Fox will shake things up with 'Glee,' 'Idol'

Fox is moving "Glee" to Thursday nights in the fall and promising changes to underperforming competition shows "American Idol" and "The X Factor."

Fox on Monday became the second of the broadcast networks to announce next season's schedule this week, following NBC on Sunday. It will add two comedies this fall, turning Tuesday into a sitcom night, and one drama.

"American Idol" remains Fox's centerpiece, as it has been for the past decade, but the show has lost a startling quarter of its audience this season.

"This year was a bigger drop-off than we anticipated," said Fox Entertainment President Kevin Reilly. He said "Idol" made no changes from last year, and there was little "urgency to view" at the beginning of the season.

He promised changes for next season, but he wouldn't be specific.

"There's a lot of life left in it," he said.

Simon Cowell's "The X-Factor" did well last fall, but didn't live up to the creator's inflated expectations. Shortly after the season ended, judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger and host Steve Jones were dispatched. Fox executives on a conference call Monday would not discuss persistent reports that Britney Spears will join as a judge.

"Glee," which saw ratings erosion this year, moves to Thursday and a comfortable 9 p.m. time slot following "The X Factor" in the fall and "Idol" in the spring. Reilly said the show is "poised for a creative renaissance" and has signed Kate Hudson and Sarah Jessica Parker for limited runs next season.

Part of the reason Fox moved "Glee" is to make Tuesday a four-sitcom night, with two new shows joining "New Girl" and "Raising Hope." Mindy Kaling, author of "The Office," creates and stars in "The Mindy Project," a romantic comedy about a doctor looking for love. The other new comedy, "Ben and Kate," is about a pair of odd couple siblings.