FOX Doubles Down on High-Stakes Drama With Baywatch Revival and New Spy Thriller
2026-05-13 |
Story by: Daniel Bevers
FOX is betting big on adrenaline, secrets, and emotional chaos for the 2026–2027 season, unveiling a drama-heavy slate packed with reinventions, espionage, and deeply personal conflicts.
Leading the charge is a bold reimagining of Baywatch, the global phenomenon that once dominated television worldwide. The new series revives the franchise with a darker, more emotionally charged edge, centering on Hobie Buchannon as he struggles to live up to his legendary father’s legacy while facing an unexpected twist — the arrival of his determined daughter, eager to join the family’s dangerous world of ocean rescues. Set against the pressure cooker of Southern California’s shoreline, the reboot promises explosive rescues, fractured relationships, romantic tension, and generational conflict.
FOX is also introducing The Interrogator, a psychological espionage thriller starring Stephen Fry as a brilliant former MI6 operative who can manipulate even the world’s most dangerous criminals. Operating in Washington, D.C., the series follows a team of damaged outsiders navigating deception, betrayal, hidden affairs, and dangerous intelligence missions. At the center is a volatile father-daughter dynamic between Fry’s master interrogator and a gifted criminal psychologist pulled into the shadowy world of spycraft.
Returning drama Murder in a Small Town intensifies its emotional stakes with the arrival of a mysterious newcomer whose presence threatens to unravel the fragile peace of the coastal community. As buried secrets resurface, detective Karl Alberg faces mounting pressure both professionally and personally.
FOX executives positioned the upcoming slate as a major push toward character-driven storytelling built around tension, emotional fallout, and high-impact narratives. The network’s strategy combines returning fan favorites with ambitious original dramas designed to appeal to broad audiences domestically and internationally.
Beyond 2026, FOX is already preparing another emotional revival with Highway to Heaven, a modern reimagining of the beloved classic centered on redemption, compassion, and second chances.
With iconic franchises returning, spy games escalating, and family legacies colliding, FOX is clearly steering its future toward bigger emotions, sharper conflicts, and event-level drama.
FOX is also introducing The Interrogator, a psychological espionage thriller starring Stephen Fry as a brilliant former MI6 operative who can manipulate even the world’s most dangerous criminals. Operating in Washington, D.C., the series follows a team of damaged outsiders navigating deception, betrayal, hidden affairs, and dangerous intelligence missions. At the center is a volatile father-daughter dynamic between Fry’s master interrogator and a gifted criminal psychologist pulled into the shadowy world of spycraft.
Returning drama Murder in a Small Town intensifies its emotional stakes with the arrival of a mysterious newcomer whose presence threatens to unravel the fragile peace of the coastal community. As buried secrets resurface, detective Karl Alberg faces mounting pressure both professionally and personally.
FOX executives positioned the upcoming slate as a major push toward character-driven storytelling built around tension, emotional fallout, and high-impact narratives. The network’s strategy combines returning fan favorites with ambitious original dramas designed to appeal to broad audiences domestically and internationally.
Beyond 2026, FOX is already preparing another emotional revival with Highway to Heaven, a modern reimagining of the beloved classic centered on redemption, compassion, and second chances.
With iconic franchises returning, spy games escalating, and family legacies colliding, FOX is clearly steering its future toward bigger emotions, sharper conflicts, and event-level drama.
FOX DRAMA FALL 2026 SCHEDULE (All Times ET/PT)
TUESDAY
8:00 PM - Best Medicine
9:00 PM - Doc .
FOX’s midseason slate will include: Dramas: Baywatch, The Interrogator, Memory of a Killer and Murder in a Small Town.
TUESDAY
8:00 PM - Best Medicine
9:00 PM - Doc .
FOX’s midseason slate will include: Dramas: Baywatch, The Interrogator, Memory of a Killer and Murder in a Small Town.
NEW DRAMAS:
BAYWATCH
First hitting screens in 1989, Baywatch became the most-watched show in the world, airing in more than 200 countries and at its peak reaching more than a billion viewers weekly. Its global appeal drove tourism to Southern California and helped define beach culture for generations. FOX’s Baywatch will celebrate the franchise’s enduring legacy, while re-energizing it for today’s global audience. Fans can expect all the adrenaline-fueled rescues, tangled relationships, complicated chemistry and beachside heroics that defined the original — now with an entirely new cast, contemporary trappings, tensions and challenges, and a renewed mission to protect Southern California’s shoreline. The new Baywatch finds wild-child legacy character HOBIE BUCHANNON (Stephen Amell) serving as a Baywatch Captain, following in the footsteps of his legendary father, Mitch. Hobie’s world is turned upside down when his daughter CHARLIE VALE (Jessica Belkin) shows up on his doorstep eager to carry on the Buchannon family legacy. The series also stars Shay Mitchell as TRINA, Hassie Harrison as NAT, Thaddeus LaGrone as BRAD, Noah Beck as LUKE, and Brooks Nader as SELENE. In recurring roles, Livvy Dunne will make her acting debut as GRACE and David Chokachi will reprise his original series character of CODY MADISON. Baywatch is co-produced by FOX Entertainment and Fremantle with Matt Nix (Burn Notice, The Gifted) serving as showrunner and executive producer. McG, Michael Berk, Greg Bonann, Doug Schwartz, Dante Di Loreto and Mike Horowitz are executive producers. McG directed the series premiere.
THE INTERROGATOR
The Interrogator, an all-new espionage thriller starring, written and executive-produced by actor-comedian Stephen Fry (Wilde, Blackadder), is coming to FOX for the 2026–27 Season. Set in Washington, D.C., The Interrogator centers on former MI6 agent CONRAD HENRY (Fry) and his handpicked team of brilliant outsiders. When conventional methods have failed, Henry’s quirky charm, superior intellect and mind-bending behavioral maneuvers make him the only man able to lockpick the minds of the world’s most dangerous criminals. LISA ANN WOODROW (Jenna Elfman) oversees Henry’s cases. Once a rising star within the CIA, her career was derailed after a mission went wrong, leading her to the D.I.A., where she now serves as handler for Henry’s team. Though she challenges him and the two often clash, Conrad is always seven steps ahead while Woodrow is rarely more than five steps ahead. The most recent member of the team is ASTRID (Jessica Sula), a sharp and idealistic criminal psychologist new to the spy world but a natural. Henry’s somewhat estranged daughter, she shares his instinct for reading people and talent for deception, using her shapeshifting and manipulative skills for good. LOUIS (Michael Beach), the first member that Henry brought onto his team, is a dry-witted AV and IT expert with a hidden past. A true jack-of-all-trades, he’s the voice in Henry’s ear with facts and figures—and his closest ally, confidant and moral compass. VOSS (Luke Kleintank), a former Special Forces soldier and Army whistleblower, serves as one of Henry’s trusted analysts. A quiet, outdoorsy Colorado native with a strong moral code, he prefers dogs to people, except for his secret, unlikely romance that can only stay secret for so long. FLORENCE (Maria Zhang) is the most idealistic and optimistic of the team. She handles all things computers, from hacking, gathering and decrypting evidence to creating forgeries and deepfakes to lead Henry’s subjects astray. She’s a multi-lateral puzzle master, a game theory guru and a cognitive gymnast. Florence’s fiancee, Dana, still thinks she works in game development, not spy craft. She’s so deftly divided these worlds in her mind, she’s even having a (mostly physical) affair with her teammate, Voss. The Interrogator is co-produced by Lionsgate Television and Fox Entertainment. The pilot script was written by Fry, with revisions from Matt Pyken, as well as William Harper. Dan Dworkin and Jay Beattie are executive producers and showrunners. Fry executive-produces alongside William Harper and Paul McGuigan, who also will direct. Additionally, Likely Story’s Anthony Bregman and Miriam Mintz, Matt Pyken, Neil Burger and Anonymous Content serve as executive producers on the series.
Coming in 2027-2028:
HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN
Highway to Heaven, the globally celebrated drama that captured the hearts of audiences around the world over the course of its five-season run, is coming to FOX. Acclaimed writer-producer Jason Katims (Friday Night Lights, Parenthood, Roswell), helms this new take on the beloved television classic originally created by the legendary Michael Landon. Slated to debut during the 2027-28 season, the series will introduce longtime fans and a new generation to the franchise’s timeless themes of compassion, humanity, and second chances. Debuting in 1984, Highway to Heaven became a cultural touchstone, resonating with audiences through its uplifting storytelling, memorable characters and emotional, feel-good spirit. The new series will introduce an original spin to the unforgettable journey of a “probationary angel,” who is sent to Earth to earn his wings by helping people in need. Produced and owned by FOX Entertainment Studios, Highway to Heaven is executive-produced by showrunner Jason Katims, Amblin Television’s Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey, and Todd Cohen, alongside Mark Itkin and Michael Landon Productions’ Cindy Landon – steward of the original series and widow of creator Michael Landon – and Wayne Lepoff. Highway to Heaven will air on the FOX Television Network with worldwide distribution by FOX Entertainment Global.
BAYWATCH
First hitting screens in 1989, Baywatch became the most-watched show in the world, airing in more than 200 countries and at its peak reaching more than a billion viewers weekly. Its global appeal drove tourism to Southern California and helped define beach culture for generations. FOX’s Baywatch will celebrate the franchise’s enduring legacy, while re-energizing it for today’s global audience. Fans can expect all the adrenaline-fueled rescues, tangled relationships, complicated chemistry and beachside heroics that defined the original — now with an entirely new cast, contemporary trappings, tensions and challenges, and a renewed mission to protect Southern California’s shoreline. The new Baywatch finds wild-child legacy character HOBIE BUCHANNON (Stephen Amell) serving as a Baywatch Captain, following in the footsteps of his legendary father, Mitch. Hobie’s world is turned upside down when his daughter CHARLIE VALE (Jessica Belkin) shows up on his doorstep eager to carry on the Buchannon family legacy. The series also stars Shay Mitchell as TRINA, Hassie Harrison as NAT, Thaddeus LaGrone as BRAD, Noah Beck as LUKE, and Brooks Nader as SELENE. In recurring roles, Livvy Dunne will make her acting debut as GRACE and David Chokachi will reprise his original series character of CODY MADISON. Baywatch is co-produced by FOX Entertainment and Fremantle with Matt Nix (Burn Notice, The Gifted) serving as showrunner and executive producer. McG, Michael Berk, Greg Bonann, Doug Schwartz, Dante Di Loreto and Mike Horowitz are executive producers. McG directed the series premiere.
THE INTERROGATOR
The Interrogator, an all-new espionage thriller starring, written and executive-produced by actor-comedian Stephen Fry (Wilde, Blackadder), is coming to FOX for the 2026–27 Season. Set in Washington, D.C., The Interrogator centers on former MI6 agent CONRAD HENRY (Fry) and his handpicked team of brilliant outsiders. When conventional methods have failed, Henry’s quirky charm, superior intellect and mind-bending behavioral maneuvers make him the only man able to lockpick the minds of the world’s most dangerous criminals. LISA ANN WOODROW (Jenna Elfman) oversees Henry’s cases. Once a rising star within the CIA, her career was derailed after a mission went wrong, leading her to the D.I.A., where she now serves as handler for Henry’s team. Though she challenges him and the two often clash, Conrad is always seven steps ahead while Woodrow is rarely more than five steps ahead. The most recent member of the team is ASTRID (Jessica Sula), a sharp and idealistic criminal psychologist new to the spy world but a natural. Henry’s somewhat estranged daughter, she shares his instinct for reading people and talent for deception, using her shapeshifting and manipulative skills for good. LOUIS (Michael Beach), the first member that Henry brought onto his team, is a dry-witted AV and IT expert with a hidden past. A true jack-of-all-trades, he’s the voice in Henry’s ear with facts and figures—and his closest ally, confidant and moral compass. VOSS (Luke Kleintank), a former Special Forces soldier and Army whistleblower, serves as one of Henry’s trusted analysts. A quiet, outdoorsy Colorado native with a strong moral code, he prefers dogs to people, except for his secret, unlikely romance that can only stay secret for so long. FLORENCE (Maria Zhang) is the most idealistic and optimistic of the team. She handles all things computers, from hacking, gathering and decrypting evidence to creating forgeries and deepfakes to lead Henry’s subjects astray. She’s a multi-lateral puzzle master, a game theory guru and a cognitive gymnast. Florence’s fiancee, Dana, still thinks she works in game development, not spy craft. She’s so deftly divided these worlds in her mind, she’s even having a (mostly physical) affair with her teammate, Voss. The Interrogator is co-produced by Lionsgate Television and Fox Entertainment. The pilot script was written by Fry, with revisions from Matt Pyken, as well as William Harper. Dan Dworkin and Jay Beattie are executive producers and showrunners. Fry executive-produces alongside William Harper and Paul McGuigan, who also will direct. Additionally, Likely Story’s Anthony Bregman and Miriam Mintz, Matt Pyken, Neil Burger and Anonymous Content serve as executive producers on the series.
Coming in 2027-2028:
HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN
Highway to Heaven, the globally celebrated drama that captured the hearts of audiences around the world over the course of its five-season run, is coming to FOX. Acclaimed writer-producer Jason Katims (Friday Night Lights, Parenthood, Roswell), helms this new take on the beloved television classic originally created by the legendary Michael Landon. Slated to debut during the 2027-28 season, the series will introduce longtime fans and a new generation to the franchise’s timeless themes of compassion, humanity, and second chances. Debuting in 1984, Highway to Heaven became a cultural touchstone, resonating with audiences through its uplifting storytelling, memorable characters and emotional, feel-good spirit. The new series will introduce an original spin to the unforgettable journey of a “probationary angel,” who is sent to Earth to earn his wings by helping people in need. Produced and owned by FOX Entertainment Studios, Highway to Heaven is executive-produced by showrunner Jason Katims, Amblin Television’s Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey, and Todd Cohen, alongside Mark Itkin and Michael Landon Productions’ Cindy Landon – steward of the original series and widow of creator Michael Landon – and Wayne Lepoff. Highway to Heaven will air on the FOX Television Network with worldwide distribution by FOX Entertainment Global.