Fox divides development cycle

July 14, 2008 For years, Fox has had a split television season -- a slow fourth quarter interrupted by post-season baseball and a red-hot January-through-May buoyed by "American Idol" and "24." Now, in what Fox Entertainment president Kevin Reilly billed as "the next step towards year-round" development, the network also is dividing up its development cycle. While the veteran series is guaranteed to go for at least 21 years as the network has already picked it up for this and next seasons, Fox also is working hard on adding "at least one or two" new animated series to its lineup every year -- in preparation for the "Simpsons' " eventual departure and as a way of keeping the median age of the network's viewership lower.

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