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Fox postpones flagship country music drama Monarch due to pandemic

Drama Monarch follows the US’s first family of country music

US network Fox is delaying the premiere of its country music drama Monarch, originally set for January 30, until the fall as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic continues to disrupt the traditional US broadcast schedule.

“Unfortunately, due to the unavoidable realities of the pandemic and the profound impact Covid-19 continues to have on our industry and around the world, it is necessary to reschedule Monarch’s January 30 debut to the fall,” said the network in a statement released on Wednesday.

Calling the show “the cornerstone” of its 2022/23 slate, Fox said postponing the launch will allow the network to “have its entire first season produced, create additional, high-profile content and promotional windows to support launch, and give our viewers the best opportunity to enjoy the series as intended with a non-compromised run of episodes.”

Fox has not yet announced what will replace the series in its mid-season line-up. The Atlanta-shot series is expected to continue filming into the spring.

The nine-month delay will have a knock-on effect in countries including Canada, where Corus Entertainment-owned network Global announced last week that it had acquired the series.

Featuring a cast led by Susan Sarandon, Trace Adkins and Anna Friel, Monarch is a multi-generational show about America’s first family of country music, the Romans. Fox gave the project a full series order last year after putting together a writers’ room in 2020.

Fully owned by Fox, the hour-long drama is executive produced by Melissa London Hilfers, Michael Rauch, Gail Berman and Hend Baghdady of The Jackal Group and Sandbox Entertainment’s Jason Owen. The show was created by London Hilfers. Jon Feldman serves as showrunner.

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