TV Guide > Entertainment > FX
FX
Channel Name: FX
Launched:
June 1, 1994
Owned by:
Fox Entertainment Group (21st Century Fox)
Country:
United States
Broadcast area: India and International
Network:
FX Networks
Headquarters:
Dallas, Texas
Sister channels:
FX Movie Channel, FXX
Language: English
Website:
http://www.fxnetworks.com/
FX (standing for Fox extended,
suggesting "effects") is an American basic cable and satellite
television channel that is owned by the Fox Entertainment Group division of
21st Century Fox. In addition to the flagship U.S. network, the "FX"
name is licensed to a number of related pay television channels outside of the
United States. FX's programming is primarily original series (which are
stylized similarly to those seen on premium channels such as HBO and Showtime,
with regard to profanity, sexual and violent content), theatrically released
feature films and acquired television programs originally seen on network
television.
History:
1994–1997 FX (then stylized in print as "fX") was launched in the
United States on June 1, 1994. Broadcasting from a large "apartment"
in Manhattan's Flatiron District, fX was one of the first forays into large-scale
interactive television. The channel centered around original programming,
broadcast live every day from the "fX Apartment", and rebroadcasts of
classic TV shows from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s such as Batman, Wonder Woman,
Nanny and the Professor, and The Green Hornet. fX had two taglines: "TV
Made Fresh Daily" and "The World's First Living Television
Network".[1] The "f" was lower-case to portray a type of relaxed
friendliness. The stylized "X" represented the channel's roots: the
crossing searchlights of the 20th Century Fox logo.
The
live shows were mostly focused on one broad topic each. Shows included Personal
fX (collectibles), The Pet Department (pets), Under Scrutiny with Jane Wallace
(news), and Sound fX (music). The channel's flagship show, Breakfast Time
(hosted by Laurie Hibberd and Tom Bergeron), was formatted like an informal
magazine show, and was an Americanized version of Great Britain's The Big
Breakfast. Breakfast Time and Personal fX would regularly feature the channel's
"roving reporters" visiting unique places around America live via
satellite. Suzanne Whang (now of HGTV), John Burke (now of E!) and Phil Keoghan
(now of CBS's The Amazing Race) were some of the roving reporters. Other
notable fX personalities included Karyn Bryant and Orlando Jones, who were
panelists on "Sound fX."
The
channel prided itself on its interactivity with viewers. fX, in 1994, was an
early adopter of the internet, embracing e-mail and the World Wide Web as
methods of feedback. Most of the shows would feature instant responses to
e-mailed questions, and one show, Backchat (hosted by Survivor host Jeff
Probst), was exclusively devoted to responding to viewer mail, whether e-mailed
or mailed traditionally. Select viewers were allowed to spend a day at the "apartment"
and take part in all of the channel's shows. Inside the channel's syndicated
programming blocks, channel hosts would frequently appear during commercial
breaks to read e-mails from viewers about the episode airing, or to promote
upcoming programming.
fX's
viewer base was very loyal, but the budget was simply too high for the
clearance the channel was receiving. Ironically, the first incarnation of fX
was not even available on the local cable system in New York City, where
programming originated. During the time the channel launched in the mid-1990s,
cable systems around the United States were upgrading their infrastructures to
increase channel capacity and were not regularly adding channels until these
upgrades were complete. The same problem plagued Fox News Channel around its
early 1996 launch.
The
live shows gradually disappeared one by one until only Personal fX remained.
Breakfast Time was moved to the Fox network and renamed Fox After Breakfast in
mid-1996. It underwent several format changes and never found a substantial
audience, thus it was canceled less than a year later. Eventually, all live
programming with the exception of Personal fX was dropped and the channel
focused entirely on its classic television shows until its relaunch in mid-1997.
Personal fX remained on the refocused FX until May 1, 1998. FX vacated the
"apartment" in the summer of 1998 and the channel's operations were
streamlined with the other Fox-owned cable channels.
1997–2001:
fX was relaunched as "FX: Fox Gone Cable"[2] in early 1997, targeting
men aged 18 to 49. The channel became known for original drama series and
NASCAR programming.
During
the first few years after its relaunch, FX was known for little else than
airing reruns of such Fox shows as The X-Files and Married... with Children, as
well as 20th Century Fox shows such as M*A*S*H and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Soon after its relaunch, the tagline "Fox Gone Cable" was dropped.
When the cable reruns of Ally McBeal and The Practice fumbled in prime-time, FX
ran mostly movies in its high-profile time periods.
2002–2007:
In recent years, the channel has emerged as a major force in original cable
programming, gaining both acclaim and notoriety for edgy dramas. This began in
2002 with the release of its breakout hit, police drama The Shield. This trend
continued the following year with Nip/Tuck, a drama about two plastic surgeons
in Los Angeles (originally set in Miami, Florida), and the Denis Leary-helmed
Rescue Me, about FDNY firemen and their lives post-9/11. Unlike many broadcast
networks, FX is willing to take risks with their programming and push the
envelope of what can be shown on television, having high, TV-MA ratings.
Opinions on these shows are mixed. Some organizations, like the Parents
Television Council and American Family Association, have asked advertisers to
boycott these shows due to their graphic content.[3][4] However, the shows are
also critically acclaimed for their strong storylines and characters.
Capitalizing
on the success of the hit documentary Super Size Me, creator Morgan Spurlock
launched a new series, 30 Days, on FX in June 2005. The series puts its
subjects in situations uncomfortable to them for 30 days, such as making
millionaires work for minimum wage, and having Christians live in a Muslim
community.
In
the summer of 2005, FX debuted two new comedy series, Starved, about the daily
lives of four friends with eating disorders who live in New York, and It's
Always Sunny in Philadelphia, about four people who own a bar in the titular
city and somehow always wind up having comic misadventures, usually very
politically incorrect. Both of these shows feature frank sexual dialogue and
strong language, pitched as "The Dark Side of Comedy". Starved was
derided by groups that sought to publicize eating disorders and canceled after
its first season, having garnered low ratings. Conversely, Sunny quickly became
a critical darling, consistently achieved high ratings, and was picked up for a
second season within days of its first season finale. Fox aired an edited
version of Sunny for a three-episode run in the summer of 2006, in an effort to
further promote it on FX. The show still runs today.
In
2006, FX debuted two new series, the reality television show Black. White. and
the drama Thief but neither were picked up for a second season. After 2006, FX
also no longer broadcast NASCAR, as sister channel Speed Channel became the new
cable partner for NASCAR on Fox.
In
2007, FX introduced three new dramas: Dirt starring Courteney Cox, The Riches
starring Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver, and Damages starring Glenn Close, Ted
Danson and Rose Byrne. All three did well in the ratings and were renewed for
second seasons. On October 15, 2007 a high- definition feed was launched on
DirecTV and many U.S. cable systems. As of 2008, the channel was available in
90.6 million U.S. homes.
2008–present:
FX logo used from 2008 until April 2, 2013. In 2008, the channel launched a new
branding campaign built around the theme There Is No Box, which was influenced
by the phrase "outside the box" and refers to how the channel's
programming goes beyond the box concept, as well as a pun on the channel
competing against premium channels such as HBO, with its original programming.
The channel's logo changed on December 18, 2007 and uses only the FX letters
for branding by removing the klieg light logo box to the left. The new branding
included an advertising campaign, featuring a post-game ad for the channel
during Fox's coverage of Super Bowl XLII.[5] The song that is used in the promo
commercial is "You Give Me Something" by James Morrison.[6]
Over
2008, competition with other cable channels increased, evident in the second
season ratings for less successful series, Dirt and The Riches, which had
ratings decrease significantly since their first seasons. Some weeks viewers
were barely over 1 million. Both shows were cancelled by FX in 2008, and Dharma
and Greg, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Married... with Children and Fear Factor
were also removed from the schedule.
In
2008, the channel picked up Sons of Anarchy, about a notorious outlaw
motorcycle club bent on protecting their sheltered California town from
corporate developers and drug dealers. It was created by The Shield executive
producer, Kurt Sutter, and premiered in September, coinciding with The Shield's
final season. The show was critically and commercially successful, and was
renewed for a second season. Other new shows included the Kenny Hotz comedy
Testees, which ran from October to December 2008, but was not renewed. Nip/Tuck
and Damages began new seasons on the channel.
In
August 2008, FX launched a new website, making full shows available to view
online. As of January 2010, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, 30 Days, Sons of
Anarchy, and The League are available for viewing through the official FX site.
In 2009, Spin City was removed from the schedule (though it would be restored
early the following year), while a sixth season order of 18 episodes was placed
for Rescue Me, even though the fifth season had not premiered at the time.[7]
Also
in 2009, the channel placed a 13-show order for a new show created by Graham
Yost. The Yost project is based on Elmore Leonard's short story "Fire in
the Hole." Set in Harlan County, Kentucky, it stars Timothy Olyphant as
U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens—a tough, soft-spoken lawman with a rough side—and
chronicles his cases and personal life, including unfinished business with an
ex-wife and his aging father. Initially titled Fire in the Hole, the show was
later announced to be titled Lawman before being renamed Justified. It started
airing in March 2010.[8] FX also picked up Terriers for its fall 2010 lineup
and began airing Lights Out in 2011.
In
July 2009, FX ordered three new comedy pilots. Archer is an animated series
centering around a spy agency and comes from the co-creator of Frisky Dingo on
Adult Swim. It was picked up for 10 episodes, premiering January 14, 2010.[9]
The League centers around a fantasy football league and comes from a Seinfeld
and Curb Your Enthusiasm veteran.[10] Louie stars popular stand-up comedian and
writer Louis C.K. and "blend[s] stand-up material with what Landgraf
described as 'extended vignettes' depicting moments from [the comedian's]
offstage experiences."[11] All three shows have been renewed for a second
season. FX also purchased a pilot starring Elijah Wood based on the Australian
comedy series Wilfred.[12]
On
October 1, 2010, FX pulled their channels from the Dish Network line-up due to
a carriage dispute. FX was returned to Dish Network's channel line up on
October 29, 2010 after Dish Network and Fox, FX's parent company, signed a long
term contract. As of November 1, 2010, Fox programming had resumed on New York
based cable provider, Cablevision.
On
October 14, 2011, FX announced that it picked up the rights to develop a series
based on Scar Tissue and Lords of the Sunset Strip, the autobiographies of the
Red Hot Chili Peppers singer Anthony Kiedis and his father, Blackie Dammett.
HBO had originally picked up the series a few years before but eventually moved
on from the project. Entourage producers, Marc Arams and Mike Benson will
produce the series and Keids will also be involved as a
co-producer.[13]According to Dammett, the show has been "mothballed"
and he hopes interest will resume on the project once the Red Hot Chili Peppers
wrap up their world tour in 2013......More >>
