CHICAGO (thefutoncritic.com) -- With its growing commitments to "American Idol" and reality series in general, FOX will have a backlog of fresh episodes of both "Futurama" and "Cedric the Entertainer Presents" for the summer. The news was just one item in a host of announcements this week by the network concerning May sweeps and beyond:
-- "Futurama" will be pre-empted for the entire May sweeps period (April 24 - May 21) as at least six episodes of the animated comedy will be left in the can come June.
-- "Cedric the Entertainer Presents" will air fresh installments on April 30 and May 7 in its current Wednesday, 9:30/8:30c time slot with the four remaining episodes set to air in June. Current time slot holder "Wanda at Large" will wrap its season on April 23.
-- "Boston Public" will wrap its third season on May 12. A two-hour finale of "Mr. Personality" is set for May 19.
-- Tonight's airing of "24" marks the first of nine episodes leading up to its second season finale on Tuesday, May 20.
-- With producers increasing its finalist field to 12 contestants, FOX will extend the series by two weeks with its two-hour finale airing on Wednesday, May 21.
-- "That '70s Show" and "The Bernie Mac Show" will close their respective seasons on May 14 with the latter airing at a special time - 9:30/8:30c - to make room for a one-hour edition of "American Idol" that night.
-- Friday dramas "Fastlane" and "John Doe" will end their freshman seasons on April 25. Movies will take over the following week with "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" airing on May 2, "The Matrix" on May 9 and "Big Momma's House" on May 16.
-- Sunday comedies "The Simpsons," "King of the Hill," "Malcolm in the Middle" and "The Pitts" will air fresh episodes through the entire period. Repeats of "The Simpsons" and "King of the Hill" will fill the 7:00/6:00c slot. "Hill" fans should note that the 150th episode of the animated series airs on May 11.
-- May sweeps plans for the network's Thursday night lineup have not been announced.
-- Following sweeps, the dramedy "Keen Eddie" will premiere in "24's" home of Tuesdays at 9:00/8:00c beginning June 3.
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