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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 certainrenewal.
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 (0.09rating on 5/12/24) or Krapopolis (0.07on 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 0.85rating 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 certainrenewal.
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 certainrenewal.
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.
Below are the March 21st 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.
The Simpsons: This season, The Simpsons ended with a 0.46 Adults 18-49 ratings average, up markedly from last year's 0.35. This outcome isn't a complete shock, as the shortened episode order caused it to miss the spring months entirely, a time when it usually struggles. But the series also just seemed stronger overall, ending with a 0.29rating for the second-half of its one-hour season finale. That more than doubles its finale from the previous season, a paltry 0.13. It is unclear if it would have remained in such good shape if it had to air in April or May, but its improved performance is worth mentioning nonetheless.
Memory of a Killer:After its NFL-fueled debut, Memory of a Killer began its Monday run with a solid 0.22rating, but the audience erosion did not stop there. It shed half of that promising time slot debut less than a month later, sinking to a measly 0.11on February 23. It has since recovered slightly, most recently ticking up to a 0.14, but it has been made abundantly clear that Adults 18-49 ratings are not Memory's strong suit. Still, there continues to be a decent amount of interest in the show on Hulu, and Fox renewed Alert in 2024 with similar ratings. Memory of a Killer remains a likely renewal, but it is on shakier ground than before.
Animal Control: Fox renewedlive-action sitcom Animal Control for a fifth season in late February. This serves as a correct prediction for The TV Ratings Guide, as the series was listed as a "certain renewal" prior to the announcement. Unlike last year when it didn't receive a pickup until May, things felt fairly straightforward for Animal Control this time around. The deal with Netflix clearly bolstered its chances of returning, and Fox's decision to air the season premiere after an NFL game made it clear that they still hold the series in high regard.
Best Medicine:Best Medicine was renewedin early March, marking another correctprediction for The TV Ratings Guide. This renewal comes as no surprise, as the series has been a consistently solid Adults 18-49 ratings performer despite its soft post-NFL launch.
Doc: Doc was recently renewed for a third season. This was a correct prediction for The TV Ratings Guide, since the series has been a "certain renewal" since September.
Going Dutch:Going Dutch is in a difficult place. It was not renewed alongside comedy companion Animal Control like it was last year, and nothing about its ratings or streaming performance is particularly impressive. But as a whole, its ratings are about the same as they were when Fox renewed it in 2025, and being filmed in Ireland likely keeps costs down. For now, Going Dutch is still a likely renewal, but that could change in the coming weeks.
Fox Renew/Cancel March Madness begins!
The FOX Renew/Cancel March Madness tournament returns this week. This four-week voting event, inspired by the NCAA bracket tournament, allows readers the chance to vote for their favorite programs on the various broadcast networks. In 2025, Rescue: HI-Surf was crowned the winner, taking nearly 74% of the vote in the final match! But HI-Surf is no more, so a new champion must emerge. Vote in the polls below to ensure that the shows you enjoy advance to the next round!
Fox has ordered a fifth season of Animal Control, marking their first live-action scripted renewal of season. The series remains a modest ratings performer, but is a money-maker for Fox in other aspects, with a recent Netflix deal and international sales both boosting its rental argument. It's Fox's longest-running live action sitcom since Brooklyn Nine-Nine's debut in 2013, with that show also running five seasons on Fox. Unlike that show and most other long-running Fox sitcoms, Animal Control has always run on a more limited scale, with its twelve-episode first season being its longest season thus far, and making its episode count a bit less impressive than similarly long-running sitcoms. Still, making it to a fifth season is an achievement in any regard in this day and age, and it is Fox's longest-running live action scripted series. Joel McHale, Vella Lovell, Michael Rowland, Ravi Patel and Grace Palmer lead the principal cast of the series. This is a correct prediction for The TV Ratings Guide.
Below are the February 3rd 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.
Memory of a Killer: Thanks to a massive football lead-in, new drama Memory of a Killer debuted with an impressive 1.35rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic. Less than twenty-four hours later, the series became a mere memory for the majority of those who watched the pilot, as 84% of that premiere rating vanished overnight. Nonetheless, a 0.22 is still a workable rating, and the series actually grew from its Extracted lead-in in total viewers. On the streaming platform Hulu, Killer immediately established a strong presence, remaining in the top ten for five consecutive days. All these signs are positive, so the series is likelyto be renewed based on the limited data available.
Animal Control: For the first time in its run, Fox decided to provide Animal Control with a direct NFL lead-in for its premiere. As a result, the series posted a towering 1.2rating on arrival. In its latest episode, the sitcom garnered a 0.21, a rating higher than eight of the ten episodes from its previous season. The fact that Fox felt Animal Control was worthy of a football boost is already promising, but the series also has a recent Netflixdeal working in its favor. That, coupled with its relative ratings stability, makes it a certainrenewal.
Best Medicine: The NFL lead-in that Best Medicine received on premiere night was on the softer side, so it began with just a 0.45rating. Since then, it has stabilized at a respectable level, hovering in the 0.22-0.23 range on Tuesday nights. Its performance on Hulu is also solid, even if it doesn't chart as high as Memory of a Killer. Thus, it begins as a likelyrenewal.
Going Dutch: The shakiest "likelyrenewal" of the bunch is Going Dutch. The series does not have a meaningful presence on Hulu, and its Adults 18-49 average pales in comparison to the shows above. Still, its recent ratings growth (0.10 > 0.17 > 0.19) is a step in the right direction, so it starts in the green.
Hours after canceling Rescue: HI-Surf, Fox is back with more news, renewing their comedy block of Animal Control and Going Dutch for a fourth and second season, respectively. Neither series rated highly for Fox this season, with Animal Control averaging 0.17 in the key 18-49 demographic and Going Dutch averaging 0.15, but both are produced at lower cost points than most scripted series, allowing them to remain financially viable for Fox. Animal Control stars Joel McHale, Vella Lovell, Ravi V. Patel and Grace Palmer, while Going Dutch stars Denis Leary, Danny Pudi, Taylor Misiak, Laci Mosley and Hal Cumpston. Both are correct predictions for The TV Ratings Guide.
