Fox is having a bit of a moment right now. Honestly, if you’d told me a few years ago that the network would be leaning this hard into a mix of "Patrick Dempsey as a hitman" and "Johnny Knoxville scaring the daylights out of people," I might have raised an eyebrow. But here we are in January 2026, and the schedule is looking surprisingly robust.
It’s weirdly comforting. In a world where every streaming service is hiking prices and canceling shows after one season, the five TV shows on Fox leading the charge right now feel like a blend of "thank god that's still on" and "wait, this is actually new and good." We aren't just talking about the 800th episode of The Simpsons—though that is happening—but a genuine shift in how the network is trying to keep us from changing the channel.
1. The Masked Singer: Season 14’s Identity Crisis
People love to hate this show, but they still watch it. It’s basically the junk food of television. You know it’s not exactly "prestige drama," but you can’t look away when a giant Eggplant starts belting out show tunes.
Season 14 kicked off on January 7, 2026, and the panel is still the same familiar crew: Ken Jeong, Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg, and Rita Ora. What's interesting this time is the "clue fatigue" people are starting to feel. How many times can we see a "ballot box" and try to guess if it's a politician or just someone who played a senator in a 90s movie?
The early reveal of Tiffany Haddish as "Le Who" was a genuine shocker for the second episode. Usually, they keep the big names around for the finale, but Fox seems to be burning through the star power early to keep ratings from dipping. It's a risky move, but with masks like "High Voltage" and "Cala Lily" still in the mix, there’s enough mystery to keep the Sunday dinner conversations alive.
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2. Animal Control: Frank’s Grumpy Evolution
I’ll say it: Joel McHale was born to play Frank. There’s something about his specific brand of cynical, "I’d rather talk to a raccoon than a human" energy that just works.
Animal Control is now in its fourth season, having premiered on January 15, 2026. If you haven't watched it since the first season, you might notice it’s gotten a little... softer? Not in a bad way, just less slapstick. In the latest episodes, we’re seeing Emily (Vella Lovell) dealing with some serious pressure from the higher-ups while Frank and Shred are out there trying to wrangle an escaped penguin named Oreo.
It’s one of the few live-action comedies that survived the Great Sitcom Purge of the early 20s. It doesn't try to be The Bear. It just wants to be a funny show about people who get bitten by things they shouldn't be touching.
3. Memory of a Killer: The Patrick Dempsey Pivot
This is the one everyone is talking about at the water cooler—or the Slack channel, I guess. It’s a dramatic thriller based on the Belgian book De Zaak Alzheimer.
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Patrick Dempsey plays Angelo Doyle, a hitman who is essentially losing his mind to early-onset Alzheimer's. It’s dark. Like, really dark. It premiered on January 26, 2026, as part of Fox’s big winter push. Dempsey has moved so far past "McDreamy" at this point he’s practically unrecognizable in some scenes.
The show asks a pretty heavy question: if a bad man starts forgetting the bad things he’s done, is he still a bad man? It’s the kind of high-concept drama Fox used to leave to FX or Hulu, but they’re keeping this one in-house. It’s a pivot toward "grown-up TV" that feels earned.
4. Hell’s Kitchen: Battle of the States
Gordon Ramsay is still yelling. Some things never change.
Season 24, which wrapped up its "Battle of the States" theme on January 22, 2026, actually made some history. We ended up with an all-women final three, which led to some of the most intense (and surprisingly professional) kitchen service the show has ever seen.
What’s wild is that Hell’s Kitchen is still pulling numbers that beat out brand-new dramas. There’s a comfort in watching a man turn purple because a scallop is slightly translucent. The "Battle of the States" format added a weirdly tribal element to the fanbases this year, with people rooting for their home turf like it was the Super Bowl.
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5. Animation Domination: The Return of American Dad!
The biggest news for the Sunday night "Animation Domination" block isn't just that The Simpsons is hitting 800 episodes (which is a terrifying number of yellow people). It’s that American Dad! has finally come home.
After 12 years over at TBS, Stan Smith and his alien roommate Roger returned to Fox on February 22, 2026. It feels right. Having The Simpsons, Family Guy, and American Dad! all on the same network again is like a 2010 fever dream.
Family Guy is also experimenting with a two-episode-a-week schedule starting in late February. Seth MacFarlane’s empire is clearly the bedrock of the network’s 2026 strategy. They even signed a massive "meganimation deal" with Disney to keep these shows running through 2029. It’s safe. It’s predictable. And for Fox, it’s a billion-dollar security blanket.
Why This Mix Matters
Fox is playing a two-sided game. On one hand, they have the "Old Reliables"—the animated giants and Gordon Ramsay. These keep the lights on. On the other, they’re taking swings with shows like Memory of a Killer and the new Fear Factor: House of Fear hosted by Johnny Knoxville.
They know they can't just be the "Simpsons network" forever. By mixing workplace comedies like Animal Control with high-stakes thrillers, they’re trying to capture the audience that usually wanders off to Netflix by 9:00 PM.
If you're looking to dive into the current lineup, your best bet is to start with Animal Control for the laughs and Memory of a Killer for the tension. For the purists, the 800th episode of The Simpsons airing this February is basically a mandatory cultural viewing. Keep an eye on the Thursday night block too; with Hell's Kitchen finishing up, the transition into the new medical drama Best Medicine starring Josh Charles is going to be the next big test for the network's longevity.