FOX Renew/Cancel: Animal Control Is In Control + 2025-26 Recap

Fox Corporation, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Below are the September 26th Fox renew/cancel predictions for the 2026-27 television season. The table format will return once each show has at least one data point in the 18-49 demographic. 

The Simpsons received a multi-season renewal in 2025, so it is already set to return for next season. No prediction will be assigned to it. 

It is rare for a sitcom entering its fifth season to be upgraded to one of the best time slots on the network. This fall, Animal Control will be stationed in the coveted post-Simpsons slot on Sunday nights, a time when the NFL lead-in inflates the lineup's numbers to a cartoonish degree. Such preferential treatment makes Fox's intentions clear, so the series begins as a certain renewal.  

Traditionally, a move to an anchor slot would be a vote of confidence by the network. But Universal Basic Guys has not proven itself to be a show that can excel at the top of the hour. In winter 2026, Guys often trailed both its lead-in and lead-out, and being at nine instead of 8:30 means that the NFL's positive impact on its numbers will be reduced. But while it will be dealing with a more challenging set of circumstances, Fox has been quite nurturing to its recent cartoon offerings. And while underwhelming at times, Guys has yet to post an 18-49 rating as low as Grimsburg (0.09 rating on 5/12/24) or Krapopolis (0.07 on 4/19/26). If Fox can continue handing out renewals to those two, then this one can start as a likely renewal. 

Grimsburg missed the 2025-26 television season entirely, but it is back to a regular Sunday time slot this season. However, airing at 9:30 means it will receive minimal football help, so its performance among adults 18-49 will be more reflective of its actual strength than the other three. What's working against this one is that it has a low attention score and has been removed from Netflix, but Fox giving it a fall slot for the first time in its career is a positive sign. It is likely to be renewed, but it is far from "certain renewal" territory. 

Thanks to a sizable football lead-in, Best Medicine returned with a massive 0.85 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic. The series was consistently a bright spot in the key demographic last season, and the decision to place the start of its sophomore season after The OT shows Fox is still in its corner. This one is a certain renewal.

The 22-episode season is not as common as it once was, and Doc belongs to a shrinking group of shows still afforded such a luxury. The fact that it maintains such a robust order in 2026 means Fox is highly invested in its success. While its performance in the key demo weakened in season two, it remained solid on the streaming front. This is another certain renewal.

2025-26 Recap

Of the twelve scripted offerings Fox aired in the 2025-26 television season, half were renewed in advance for the 2026-27 season. That left just six to provide predictions for. Of the six, there were five correct predictions and one miss (Going Dutch), resulting in an 83% accuracy score for this column. 

The TV Ratings Guide	8:00	8:30	9:00	9:30
Mon	Celebrity Name That Tune		Celebrity Weakest Link
Tues	Best Medicine		Doc
Wed	The Floor		99 to Beat
Thurs	Hell's Kitchen		Special Forces: World's Toughest Test
Fri	Fox Sports
Sun	The Simpsons	Animal Control	Universal Basic Guys	Grimsburg

Renewed

Certain Renew

Likely Renew

Likely Cancel

Certain Cancel

Canceled

FOX Renew/Cancel: Checking In On American Dad! + March Madness Champion Revealed!

Photo Credit: FOX

Below are the April 19th Fox renew/cancel predictions for the 2025-26 television season. The table embedded includes the Adults 18-49 ratings average of each program. The "Y2Y (year-to-year) Change" column compares a show's current average to its average from the previous season.   

After more than a decade on TBS, American Dad! officially returned to the Fox network in February 2026. On arrival, the cartoon comedy posted a relatively solid 0.21 rating and grew significantly from its Universal Basic Guys lead-in (0.13). But in its second week back, the series dropped to a 0.15 and fell behind Basic Guys (0.16). Its latest data point is somewhere in between those two performances (a 0.18 after a 0.14). As a whole, the series has been just fine as the Sunday night 9 p.m. anchor. It has certainty improved this slot significantly when compared to what The Great North and Krapopolis were doing here in spring 2025, and it appears to serve as a nice launching pad for the 9:30 Family Guy. With that said, it is still one of the lower-rated Fox shows overall, but a fall slot with some indirect football inflation could definitely change that in the future. Regardless, American Dad! has already been renewed for multiple seasons, so it will remain a fixture on the schedule.

FOX Renew/Cancel March Madness Wrap-up!

The FOX Renew/Cancel March Madness tournament is officially over. In the final match, Doc secured nearly 70% of the vote, easily defeating Bob's Burgers. That makes Doc the FOX Renew/Cancel March Madness champion of 2026! 

The TV Ratings Guide	8:00	8:30	9:00	9:30
Mon	The 1% Club		The Quiz With Balls
Tues	Farmer Wants a Wife		Bear Grylls Is Running Wild
Wed	MasterChef		The Floor
Thurs	Next Level Chef		Animal Control	Going Dutch
Fri	Fox Sports
Sun	Family Guy	Bob's Burgers	American Dad!	Family Guy

Renewed

Certain Renew

Likely Renew

Likely Cancel

Certain Cancel

Canceled

FOX Renew/Cancel: Silence in a Small Town + March Madness Voting Concludes

Photo Credit: FOX One

Below are the April 12th Fox renew/cancel predictions for the 2025-26 television season. The table embedded includes the Adults 18-49 ratings average of each program. The "Y2Y (year-to-year) Change" column compares a show's current average to its average from the previous season.   

On the day of its season finale, Fox chose to renew freshman drama Memory of a Killer for a second season. This is a correct prediction for the TV Ratings Guide, as the series has been in the "likely renewal" category since it entered the chart in February. Ultimately, its solid performance on Hulu is likely to have made up for its lackluster ratings. And while it has struggled in the Adults 18-49 department, its finale rating (0.13) was still higher than the series low it set several weeks prior, showing that it has improved slightly since cratering. 

The Memory renewal leaves just two scripted Fox offerings in limbo. One of those is Murder in a Small Town, which wrapped up its second season in December 2025 with a ratings average just barely below the previous season's (0.16 in 2025 vs. 0.18 in 2024). This relative stability should mean that Murder is in good shape for a third season pickup. One outlet has also claimed that filming for season three has already started. While a very promising sign, it makes Fox's reluctance to release an official announcement about its status even more odd. Could there be a scenario where Canada's Global continues airing the series while Fox drops it? While possible, the odds remain in Murder's favor. Its Nielsen ratings were hardly any worse in 2025 than they were in 2024, and it has proven to have some staying power on Hulu. The series remains a likely renewal. 

The second of the two scripted offerings is Going Dutch. The show appears to have no pulse on streaming, failing to make the Hulu top 15 chart this past week. But it also failed to chart after airing its season finale last year and still scored a second season pickup despite that. On the Nielsen ratings front, it recently rose to a 0.14 and tied its Animal Control lead-in, despite airing in a more challenging time slot. The sophomore sitcom is still a likely renewal, but it is in a less secure spot than Murder in a Small Town. 

FOX Renew/Cancel March Madness concludes!

The semifinals are officially over. Doc ultimately took home 58% of the vote and defeated Best Medicine. And after some rock-solid performances, Family Guy finally met its match, losing to Bob's Burgers in a heated showdown. Doc will now face off against Bob's Burgers in the finals. Vote below to ensure that your favorite of the two becomes the 2026 champion. Voting will end on April 18, 2026. 

The TV Ratings Guide	8:00	8:30	9:00	9:30
Mon	The 1% Club		The Quiz With Balls
Tues	Doc
Wed	MasterChef		The Floor
Thurs	Next Level Chef		Animal Control	Going Dutch
Fri	Fox Sports
Sun	Family Guy	Universal Basic Guys	American Dad!	Family Guy

Renewed

Certain Renew

Likely Renew

Likely Cancel

Certain Cancel

Canceled

FOX Renew/Cancel: The Future of Krapopolis + March Madness Final 4!

Photo Credit: Fox

Below are the April 5th Fox renew/cancel predictions for the 2025-26 television season. The table embedded includes the Adults 18-49 ratings average of each program. The "Y2Y (year-to-year) Change" column compares a show's current average to its average from the previous season.   

Spring 2026 marks the first time since its inception that Krapopolis has not aired regularly as part of the Sunday night animation lineup. The cartoon comedy will return to air its season finale on April 19th, but its future beyond that is not as clear-cut as some of its animated peers. The series is already renewed for next season, meaning episodes from its fifth production cycle will need a place to air eventually. If Fox seeks to end its stay in Krapopolis, they could potentially air those installments in summer 2026 and bid adieu. And yet, the likelier outcome is that the series returns for a fall 2026 stint as part of the Sunday block. Though it has happened at the expense of Bob's Burgers, the move to 9 p.m. has provided Krapopolis with some legitimate ratings growth, and this may be a sign that Fox is still looking to build it an audience. 

At the same time, they do not have enough confidence in it to hand over a four-season renewal. With Stewie getting ready for a potential fall 2027 debut, Krapopolis could very well air its last batch of episodes in the 2026-2027 broadcast television season and vacate its slot for the more recognizable name. So while it will be back for another season, it may not have the same type of staying power as the staples surrounding it. 

FOX Renew/Cancel March Madness continues!

Round 2 voting has officially come to a close. After demolishing Krapopolis in the first round, Doc faced a more formidable foe in The Simpsons. The medical drama prevailed in the end, taking a little less than 54% of the vote and advancing to the semifinals. Best Medicine had a more defined victory in comparison, winning almost 61% of the vote in a match against Animal Control. But it was Family Guy that provided the most striking performance, securing close to 91% of the vote and trouncing Universal Basic Guys in the process. And after barely making it to round two, Bob's Burgers had a more comfortable victory this time around, winning 63% of the vote and defeating Memory of a Killer.

Now all that is left is the final four: two Tuesday medical dramas and two Sunday animation titans. Vote to ensure that your favorite shows advance to the finals! The polls will close on April 11, 2026.   

The TV Ratings Guide	8:00	8:30	9:00	9:30
Mon	Extracted		Memory of a Killer
Tues	Best Medicine		Doc
Wed	The Floor
Thurs	Next Level Chef		Animal Control	Going Dutch
Fri	Fox Sports
Sun	The Faithful

Renewed

Certain Renew

Likely Renew

Likely Cancel

Certain Cancel

Canceled

FOX Renew/Cancel: Shrinking Paychecks For Universal Basic Guys + March Madness Voting Continues!

Photo Credit: Fox

Below are the March 28th Fox renew/cancel predictions for the 2025-26 television season. The table embedded includes the Adults 18-49 ratings average of each program. The "Y2Y (year-to-year) Change" column compares a show's current average to its average from the previous season.   

There is just one more Universal Basic Guys episode left to air before the show's second season comes to a close. And while the sophomore comedy has had the sharpest year-to-year decline of the network's non-reality offerings, it will likely remain the second highest-rated scripted series on the Fox network. Much of that has to do with the multiple direct NFL lead-ins it has received, but Fox's decision to keep providing it with such help signals that they are invested in its success. On nights without a boost, its performance has been a mixed bag. It went as low as a 0.13 rating on February 22nd, barely retaining more than half of its Family Guy lead-in on the night in question. But a more recent performance against the Oscars (0.16 and 73% retention) does not seem nearly as catastrophic. Basic Guys has already been renewed for a third season, so it will be back regardless, but it will eventually have to stand on its own. Based on the data presented, the chances of it being able to do so are slim.

But before Basic Guys can air its finale, Fox has to finish airing The Faithful, a miniseries that will conclude on April 5th. In its debut, the event program managed a modest 0.17 rating, a number that puts it on par with the latest episode of American Dad!. Since the show was billed as a "limited series" from the start, its fate has already been determined, so a prediction does not need to be assigned to it. 

The day after The Faithful premiered, Memory of a Killer rose to a 0.15 rating, up slightly from the week prior. The freshman drama has slowly been rising after dealing with some harsh declines, and it had a higher peak on Hulu this week than both Best Medicine and Doc. Because of this, it is still a likely renewal. 

FOX Renew/Cancel March Madness continues!

Round 1 voting has officially come to a close. In the first match, Doc easily defeated Krapopolis, taking over 90% of the vote. Best Medicine had a similar landslide victory against Going Dutch, winning 87%. In the battle of the Seth MacFarlane cartoons, an overwhelming majority went with Family Guy over American Dad!, as Peter and company secured 80% of the vote. Things were much closer between Bob's Burgers and Murder in a Small Town, as Bob's eked out a narrow victory at the eleventh hour, taking just under 52% of the vote.

Round 2 voting is open until April 4, 2026. Vote in the polls below to ensure that your favorite shows advance to the semifinals! 

The TV Ratings Guide	8:00	8:30	9:00	9:30
Mon	Extracted		Memory of a Killer
Tues	Best Medicine		Doc
Wed	The Masked Singer		Fear Factor: House of Fear
Thurs	Next Level Chef		Animal Control	Going Dutch
Fri	Fox Sports
Sun	The Faithful

Renewed

Certain Renew

Likely Renew

Likely Cancel

Certain Cancel

Canceled