The summer of FOX with Glee's end, Lie To Me's premiere dates

The summer is already getting hotter now that FOX decided to spice up it's off-season schedule. Starting with an usual season finale date for popculture-hit Glee and a very, very late spring return date for Lie To Me.

Everybody's favorite singing high school (take that Efron & co!) will air it's final episode on June 8. The date is particularly odd because most shows end in May and by putting the much anticipated season finale far beyond it's competition could only mean FOX wants to end the season with a really big ratings bang (and probably to smooth the transition between original episodes and summer re-runs that start June 15). Not that the move is very surprising since Glee is coming back quit late, making it's return to the airwaves April 13.

A second move from FOX indicating it's looking at more original content during the summer season, is putting Lie To Me's return date on June 7th, together with the series premiere of the action comedy The Good Guys. Lie To Me with a 12 episode order was promised a late spring return but is now used to help launch the new show on Mondays this summer.

Lately, summer was the domain of un-scripted shows (and scripted shows on cable networks), but with FOX putting a decent running show together with a nicely anticipated new comedy means this could be a game changer for original scripted content during the summer. That, plus ending, and re-running, a hit like Glee two weeks off the season.

If Lie To Me and The Good Guys manage to pull great ratings, there might be a chance for more scripted dramas and comedies in the months that the bigger show are enjoying their time off. Right now, television season runs from late September to mid-May, but this summer, that might all change. If the shows succeed, additional episodes might be ordered to stretch their runs.

It could go either way, but if anyone knows how to make hit summer shows, what with Beverly Hills 90210 and The O.C., it's FOX. So for the first time, in a long time, keep your eyes on FOX this summer.