Adults Only Family Programming on FOX

While some jokes on The Simpsons and 'Til Death may be okay for older children, FOX's ribald Family Guy is not a program for the younger members of the household. FOX Sundays start out strongly to bring laughs, but end in a fizzle.

The FOX Sunday night officially begins at 7pm with a re-run of The Simpsons. With so many episodes of this show in the vault, FOX could run re-runs of our favorite animated family into perpetuity (and no one would ever notice). To start off with a bang, FOX opens with the show that made the network what it is today.

Mixing the old with the new (and probably trying to boost ratings for the fledging show), FOX then airs their new series 'Til Death. Seriously, it's great. Brad Garrett is wonderful and the writers of the show are punchy and realistic. This Sunday, a new episode of 'Til Death will show at 7:30 (right after The Simpsons) and again at 8:30 (right after a brand-new episode of The Simpsons).

But don't worry, FOX Sunday doesn't end there. Because they can't show it any earlier, FOX airs Family Guy at 9pm. Once canceled, the show was brought back because the fan outcry demanded it of the network, and now Family Guy holds a coveted prime time slot on FOX Sundays. While I love this show, it's definitely not one you'd want to watch with the younger members of your family. If you like adult animated humor, however, this is the best show on television. It's edgy, it's hilarious, and it pokes fun at everything we thought was sacred. Family Guy brings a lot of humor to FOX Sundays.

And then, unfortunately, Family Guy ends. For lack of somewhere else to put it, The War at Home airs Sunday nights at 9:30 pm, bringing a dismal and weak end to an otherwise great night of hilarious programming. Star Michael Rapaport, who plays head of the family Dave, isn't funny. Nothing FOX will do could possibly make him funny. When the show premiered a year ago, it drew in fewer viewers than other programming on Sunday night that was re-runs. But because the show drew in bigger numbers than the horrible show Arrested Development, FOX declared it a winner and stuck it strongly to the Sunday lineup.

Big mistake. A great deal of viewers simply turn the channel when War at Home comes on, and for good reason. The show isn't funny. Sunday nights are filled with laughs until 9:30 rolls around, and then FOX flops. FOX was showing animated comedy American Dad in the 8:30 pm slot, but the show has been moved for the next two weeks. Not to worry! American Dad will return to Sundays (though the network isn't telling us what time Sundays) on November 5, with all new episodes. Dare we hope that War at Home will be moved to another night where its silly family situations will be appreciated? Not bloody likely - FOX needs something to fill the 9:30 time slot and, like as not, War at Home (with no where else to go) is it. But until 9:30 rolls around, Sunday nights on FOX are fabulous.

Here's an idea for FOX. Instead of showing daily King of the Hill re-runs, let's run it on Sunday nights behind Family Guy. No doubt the ratings will improve, and FOX will finally have a strong closer for Sundays.