FX (TV channel)
{{Infobox Network | network_name = FX Network |
network_logo =
United States
fX (1994-1997)
The first fX channel was launched in the United States on June 1, 1994. Broadcasting from a large "apartment" in Manhattan, fX ushered in a new era of interactive television, but did not exist long enough to see the eventual success of such interactivity. The network centered around original programming, broadcast live every day from the "fX Apartment", and rebroadcasts of kitschy shows from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.
fX had two taglines: "TV Made Fresh Daily" and "The World's First Living Television Network". The "f" was lower-case to portray a type of relaxed friendliness. The "X" was upper-case and represented the network's roots: the crossing spotlights of the 20th Century Fox logo.
The network prided itself on its interactivity with viewers. fX, in 1994, was the first television network to openly embrace e-mail and the World Wide Web as methods of feedback. Most of the shows would feature instant responses to e-mailed questions, and one show (Backchat) was exclusively devoted to responding to viewer mail, whether e-mailed or mailed traditionally. Select viewers were allowed to spend a day at the "apartment" and take part in all of the network's shows.
fX's viewer base was very loyal, but the budget was simply too high for the clearance the network was receiving. Ironically, the first incarnation of fX was not even available on the local cable system in New York City, where programming originated. During the time the network launched in the mid-1990s, cable systems around the United States were upgrading their infrastructures to increase channel capacity and were not regularly adding channels until these upgrades were complete. The same problem plagued Fox News Channel around its early 1996 launch.
The live shows were cancelled one-by-one until only Personal fX remained. Breakfast Time was moved to the FOX network and renamed FOX After Breakfast in mid-1996. It never found a substantial audience and was cancelled less than a year later. Eventually, all live programming with the exception of Personal fX was dropped and the network focused entirely on its classic television shows until its relaunch in mid-1997. Personal fX remained on the refocused FX until May 1, 1998.
fX's first venture into live sports was in gaining the live broadcast rights to the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, purchased from Fox, who at the time had the NHL rights. In response to this, Sports Illustrated described the deal as "giving [the rights] to an unproven cable-box channel that fills its airtime with reruns of Vega$." fX also aired some Major League Baseball Division Series games in 1996.
Live Programming
The fX Apartment
The fX Apartment was located on the second floor of a 3-story building leased by FX Networks that overlooked Madison Square Park in New York City. The first floor contained sales offices, and the third floor contained production offices. The second floor was home to all programming, and was made up to look like a large apartment. The apartment had several rooms. First was a large common room that contained the living room, dining room, and kitchen areas. Other rooms included a small library, a game room (complete with arcade and pinball machines) and a fully-functioning restroom. At the rear of the apartment was a large "ballroom" that served several purposes. A third-floor balcony lined the ballroom. The network's shows would often venture into Madison Square Park for some features, especially in the summer. FX's lease on the building expired on December 31, 1998. All furnishings were auctioned and the building has since been renovated.
Live Programs
- Breakfast Time - an off-the-cuff morning show with lifestyle segments and "roving reporters" (aka "Road Warriors") who visited unique sites across the country each day. This was the network's flagship show and utilized every room of the apartment. Hosted by Tom Bergeron, Laurie Hibberd and Bob the Puppet. Aired 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. EST.
- Personal fX, The Collectibles Show - similar to Antiques Roadshow, in which collectors would have unique items appraised in-studio, and a "roving reporter" would visit collectors nationwide. Broadcast from the "Dining Room." The last live show to be cancelled. Hosted by Claire Carter and John Burke. Aired Noon to 1 p.m. EST.
- The Pet Department - a call-in/interview show about domesticated pets. Usually broadcast from the "Game Room." Hosted by Steve Walker, Luann Lee, dog trainer Andrea Arden and fX's pet dog Jack. Suzanne Whang replaced Lee after her departure. Aired 2:30 p.m. to 3:00pm EST.
- Under Scrutiny with Jane Wallace - an in-depth news program broadcast each night from the "Library." Given a Cable ACE award for news programming in 1995. The first live show to be cancelled. Hosted by Jane Wallace. Aired 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. EST.
- Sound fX - a show dealing with all things music, from the latest major artists to the most creative garage band tactics. Music videos were regularly shown on this show, which originated from the "Ballroom." Hosted by Karyn Bryant, Orlando Jones, and Matt Ostrum. Jeff Probst replaced Jones after his departure. Aired 11 p.m. to Midnight EST.
- Backchat - fX ended each broadcast day with a viewer mail show. Viewers could write, call, or e-mail comments about fX and its shows, and the host would spend 30 minutes each night reading and responding to these comments. Broadcast from the "Kitchen." Hosted by Jeff Probst and Jane Fergus. Aired 12:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. EST. Near the end of its run, Backchat was pre-taped and moved to 7:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. EST.
Some of the young talent discovered on the fX network that have moved on to larger, more successful projects include:
- Tom Bergeron (Host, Breakfast Time) - Host of America's Funniest Home Videos, Dancing with the Stars, and Hollywood Squares
- Laurie Hibberd (Host, Breakfast Time) - Reporter for CBS's The Early Show and wife of Live with Regis and Kelly producer Michael Gelman.
- Orlando Jones (Co-host, Sound fX) - Actor (Evolution, Office Space, MADtv) and perhaps most famous as pitchman for 7-up.
- Jeff Probst (Host, Backchat; Co-host, Sound fX) - Host of Survivor
- Phil Keoghan (Road Warrior, Breakfast Time) - Host of The Amazing Race
- John Burke (Road Warrior, Personal fX) - Host of E! News Live
Selected Rebroadcasts
- Family Affair
- Fantasy Island
- Eight Is Enough
- The Greatest American Hero
- Home and Away (first U.S. broadcast)
- Hooperman
- In Living Color
- Wonder Woman
- Dynasty
- Hart to Hart
- Batman
- The Green Hornet
- Mission: Impossible
- Vega$
Before each show aired, and during commercial breaks, a "channel host" would appear and inform viewers about something upcoming within the episode. Some updates featured trivia about the current show, while some were merely observations. These can be compared to in-vision continuity announcers in Britain.
fXM
A spin-off network, fXM (fX Movies), was launched in 1994 and broadcast only classic movies from the 20th Century Fox catalog. It has since been renamed Fox Movie Channel.
FX (1997-Present)
fX was relaunched as FX: Fox Gone Cable in early 1997, targeting men aged 18 to 49. The network is known for original drama series and NASCAR programming. As of 2004, the channel was available in 85 million U.S. homes.
During the first few years after its relaunch, FX was known for little else than airing reruns of such Fox shows as The X-Files and Married... with Children, as well as 20th Century Fox shows such as M*A*S*H and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Soon after its relaunch, the tagline "Fox Gone Cable" was dropped.
Post-"Fox Gone Cable" Years
In recent years, however, the network has emerged as a major force in original cable programming, gaining both acclaim and notoriety for daring, edgy dramas. This began in 2002 with the release of its breakout hit, The Shield, a police drama that took viewers and critics by surprise with its extreme graphic content. This trend continued the following year with Nip/Tuck, which chronicles the world of plastic surgery, and the Denis Leary-helmed Rescue Me, about FDNY firemen and their lives. The network has often been compared to HBO in the sense that they, unlike many broadcast networks, are willing to take risks with their programming and push the envelope of what can be done with television. It's important to note that while these shows draw attention due to their graphic content, they are also critically acclaimed for their strong storylines and characters.
Capitalizing on the success of the hit documentary Super Size Me, creator Morgan Spurlock launched a new series, 30 Days, on FX in June 2005. The series puts its subjects in situations uncomfortable to them for 30 days, such as making millionaires work for minimum wage, and having Christians live in a Muslim community.
In the summer of 2005, FX debuted two new comedy series, Starved, about the daily lives of four friends with eating disorders who live in New York, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, about four people who own a bar in the titular city and somehow always wind up having comic misadventures, usually very un-PC. Both of these shows feature frank sexual dialogue and strong language. Pitched as "The Dark Side of Comedy", Starved and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia again display just how much FX wants to stay on the cutting-edge of television, by continuing to push the very limits of the medium. While Starved gained low ratings and was derided by groups that seeked to publicize eating disorders, being canceled after its first season, Sunny quickly became a critics' darling, consistently achieved high ratings and was picked up for a second season within days of its first season finale. An edited version of Sunny was aired by Fox for a three-episode run in the summer of 2006, in an effort to promote it on FX.
In 2006, FX debuted two new series, the reality television show Black. White. and the drama Thief.
FX has also aired selected NASCAR events from the NEXTEL Cup and Busch Series from February to June of each year as part of Fox's NASCAR television package. However, coverage ended after the June 30, 2006 Busch Series race at Daytona International Speedway, won by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. When NASCAR signed its new contract effective in 2007, FX was left out.
The only remaining sporting event on FX is one game in the Major League Baseball postseason. This airs on the first Wednesday night of league championship series week when MLB schedules two games at the same time. On that night, Fox will distribute one game to local affiliates based on a regional coverage map, and the other game airs on the corresponding cable affiliate of FX, the main DIRECTV or Dish Network channel, or an alternate channel on the satellite services.
In the fall of 2005 FX started airing reruns of That '70s Show, Dharma and Greg, Spongebob Squarepants in Fall 2006 With Pilot Episode and Spin City. Also, FX will start airing reruns of Malcolm in the Middle in 2007 and The Bernie Mac Show in 2008.
Australia
In 1995, FX launched in Australia. It became a channel for 40+ females. In 2004 it was renamed W as a way to make this focus more apparent.
UK & Ireland
In 2004, Fox International Channels (UK) Ltd. launched an FX channel for the United Kingdom and Ireland on the Sky Digital (UK) satellite platform. The channel originally carried the ident "FX 289", referring to its Sky Digital EPG number, however, it was moved to 270 in May 2005, and dropped the 289 name. In 2005 FOX launched a two-hour timeshift channel on Sky Digital called FX+. FX (UK) is now also available on the NTL cable network. Like the American channel, FX (UK) targets men, but the target ages will be those aged 25 to 44. This was the third Fox-branded channel for the UK, after Fox News and Fox Kids (later Jetix).
Latin America
A cable television network FX, using the 1997-1999 logo, has been launched in Latin America.
Italy
FX Launched a FX station in Spring of 2006 on SKY Italia satellite package.
Other countries
In autumn 2005 Fox International Channels (UK) Ltd applied for a broadcasting slot in the Swedish digital terrestrial television network for a service called "FX" [1]. This could hint a launch of the channel in Sweden or Scandinavia. When the recommendations were revealed in November 21, FX was not one of the ten recommended channels. As of November 2005, no further information has been revealed. Also in mid to late 2005, FX launched the channel "FX Brasil" in Brazil.
Original programs
- The Shield (2002)
- DVD on TV (2003)
- Lucky (2003)
- Nip/Tuck (2003)
- Rescue Me (2004)
- 30 Days (2005)
- Over There (2005)
- Starved (2005)
- It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005)
- The Missions (2005)
- Thief (2006)
- Black. White. (2006)
