Fox's New Schedule Puts Fringe on a Break

Futon Critic broke the news yesterday, saying that Fringe will be going on a seven-week hiatus in the new year.  Add this to the fact that Fox is leaving the show on Thursday nights and it might sound like the death knell for our favorite quirky scifi series.

Fear not.

The long hiatus is becoming more common than ever before and even Fox’s hit Glee will be taking a four-month break after it airs its last new episodes in December. ABC’s V is also sitting out for months and Supernatural is in reruns now until late January.

Maybe the studios feel that absence will make the heart grow fonder. Extended breaks haven’t hurt 24 or Lost all that much, but generally they aren’t good for the health of a series.

On the good news side, former Fringe star Mark Valley will debut in his new series Human Target starting in late January, slotting in after American Idol. Futon Critic also reports that Past Life will take Fringe’s spot on Thursdays for much of the break.

HUMAN TARGET: Christopher Chance (Mark Valley) is the human target, a unique private contractor hired to protect his clients from dangerous and imminent threats in the new action thriller HUMAN TARGET airing with a special preview event Sunday, Jan. 17 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2009 Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: David Gray/FOX/WBTV