Fox pushes back premiere date for sci-fi drama ‘Almost Human’

It’s not exactly almost time for “Almost Human.” Fox has pushed back the premiere date for the sci-fi drama.

The futuristic series, created by J.H. Wyman (“Fringe”) and featuring TV and film power player J.J. Abrams as an executive producer, was originally scheduled to launch Nov. 4. But things have since been reset.

The network is now making a two-night event out of the drama’s premiere on Sunday and Monday, Nov. 17 and 18, to, as the network says, take advantage of the NFL doubleheader lead-in that Sunday — its premiere will air at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The network would then run the second episode of “Almost Human” — a twist on the cop drama format set in 2048 and centered on police officers partnered with human-like androids — the next night, in its regular Monday slot at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

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Will the big-game launch help the late-in-the-season debut? Fox has not had the easiest time launching sci-fi offerings (cough*”Terra Nova,” “Alcatraz”*cough) in recent years. And the network seems keen on the idea of using sports as a way to draw more viewers. Last week, in a vote of confidence, Fox announced modest-performing freshman comedy “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” was getting the post-Super Bowl slot along with “New Girl.”

The date change for “Almost Human” also allows Fox to make the most out of its current Monday pairing, which has “Bones” teamed with freshman hit “Sleepy Hollow” — Fox’s best launch in six years. The tagteam will stay intact for two additional weeks, when it returns with episodes Nov. 4 and 11, before long-running “Bones” moves yet again into another time slot — 8 p.m. ET/PT Fridays beginning Nov. 15.

That Friday night will also see the return of Fox’s under-the-radar comedy “Raising Hope,” which moves from Tuesdays to under-the-radar Friday nights for its fourth season.

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