Fox’s Original Idea: No More Reruns

In the face of mounting cable competition and rising DVR usage, Fox believes that running repeats to fill the long summer months and to stretch 22 episodes across a 35-week TV season just won't cut it anymore.

So, the network that lost its No. 1 ranking this season is promising affiliates more original programming, some in the form of 13-15 episode "event series," each with its own complete story arc. Fox entertainment chief Kevin Reilly has been pitching the strategy, which borrows heavily from cable, to Fox affiliates and he is expected to share more details with the rest of the media world at the network's upfront presentation in New York on May 13.