Will Fox "American Idol" Move Mean the Cancellation of "Fringe"?

The return of "American Idol" on FOX and its shift to Thursdays in January could ricochet and lead to the eventual cancellation of the Fox sci-fi show "Fringe," although the network insist that's not necessarily the case.

"Fringe" is being shifted from Thursday nights to Friday nights in its 9 pm spot, which leaves it on a low-viewer night where Fox has often sent sci-fi shows (like "Dollhouse") to die in the past.

Fox told Entertainment Tonight that the move didn't necessarily mean "Fringe" was done, and pointed to the number of "Fringe" fans that DVR the show as a reason for the move.

"We are not killing the show," said Fox Entertainment President Kevin Reilly. "Over the last week, over 45 percent of the audience time-shifted the show. That's almost half of the dedicated audience watching it on their DVRs. It's been such a loyal fan base. I will be really disheartened if the viewer base decides to not watch because it shifted one night. If it does anywhere near what it did on Thursdays, we can glue that show to the schedule because it can be a big win for us."

However, the truth of Fox's move is that despite a rabidly loyal fan base the ratings numbers for "Fringe" have not been good. The show has been in one of the toughest time slots on TV so fans were hoping for a move, but not to Friday which is usually considered a dumping ground for shows before they are cancelled.

"Fringe" replaces "The Good Guys" in the slot, a show that had terrible numbers. Its new lead-in is a cooking show as opposed to its former lead-in the far more compatible "Bones." The show will also air against a competitor in police procedural CSI:NY.

The move recalls comparisons to what Fox did with Joss Whedon's sci-fi drama "Dollhouse" last year.

"Fringe" stars Anna Torv, John Noble and Joshua Jackson as investigators exploring the mysteries behind an alternate universe that threatens to destroy our own.

The saddest part of the move is that "Fringe" is in the middle of its best season creatively in Season 3. The storyline change of revolving episodes in alternating universes has paid off and led to some really great sci-fi TV. The move by Fox, however, dims the possibilities for a "Fringe" Season 4.

For more "Fringe" articles, reviews and links check out my blog On the Fringe.