FOX has long been a network known for its vast programming. However, beneath the surface of the long-running hits lies a treasure trove of short-lived series that, despite their brief runs, left an indelible mark on the television landscape.
READ: Who Remembers These 15 Short-Lived UPN TV Shows [VIDEO]
These shows, often overshadowed by their more enduring counterparts, offered unique storylines, memorable characters, and sometimes even cult followings. From dramas to sitcoms and everything in between, FOX’s short-lived series showcased a diverse range of programming.
Let’s embark on a journey down memory lane and revisit some of these forgotten gems. Some may be familiar to longtime fans, while others might be completely new to you. Join us as we explore the intriguing world of FOX’s short-lived television shows.
South Central
Lasted: 1 season, 10 episodes
Starring Tina Lifford, Larenz Tate, Tasha Scott, Keith Mbulo, Paula Kelly and Ken Page, its gritty drama about life in South Los Angeles, focusing on a single mother of three raising her children amid challenges like gang violence and poverty.
M.A.N.T.I.S.
Lasted: 1 season, 22 episodes
superhero TV series about Dr. Miles Hawkins, a paralyzed scientist who creates an exoskeleton that allows him to walk and gives him superhuman abilities. He becomes the crime-fighting M.A.N.T.I.S. (Mechanically Augmented Neuro Transmitter Interception System) to seek justice.
413 Hope St
Lasted: 1 season, 10 episodes
Starring Richard Roundtree, Jesse L. Martin, Shari Headley, and more, the show is set in a community crisis center. Founded by Phil (Roundtree), a successful corporate executive, the center was established in the building where his teenage son was tragically gunned down after refusing to give up his sneakers to a street thug.
This drama explores the social issues affecting inner-city youth, including addiction and teen pregnancy.”
Lawless
Lasted: 1 season, 6 episodes (5 unaired)
The show stars former NFL player Brian Bosworth as John Lawless, an ex-special forces operative who becomes a motorcycle-riding private investigator in Miami’s South Beach.
The Street
Lasted: 1 season, 12 episodes (5 unaired)
A short-lived series, starring Giancarlo Esposito and Melissa De Sousa among others, that focused on the personal and professional lives of a group of high-stakes Wall Street traders.
Fastlane
Lasted: 1 season, 22 episodes
Starring Bill Bellamy and Peter Facinelli the show follows two undercover cops, Van Ray and Deaqon Hayes, who work for a secretive division of the LAPD. They use high-end cars, gadgets, and other seized items to infiltrate and take down criminal organizations.
Firefly
Lasted: 1 season, 14 episodes
Set in the year 2517, “Firefly” follows the adventures of the renegade crew of Serenity, a “Firefly-class” spaceship. The crew lives on the fringes of society, taking on any job, legal or illegal, to survive. Gina Torres, Nathan Fillion and more starred in it.
Killer Instinct
Lasted: 1 season, 13 episodes
A police procedural about a detective in San Francisco’s Deviant Crimes Unit, focusing on solving disturbing and twisted crimes. Chi McBride starred in it.
K-Ville
Lasted: 1 season, 11 episodes (1 unaired)
A post-Hurricane Katrina police drama centered on two New Orleans detectives (Anthony Anderson, Cole Hauser) who have conflicting ideas on how to deal with crime and corruption within the city.
The Chicago Code
Lasted: 1 season, 13 episodes
Starring Delroy Lindo, Jennifer Beals and more, the show followed the efforts of the Chicago Police Department to fight crime and corruption in the city, focusing on the dynamic between the police superintendent and her team.
Almost Human
Lasted: 1 season, 13 episodes
Set in the near future, this sci-fi drama pairs a human cop (Karl Urban) with an android partner (Michael Ealy) to fight high-tech crime.
Gang Related
Lasted: 1 season, 13 episodes
A crime drama where a cop with a gang past (Ramon Rodrigues) must balance his loyalty to his criminal family with his new duty as an officer in an elite task force. RZA also starred in the show
Red Band Society
Lasted: 1 season, 13 episodes
A dramedy about a group of teens living in a hospital, forming friendships and experiencing life while dealing with serious illnesses. The series starred Octavia Spencer, Stro, and more
Minority Report
Lasted: 1 season, 10 episodes
A sci-fi sequel the 2002 film, “Minority Report” follows a “precog” named Dash (Starks Sands) who teams up with a detective (Meagan Good) to prevent crimes before they happen, using his ability to see the future.
The Finder
Lasted: 1 season, 13 episodes
A spin-off of “Bones,” “The Finder” follows Walter Sherman, a former military policeman with a unique ability to find anything or anyone, as he helps clients solve their problems. The show starred Geoff Stults (Walter Sherman), the late Michael Clarke Duncan (Leo Knox) and more.
Scream Queens
Lasted: 2 seasons, 23 episodes
A horror-comedy anthology series that follows a series of murders on a college campus, with each season featuring a new storyline and characters. Keke Palmer, Niecy Nash-Betts, Emma Roberts, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more starred in it
Rosewood
Lasted: 2 seasons, 44 episodes
A medical procedural about a brilliant private pathologist Dr. Beaumont Rosewood Jr. (Morris Chestnut), in Miami, who uses his sophisticated lab and keen eye to help the police solve crimes. Gabrielle Dennis, Jaina Lee Ortiz, and more starred in it.
Pitch
Lasted: 1 season, 10 episodes
The inspirational story of the Ginny Baker (Kylie Bunbury), the first woman to play Major League Baseball, as she navigates the challenges of her groundbreaking career. Mo McRae (Blip Sanders), Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Mike Lawson), Ali Larter (Amelia Slater), and Mark Consuelos (Oscar Arguella) also starred.
24: Legacy
Lasted: 1 season, 12 episodes
A spin-off of 24, this series follows a former Army Ranger, Eric Carter (Corey Hawkins), as he works with CTU to stop a major terrorist attack in America.
The Passage
Lasted: 1 season, 10 episodes
A sci-fi thriller about a secret government experiment that turns a group of death row inmates into highly infectious vampires, and the young girl who might be the key to saving humanity. The main cast included
Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Saniyya Sidney, Jamie McShane, Caroline Chikezie, and more
Proven Innocent
Lasted: 1 season, 13 episodes
This legal drama follows Madeline Scott, a fierce lawyer who was wrongfully convicted of murder. Now, she leads a wrongful conviction law firm, fighting to free the innocent while seeking justice for herself. Main Cast include Rachelle Lefevre, Russell Hornsby, and more.
Almost Family
Lasted: 1 season, 13 episodes
A dramedy about a woman who discovers her father, a fertility doctor, used his own sperm to conceive dozens of children, and she forms unexpected bonds with her newfound siblings. Megalyn Echikunwoke, Mo McRae
Mustafa Elzein starred.
Our Kind of People
Lasted: 1 seasons, 12 episodes
A drama about a single mother who enters the world of an elite African-American community in Martha’s Vineyard, aiming to reclaim her family’s name. Yaya DaCosta, Morris Chestnut, Joe Morton, Nadine Ellis, Lance Gross, and more starred in it.
True Colors
Lasted: 2 seasons, 45 episodes
True Colors” is a sitcom that revolves around an interracial family living in Baltimore. The show addresses various social issues while focusing on the comedic aspects of family life. Frankie Faison, Stephanie Faracy, Brigid Brannagh, Adam Jeffries, and Claude Brooks starred in it
Bakersfield P.D.
Lasted: 1 season, 17 episodes
A workplace comedy about the eccentric officers of a small-town California police department. The series starred Giancarlo Esposito
The Sinbad Show
Lasted: 1 season, 24 episodes
The family sitcom starred comedian Sinbad as David Bryan, a bachelor who becomes a foster parent to two children, leading to humorous and heartfelt situations. s
The Preston Episodes
Lasted: 1 season, 10 episodes (2 unaired)
A comedy about a quirky English professor (David Alan Grier) who takes a job as a tabloid writer, where his academic sensibilities clash with sensationalist journalism.
Lush Life
Lasted: 1 season, 7 episodes (3 unaired)
“Lush Life” is a comedy about two best friends, George (Lori Petty) and Margot (Karyn Parsons), who navigate their lives and careers in the same apartment while dealing with the ups and downs of their friendship.
Between Brothers
Lasted: 2 seasons (first season on Fox, second on UPN), 17 episodes
Between Brothers” is a comedy about four Black men –Kadeem Hardison, Dondré T. Whitfield, Tommy Davidson, Kelly Perine — in their 20s navigating friendship, careers, and relationships in Chicago.
Damon
Lasted: 1 season, 13 episodes
This sitcom stars Damon Wayans as a detective in Chicago, balancing his work with his eccentric family and friends. David Alan Grier, Andrea Martin, and more starred.
Getting Personal
Lasted: 1 season, 17 episodes (1 unaired)
“Getting Personal” is a comedy about three people — Duane Martin, Vivica A. Fox, Jon Cryer — who work together at a Boston ad agency, dealing with the challenges of their professional and personal lives.
Wanda at Large
Lasted: 2 seasons, 19 episodes (5 unaired)
A comedy that follows comedian Wanda Sykes as Wanda Hawkins, a stand-up comic who becomes a political commentator on a Washington, D.C. talk show. Phil Morris, Tammy Lauren also starred
Method & Red
Lasted: 1 season, 13 episodes (4 unaired)
This sitcom stars rappers Method Man and Redman as fictionalized versions of themselves, moving into a wealthy, predominantly white neighborhood in New Jersey.
Brothers
Lasted: 1 seasons, 13 episodes
“Brothers” is a comedy about a former NFL player who returns home to help his family run their restaurant, dealing with his brother’s disability and family dynamics. Michael Strahan, Daryl Mitchell, CCH Pounder, and Carl Weathers starred in it.
The Cool Kids
Lasted: 1 seasons, 22 episodes
A sitcom about a group of senior citizens living in a retirement community who refuse to let aging slow them down, getting into all kinds of shenanigans. David Alan Grier, Martin Mull, Vicki Lawrence, Leslie Jordan starred in it.
Rel
Lasted: 1 season, 12 episodes
This sitcom stars Lil Rel Howery as a man rebuilding his life after discovering his wife cheated on him, with the help of his friends and family. Jessica ‘Jess Hilarious’ Moore, Jordan L. Jones, and Sinbad also starred in it.
Ghosted
Lasted: 1 season, 16 episodes
A supernatural comedy about two mismatched partners –Craig Robinson, Adam Scott — who work for a secret government agency investigating paranormal activity.
The PJs
Lasted: 3 seasons, 44 episodes
Thurgood Stubbs lives with his wife, Muriel, in the Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs housing project, where he is the superintendent. This animated comedy follows the adventures of the Subbs and their friends, while taking a satirical view of the ups and downs of life in a big-city housing project.
Lucas Bros. Moving Co.
Lasted: 2 seasons, 17 episodes
This animated series follows twin brothers Kenny and Keith Lucas, who run a moving company in Brooklyn and encounter various comedic adventures.
Against The Law
Lasted: 1 season, 17 episodes
Starring Michael O’Keefe and Suzzanne Douglas, the series centered on the brash Boston lawyer Simon MacHeath, who left his job at a prestigious law firm to start his own defense practice.