FOX Renews 'The Following,' 'New Girl,' 'Raising Hope' & 'The Mindy Project'

        Monday, March 4 - FOX has handed out early renewals to midseason drama The Following and Tuesday comedies New Girl, Raising Hope and The Mindy Project. All four series will return for the 2013-2014 broadcast television season. They join previously renewed series Bones and The X Factor.

        In announcing The Following's renewal, FOX president Kevin Reilly said, "From the very beginning, we felt Kevin Williamson and Marcos Siega had created a high-quality, edge-of-you-seat drama that could break from the pact, and it is exciting to see the audience responding. Kevin Bacon and James Purefoy have given us two of the most compelling characters on television and the entire cast is incredible. I'm delighted to have this thrill ride continue for another season.

        The pickup for The Following is for another 15-episode season - per star Kevin Bacon's deal to star in a limited amount of episodes. The series has proven to be the only success story from the midseason launches on any of the broadcast networks. It has also emerged as a big DVR performer, rising to No. 2 broadcast drama and No. 3 drama overall this season in Live+7 ratings.

        New Girl is FOX's highest rated comedy and thusly its renewal for a third season was practically a no-brainer. Raising Hope has been a solid utility player for the network throughout its three season run - performing decent numbers wherever the network slots it. Plus, the pickup of a fourth season would include the series hitting the basic strip syndication mark of 88 episodes. The Mindy Project has struggled from the start to obtain breakout ratings and has revamped its supporting cast multiple times around. However, the show finally is hitting its stride with recent episodes being the most favorable by critics and the ratings holding steady. Additionally, FOX brass really love being in business with Mindy Kaling.
       On the comedy renewals, Reilly said, "We love working with these talented producers and casts who, week after week, create some of the funniest work on television. These shows are creatively vibrant, they have established a loyal and passionate audience and they will continue to define and grow the FOX comedy brand next season and beyond."