serve up a fifth course of HELL'S KITCHEN, the unscripted series that puts wannabe restaurateurs through a rigorous one-of-a-kind culinary boot camp.

On Friday, Feb. 13, FOX presents a thrilling new action-packed lineup featuring the return and time period premiere of TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) and the highly anticipated series premiere of Joss Whedon's DOLLHOUSE (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT). DOLLHOUSE reunites Whedon with Eliza Dushku ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), who stars as a member of a highly illegal underground group of individuals who have had their personalities wiped clean so they can be imprinted with any number of new personas.

Saturday staples COPS (8:00-8:30 and 8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT) and AMERICA'S MOST WANTED: AMERICA FIGHTS BACK (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) continue in their regular time periods with all-new episodes. MADtv (11:00 PM-Midnight ET/PT) and TALKSHOW WITH SPIKE FERESTEN (Midnight-12:30 AM ET/PT) continue their late-night laughs with a mix of encore and original episodes.

Sundays find the right fit with the time period premieres of back-to-back episodes of HOLE IN THE WALL (7:00-7:30 and 7:30-8:00 PM ET/PT) beginning Jan. 18. Following HOLE IN THE WALL, Animation Domination continues with a mixture of encore and all-new episodes of THE SIMPSONS (8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT), KING OF THE HILL (8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT), FAMILY GUY (9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT) and AMERICAN DAD (9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT).

RECAP FOX MIDSEASON SCHEDULE

(All times ET/PT except as noted)

MONDAY

Monday, Jan. 5:

7:30 PM-CC ET TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL (LIVE)

Monday, Jan. 12:

8:00-10:00 PM 24 (Season Premiere, Part 2)

Mondays, beginning Jan. 19:

8:00-9:00 PM HOUSE (Time Period Premiere)

9:00-10:00 PM 24 (Time Period Premiere)

****************************

TUESDAY

Tuesday, Jan. 13:

8:00-10:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL (Season Premiere, Part 1)

Tuesdays, beginning Jan. 20:

8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL (Time Period Premiere)

9:00-10:00 PM FRINGE

****************************

WEDNESDAY

Wednesday, Jan. 14:

8:00-10:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL (Season Premiere, Part 2)

Wednesdays, beginning Jan. 21:

8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL (Time Period Premiere)

9:00-10:00 PM LIE TO ME (Series Premiere)

***************************

THURSDAY

Thursday, Jan. 1:

7:30 PM-CC ET FEDEX ORANGE BOWL (LIVE)

Thursday, Jan. 8:

7:30 PM-CC ET FEDEX BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (LIVE)

Thursdays, beginning Jan. 15:

8:00-9:00 PM BONES (Time Period Premiere)

9:00-10:00 PM KITCHEN NIGHTMARES

Thursdays, beginning Jan. 29:

8:00-9:00 PM BONES

9:00-10:00 PM HELL'S KITCHEN (Season Premiere)

***************************

FRIDAY

Friday, Jan. 2:

7:30 PM-CC ET ALLSTATE SUGAR BOWL (LIVE)

Friday, Jan. 9:

8:00-10:00 PM FOX MOVIE SPECIAL: BRUCE ALMIGHTY

Fridays, beginning Jan. 16 (no change to lineup):

8:00-9:00 PM ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5th GRADER?

9:00-10:00 PM DON'T FORGET THE LYRICS!

Fridays, beginning Feb. 13:

8:00-9:00 PM TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES (Time Period Premiere)

9:00-10:00 PM DOLLHOUSE (Series Premiere)

***************************

SATURDAY

Saturdays, beginning Jan. 3 (no change to lineup):

8:00-8:30 PM COPS

8:30-9:00 PM COPS

9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA'S MOST WANTED: AMERICA FIGHTS BACK

11:00 PM-Midnight MADtv

Midnight-12:30 AM TALKSHOW WITH SPIKE FERESTEN

***************************

SUNDAY

Sunday, Jan. 11:

8:00-10:00 PM 24 (Season Premiere, Part 1)

Sundays, beginning Jan. 18:

7:00-7:30 PM HOLE IN THE WALL (Time Period Premiere)

7:30-8:00 PM HOLE IN THE WALL (Time Period Premiere)

8:00-10:00 PM ANIMATION DOMINATION (THE SIMPSONS, KING OF THE HILL, FAMILY GUY and AMERICAN DAD)

[EDITOR'S NOTE: PRISON BREAK and 'TIL DEATH will return to the schedule at a later date.]