happy 25th birthday, FOX!
FOX turns 25, looks back on its hits, misses and everything in between in newtwo-hour special
On April 5, 1987 the landscape of television changed. FOX premiered its prime time line up with the series Married…with Children which went on to last 11 seasons on the network.
Now, in its 25th year, the network has a lot more to celebrate than just Married…with Children. On Sunday, April 22, FOX will air a two-hour anniversary special at 8/7 Central to do just that. With Ryan Seacrest as host, network execs and cast members of former FOX shows will reminisce about the network’s hits, misses and everything in between.
The anniversary special will feature noteworthy reunions with cast members from That 70’s Show, In Living Color and Married…with Children.
Additionally, 90210 alums Shannen Doherty, Jason Priestly, Ian Zeiring, and Gabrielle Carteris, The X-Files actors David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson and Calista Flockhart of Ally McBeal will all be present during the anniversary special to share their memories alongside other cast members of former iconic FOX series.
It’s hard to imagine that FOX has been around for 25 years — it’s practically an infant compared to the other major networks, but it has no doubt, been a major player in shaping pop culture throughout the years.
After all, this is the network that made 90210 the most famous zip code in the world, got the Oxford English Dictionary to add “D’oh!” as an official word, and introduced the masses to “the dancing baby.”
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. FOX has made some pretty disastrous blunders throughout its run. Most notably it’s cancellation of cult shows, Arrested Development and Firefly.
The network first started to make a name for itself in the early-mid 90’s with dramas like Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place and Party of Five while comedies like Married…with Children, Martin and In Living Color flourished.
Then as the staple shows from the 90’s began to end and the new millennium approached, FOX decided to step into the reality TV crazy with over-the-top shows like Joe Millionaire, Temptation Island and The Simple Life, tarnishing its golden reputation earned from the early 90s. There were only a couple stand outs during this reality takeover, like Malcolm in the Middle and That 70’s Show.
It was during this time though, that the network struggled to find itself. It quickly rebounded when it found itself premiering American Idol in 2005. 24, House and Bones quickly followed and most recently, Glee has seemed to fill in the teenage soap void that appeared after 90210 and The O.C. ended.
As one of the network’s tent poles, American Idol, starts to show signs of aging, it will be interesting to see what direction the network will take once the show goes off the air and how it will affect FOX’s legacy. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see for the 50th anniversary special.
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FOX will air the pilot of Married…with Children at 6 p.m. followed by the 500th episode of The Simpsons. FOX's two-hour 25th Anniversary Special will begin at 7 p.m.