FOX

CHICAGO – Given my general aversion to modern soap operas, I was understandably nervous about reviewing Francis Lawrence’s “Water For Elephants,” an over-heated romance based on the best-selling book. Much to my surprise, this is an effective drama that should remind viewers of “the kind of movies they don’t make any more.” It would have been right at home in the Hollywood of the ’40s and ’50s and should make a satisfying rental for nearly any audience willing to go for the cheesy ride.

CHICAGO – The television series that is deep in its run could have shake-ups and a different direction for story arcs. Or like a comfortable slipper, stay the course that made it popular and hope the audience hangs on. “Bones,” starring Emily Deschanel, is staying the course in its seventh season on FOX.

CHICAGO – The cartoon hits keep coming as part of FOX TV’s Sunday night “Animation Domination.” The latest, premiering October 30th, is “Allen Gregory,” a series about a pretentious seven-year-old that is created and voiced through the character style of actor Jonah Hill.

CHICAGO – I fall a bit more in love with “Raising Hope” every week. I went as far as to suggest that the series deserved Emmy nominations for Best Comedy Series, Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series (Martha Plimpton), and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Garrett Dillahunt) — one out of three came true as Plimpton actually made a run at the trophy. This show just kept getting better as the first season progressed. Check it out now on DVD and see what the growing buzz is about.

CHICAGO – As long as Hugh Laurie limps in the shoes of Dr. Gregory House, the FOX TV nation will show up, because it’s a great actor taking a memorable character and and putting him in often strange and unexpected situations. The eighth season premiere of “House M.D.” on October 3rd is no exception.

CHICAGO – Could this be the news fans of the old FOX series “Arrested Development” have been waiting for? Since the final episode of the canceled series aired on February 10, 2006, rumors and hope have swirled around that the comedy series would come back for a full length feature film. Now, the long wait may be over and fans could be getting more than just a movie.

CHICAGO – FOX’s new reality singing competition, “The X Factor,” dropped in its ratings from last week’s premiere to this week’s new auditions. While the drop is no surprise (almost every show drops in ratings from the premiere to the weeks that follow) “The X Factor” was already slightly disappointing in its viewership from week one.

CHICAGO – FOX made a lot of TV viewers happy this afternoon when, on the strength of its first two outings, they renewed “New Girl” for a full season. The Zooey Deschanel sitcom will be on until at least Spring of 2012, making it the first new series to get a full-season order from its network. Congratulations to the whole “New Girl” team.

CHICAGO – With new shows, it’s always about week two. How far do you drop from the highly-promoted week one numbers when there aren’t as many ads or reviews to remind viewers you’re on the air? CBS’s “Unforgettable” and FOX’s “New Girl” held strong from their week one numbers while “Glee” continued to slide from year to year.

CHICAGO – Highly anticipated and produced in part by Steven Spielberg, “Terra Nova” gets a choppy start, but has enough fascinating elements and is promising enough to earn future viewing. The two hour premiere is Monday, September 26th on FOX.