FOX Makes Big Moves, Cancels Breaking In, Lie To Me, And More

Things went down hard and heavy over at FOX Tuesday night. It seemed like every show on the bubble was in danger of getting axed and Fox spared no one. Literally. They’re all gone now.

The shows I’m talking about of course are the hour-long dramas The Chicago Code, Lie To Me, Human Target, and the half hour comedies Traffic Light and Breaking In. The truth is these shows weren’t doing terribly, but FOX is taking a stance against mediocrity it seems, preferring to take a chance with brand new shows next season.

According to EW, Lie To Me and Human Target have been struggling since they began, both averaging 7.6 million viewers and a 2.2 rating in adults 18-49, having slipped down from a 2.9 last season.

Newcomer Breaking In, starring Christian Slater in his third attempt at a TV show, had a strong debut, but couldn’t hold onto its post-American Idol audience. Traffic Light was dropped for similar reasons.

FOX also announced pickups for the fall; the first one announced being the Zooey Deschanel comedy The New Girl. Pickups also include J.J. Abrams’ mystery drama Alcatraz, the comedy I Hate My Teenage Daughter, and the Bones spin off Finder.

There are still several pilots that haven’t been picked up for series, including the Ethan Hawke thriller Exit Strategy and the comedies Little in Common and Family Album. FOX announces its final 2011-2012 schedule next Monday.