Fox Fall Preview: 'The Simpsons', 'Doc', and More

Sometimes, a fall schedule tells an entire story all by itself. Just look at the Fall 2026 schedule on Fox. Every new and returning show falls into one of four buckets: Celebrity competitions, game shows, medical shows, or adult animation. If you’re into any of these genres, Fox has something you’ll love. Plus The Simpsons. Everyone loves The Simpsons.

Here’s a full look at all of the new and returning shows you can catch on Fox this Fall.   

 

Celebrity Name That Tune

Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET
Premieres Monday, September 21

Log Line: Celebrity contestants test their musical knowledge as they race against the clock and each other to identify iconic songs played by a live band, competing for major cash prizes for their favorite charities.

Starring: Jane Krakowski, Robin Thicke, Randy Jackson, Cassadee Pope, Tituss Burgess, Frankie Muniz

Fox kicks off its fall primetime schedule with the Season 6 premiere of Celebrity Name That Tune, bringing high-energy musical nostalgia back to Monday nights. The classic game show format challenges stars from film, television, sports, and music to guess popular melodies in fewest notes possible, with thousands of dollars on the line for philanthropic causes.

Season 6 marks the arrival of Grammy-nominated pop star Robin Thicke, who steps into the spotlight as the show's brand-new live bandleader, joining returning Emmy-winning host Jane Krakowski. The series continues to draw top-tier guest players who reveal surprising musical trivia knowledge under intense studio pressure.

Celebrity Name That Tune maintains incredible hit potential because it provides effortless, family-friendly play-along entertainment at the start of the broadcast week. The infectious energy of live musical performances combined with Thicke and Krakowski's natural rapport gives Fox an irresistible lead-in that appeals to audiences of all ages.

 

Celebrity Weakest Link

Mondays at 9:00 p.m. ET
Premieres Monday, September 21

Log Line: A panel of famous contestants works together to answer fast-paced general knowledge trivia questions, strategically voting off the "weakest link" each round until one celebrity remains to win the jackpot for charity.

Starring: Jane Lynch, Mario Lopez, Cheryl Hines, Carson Kressley, Loni Love, Seth Green

Celebrity Weakest Link returns to Fox for its Season 2 premiere, delivering rapid-fire trivia paired with sharp comedic banter. Guided by host Jane Lynch, eight celebrities collaborate to build a cash bank by answering consecutive questions correctly. However, after every round, the players must vote to eliminate whichever peer they believe held the team back, culminating in a tense final head-to-head showdown.

Jane Lynch's custom-tailored collection of deadpan quips and biting roasts, specifically crafted to keep Hollywood celebrities humble when they miss surprisingly basic trivia questions. The high-stakes environment frequently results in hilarious missteps and unexpected alliances among famous friends.

Celebrity Weakest Link has every chance to be a Monday night ratings winner because it blends competitive drama with genuine comedy. Viewers love watching famous personalities squirm under time pressure, and the strategic backstabbing creates addictive, unpredictable television.

 

Best Medicine

Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET
Premieres Tuesday, September 22

Log Line: A dedicated medical team at a bustling city hospital balances high-stakes trauma cases with lighthearted workplace camaraderie, personal romance, and unconventional patient care.

Starring: Josh Lawson, Erinn Hayes, Charles Michael Davis, Alexandra Chando, Gary Cole, Wendy Makkena

Best Medicine returns for its Season 2 premiere as part of Fox's signature Tuesday night medical lineup. The hourlong dramedy explores the daily lives of ER physicians, nurses, and specialists who rely on humor, empathy, and rogue problem-solving to navigate systemic hospital challenges while saving lives under extreme pressure.

The show’s writers consult with real-life emergency medical technicians and urban physicians to base their lighthearted yet dramatic medical cases on actual weird medical anomalies recorded in clinical journals. The series seamlessly balances genuine emotional gravity with sharp, character-driven workplace humor.

Best Medicine offers a warm, optimistic alternative to traditional dark medical procedurals. Anchoring the 8:00 p.m. Tuesday slot, its uplifting character relationships and fast-paced emergency storylines make it an ideal lead-in for Fox's Tuesday night viewers.

 

Doc

Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. ET
Premieres Tuesday, September 22

Log Line: After a catastrophic brain injury wipes out eight years of her memory, a brilliant Chief of Internal Medicine must piece her life back together while continuing to treat complex medical cases.

Starring: Molly Parker, Omar Metwally, Amirah Vann, Jon Ecker, Anya Banerjee, Scott Wolf

Returning for its Season 3 premiere, Doc stars Emmy nominee Molly Parker as Dr. Amy Elias, a hard-nosed Chief of Internal and Family Medicine whose life is upended by a traumatic brain injury that leaves her with severe amnesia. Amy wakes up with no memory of the past eight years—forgetting medical advancements, personal tragedies, and her own divorce—forcing her to practice medicine as an entry-level resident while solving mystery illnesses.

Doc is adapted from the critically acclaimed Italian series Doc – Nelle tue mani, which was inspired by the real-life medical story of Dr. Pierdante Piccioni, an ER physician who rebuilt his medical career after a coma reset his memory.

The series’ high-concept psychological hook elevates standard medical mysteries into an ongoing character journey. Molly Parker’s commanding lead performance and the show’s emotional depth make it a premier anchor for Fox’s Tuesday night drama block.

 

The Floor

Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET
Premieres Wednesday, September 23

Log Line: Hosted by Rob Lowe, 81 trivia enthusiasts face off in head-to-head visual duels across a massive LED floor matrix to conquer territory and claim a $250,000 grand prize.

Starring: Rob Lowe

Rob Lowe returns as host for Season 6 of The Floor, Fox's breakout game show phenomenon that transformed mid-week primetime. The competition features 81 players standing on a giant interactive floor divided into distinct trivia categories. Contestants challenge neighbors to fast-paced image-identification duels, where the winner absorbs the loser's territory in a quest for total grid dominance.

The set of The Floor features one of the largest continuous LED floor displays ever constructed for television broadcast, utilizing real-time motion tracking to update game boundaries instantly during live duels. Rob Lowe’s charismatic, enthusiastic hosting style keeps the fast-moving strategy engaging for players and viewers alike.

The show’s simple, visually addictive mechanics and fast pacing have made The Floor a hit. Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. serve as the perfect home for family play-along television, ensuring strong viewership as players battle for control of the board.

 

99 to Beat

Wednesdays at 9:00 p.m. ET
Premieres Wednesday, September 23

Log Line: One hundred everyday contestants compete in a series of absurdly simple physical and mental challenges where the only rule is simple: never finish in last place.

Starring: Matt Iseman, Akbar Gbajabiamila, Rahul Kohli, Janelle James, Bert Kreischer, Fortune Feimster

Fox's competition roster expands with Season 2 of 99 to Beat, an unscripted game show where 100 ordinary people enter an arena in an epic battle to crown a champion of…basic party games. From unraveling toilet paper rolls to balancing spoons on their noses, contestants don't need to win the games—they just need to avoid being the single last-place finisher who gets eliminated each round.

The games in 99 to Beat require zero athletic prowess or specialized knowledge, making the playing field completely equal for grandmothers, bodybuilders, college students, and office workers alike.

99 to Beat has major breakout hit potential because of its pure, chaotic relatability. The escalating tension as 100 players shrink down to one survivor provides non-stop comedy and high-stakes drama, pairing seamlessly with The Floor on Wednesday nights.

 

Hell's Kitchen

Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. ET
Premieres Thursday, September 24

Log Line: World-renowned chef Gordon Ramsay puts ambitious culinary professionals through brutal cooking challenges and high-pressure dinner services for a head chef position at a prestigious restaurant.

Starring: Gordon Ramsay, Jason Santos, Michelle Tribble, Marino Monferrato, James Lukanik, Christina Wilson

Culinary television’s gold standard returns as Gordon Ramsay launches the monumental 25th season of Hell's Kitchen. Aspiring chefs from across the country are split into Red and Blue teams, enduring Ramsay's legendary perfectionism, explosive dinner service meltdowns, and rigorous menu challenges to earn a life-changing culinary career.

Former Hell’s Kitchen winner Michelle Tribble returns to the kitchen as a red team sous chef, bringing her journey full circle alongside Ramsay. Over its quarter-century run, Hell's Kitchen has awarded millions of dollars in restaurant contracts and executive chef appointments.

Hell's Kitchen continues to be an unstoppable hit due to Ramsay's unmatched passion, razor-sharp critique, and the intense heat of professional kitchen drama. Anchoring Thursday nights at 8:00 p.m., it remains a tentpole pillar of Fox's unscripted lineup.

 

Special Forces: World's Toughest Test

Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. ET
Premieres Thursday, September 24

Log Line: Fifteen celebrities trade luxury for brutal military survival exercises in the harsh Malaysian jungle, overseen by elite ex-Special Forces operatives in an experiment with no votes and no eliminations.

Starring: Rudy Reyes, Billy Billingham, Jason "Foxy" Fox, Jovon "Q" Quarles, George Santos, Brandi Glanville, Mauricio Umansky, LeSean McCoy

Season 5 of Special Forces: World's Toughest Test takes its celebrity recruits into the grueling, humid jungles of Malaysia for the most hostile selection course in the show's history. Fifteen stars—including controversial former politician George Santos, NFL champion LeSean McCoy, and reality personalities Brandi Glanville and Mauricio Umansky—must endure tear gas, high-altitude drops, and subterranean bunker searches.

Season 5 features a major rule change: there are no public votes or contestant eliminations; recruits can only leave by choice, medical withdrawal, or being force-quitted by the Directing Staff.

Special Forces is captivating for how it strips away celebrity glamour and exposes raw human resilience. Watching high-profile figures confront extreme physical and psychological limits makes Thursday nights must-watch television.

 

The Simpsons

Sundays at 8:00 p.m. ET
Premieres Sunday, September 27

Log Line: The satirical animated adventures of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie Simpson continue to poke fun at American culture, family life, and modern society in the town of Springfield.

Starring: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer

Television’s longest-running scripted primetime series returns for its staggering 38th season, anchoring Fox’s Sunday night "Animation Domination" block. The iconic Simpson family continues to deliver sharp cultural satire, musical numbers, celebrity guest voices, and heartfelt comedy centered around Homer's misadventures at the nuclear plant and Bart's mischievous antics.

This year’s annual "Treehouse of Horror" Halloween special parodies contemporary sci-fi blockbusters and popular streaming horror hits with classic yellow-family humor.

The Simpsons remains an immortal hit because of its unmatched pop culture legacy, comforting familiarity, and ability to satirize modern headlines. It remains the foundational bedrock of Fox's Sunday night lineup.

 

Animal Control

Sundays at 8:30 p.m. ET
Premieres Sunday, September 27

Log Line: A cynical former cop turned local animal control officer leads an eccentric team of precinct workers who find that capturing wild animals is far easier than dealing with humans.

Starring: Joel McHale, Vella Lovell, Michael Rowland, Ravi Patel, Grace Palmer, Gerry Dee

Joel McHale returns as Frank Shaw in Season 5 of Animal Control, which moves into Fox's prestigious Sunday night comedy block. The workplace comedy centers on a precinct of local animal control officers in Seattle tackling escaped exotic pets, raccoons in attic spaces, and wild neighborhood disputes.

The producers on Animal Control work closely with professional animal handlers, featuring real trained sloths, emus, pythons, and dogs on set alongside CGI enhancements to ensure authentic comedic encounters.

Animal Control endures because Joel McHale’s dry comedic timing and the show's physical animal humor make it an ideal bridge between animated and live-action comedy.

 

Universal Basic Guys

Sundays at 9:00 p.m. ET
Premieres Sunday, September 27

Log Line: Two brothers who lose their factory jobs to artificial intelligence automation receive a pilot universal basic income grant, spending their endless free time on chaotic self-improvement quests.

Starring: Adam Malamut, Craig Malamut, Fred Armisen, Talia Tabin, Ally Maki, Kevin Michael Richardson

Created by brothers Adam and Craig Malamut, Universal Basic Guys returns for Season 3 on Fox's Sunday schedule. The animated comedy follows Mark and Hank Hoagies, two everyday guys from South Jersey who get laid off from a hot dog factory due to automation. When a government program awards them $3,000 a month in universal basic income, the brothers embark on absurd endeavors like building homemade submarines and starting amateur sports leagues.

Creators Adam and Craig Malamut voice both main brothers, drawing on their real-life sibling banter and digital animation roots from YouTube and sports satire shorts.

Universal Basic Guys addresses modern fears of AI and automation through irreverent, working-class humor. Its sharp writing fits right into Fox's animated legacy.

 

Grimsburg

Sundays at 9:30 p.m. ET
Premieres Sunday, September 27

Log Line: Detective Marvin Flute is the greatest crime solver in the universe, but he remains completely baffled by the mysteries of his own eccentric, estranged family.

Starring: Jon Hamm, Rachel Dratch, Erinn Hayes, Kevin Michael Richardson, Alan Tudyk, Matt Jones

Executive produced by and starring Emmy winner Jon Hamm, Grimsburg returns for Season 3 to close out Fox's Sunday night lineup. The dark animated comedy centers on Marvin Flute, a brilliant detective returning to the bizarre town of Grimsburg to solve grisly, surreal murders while trying to win back his ex-wife and bond with his unusual son.

Jon Hamm’s performance as Marvin Flute parodies his serious dramatic roles in crime thrillers while showcasing his improv comedy roots. SNL legend Rachel Dratch (who voices Flute’s son Stan) is a good compliment to his hard boiled style.

Grimsburg effortlessly mixes noir detective tropes with absurd animated comedy. Anchoring the end of Sunday night, Jon Hamm’s star power and the show's dark wit provide a satisfying finish to Fox’s weekend schedule.