Tyler Golden/FOXEight months.
After unveiling the network's new schedule for the fall, which included major moves for Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Bones, Glee fans started, well, gleeking out over their favorite show being left off the schedule. Yep, that means tomorrow night's finale will be Glee's final episode in 2014, kicking off an eight-month wait for the show's return.
Fret not, Glee fans, as Fox boss Kevin Reilly hopped on the phone with reporters early Monday morning to explain why holding the sixth and final season for midseason is actually a good thing. Plus, Reilly dished on the downsized future of American Idol, Sleepy Hollow's super-sized second season and more...
Glee Says Goodbye: "It will be its last season, for sure," Reilly confirmed of Glee's upcoming sixth season.
Though the final season order is currently for 22 episodes, that number will possibly go down. "The order is currently for 22, but we're actually going to sit down with Ryan [Murphy] and really talk about how we're going to end it and figure that out," Reilly said. "We're going to sit down and talk about exactly the best way to end the show now and how much that is.
But there is a silver lining for fans already freaking out over having to wait until 2015 for new episodes as Reilly promised, "When it comes back in the second half of the season, that will also air all of their episodes in a row."
An Idol Falls: In its 14th season, American Idolwill go down to 37 hours (down from over 50 hours), "The format of Idol will change, "Reilly said. "Next year the format will be different." One change? Downsizing to one night, which a source confirmed to us. "I think you'll see it a two-night format, at least initially during the audition phase. It's quite likely…we'll end up being a two-hour show on one night for most of its run," Reilly said, noting nothing has been "locked" yet.
Still, while ratings are down, Reilly is confident Idol will be on "for many years to come." And though he couldn't confirm anything just yet, Reilly said it's "likely" all three judges, Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr., will return next year. "We have good indications from all of them."
More Time in Sleepy Hollow: Fox's breakout drama's first season run was 13 episodes, but Sleepy Hollow fans can expect even more apocalypse fun in season two, which is already in production. Reilly confirmed Sleepy's sophomore run will be 18 episodes.
Sundays in Brooklyn: One of the fall's biggest moves? Brooklyn Nine-Nine moving to Sunday night, joining the network's line-up of animated hits, including The Simpsons and Family Guy. (John Mulaney's new comedy, Mulaney, will also join the night.)
Reilly explained Fox was "returning to our roots" with the move, citing classic shows such as Married With Children, Malcolm in the Middle and That '70s Show, which all "really came out of an animation line-up."
"We think putting in Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Mulaney are really going to give those shows some protection there," he said.