Delay of FOX Country Music Drama “Monarch” is a Big Deal
Wow.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, and especially if you’ve spent any time interfacing with the NFL on FOX over the last few months, you know just how energized the TV network has been about their new country music drama series Monarch, which was set to air its premier episode on January 30th, right after the NFC championship game on the network.
This is commonly how TV networks set up their new year of programming—they piggy back off the popularity of the NFL, and especially the playoffs, to launch new shows. Everything was in place, and an incessant barrage of promotions and appearances for the show starring Trace Adkins and Susan Sarandon had been delivered over the last few months. Adkins had even released a new version of Hank Jr.’s “Country Boy Can Survive,” and Caitlin Smith released the theme song for the series called “The Card You Gamble” just last week. Every stop was pulled out to make Monarch the linchpin for FOX’s 2022 television lineup.
And now, it’s all for naught, or at least not for another eight months.
“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 Jan. 30 debut to the fall,” FOX said in a statement. “As the cornerstone of Fox’s new 2022-23 slate, shifting a show of this magnitude allows us 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.”
According to folks who follow TV schedules and such, this development is beyond shocking, even if understandable due to the recent rise of COVID cases that assuredly contributed to production delays. Nonetheless, it leaves FOX without its signature 2022 show until later in the year, and the country music implications could be significant as well.
Though it’s hard to gauge what kind of impact the airing of Monarch would have resulted in for country music at large since we don’t know what direction the show will take, the ABC (the CMT) show Nashville that ran from 2012 to 2018 could be a good indicator. Though certain artists featured on the show did see a sizable boost (Charles Esten is now a Grand Ole Opry regular), Nashville didn’t feel like a moment where a rising tide raised all boats. The Paramount series Yellowstone, which has become one of the most popular shows on all of television, did seem to have a significant impact, especially for the independent country artists the show’s soundtrack predominately features.
Whatever the impact of Monarch is, it will still be felt, just eight months from now, and without the slingshot of the NFL, and maybe after the public is wary of what now will be a second season of promotion leading up to the series.
Monarch stars Susan Sarandon as the ailing “Queen of Country Music” Dottie Cantrell Roman, Trace Adkins as her husband Albie, and British actress Anna Friel as Nicolette “Nicky” Roman, who is the heiress to what is characterized as the “First Family of Country Music.”
Sold as a “Texas-sized, multigenerational musical drama about a family synonymous with authenticity,” there is some big family secret behind their success that must be protected at all costs, including with (don don don!) murder. The Romans apparently live in Austin, but spend ample time in Nashville tending to the family business, while much of the series itself is being filmed in Atlanta.
No specific word on when the series will premier now, but it’s not expected before the fall.
January 13, 2022 @ 10:56 am
Pretty shocking. I mean, they got a huge star in Susan to star it, too. Crazy.
January 14, 2022 @ 5:30 am
Susan Sarandon is a communist.
Raiders +5.5
Patriots +4
Cowboys -3
January 17, 2022 @ 8:26 pm
I wonder how many eyes rolled when they read your comment.
January 18, 2022 @ 1:32 am
Very disappointed about the delay. Was significantly interested,
January 13, 2022 @ 11:10 am
I hadn’t really paid much attention to this show: I knew it was coming out, but couldn’t really even recall the name of it.
I’m neither shocked nor disappointed in the delay for it. I might still watch when it comes out, but it’s hardly something I was waiting with baited breath for.
January 13, 2022 @ 11:11 am
Wouldn’t you think they already had 4-5 episodes already filmed and ready to air?
January 13, 2022 @ 11:19 am
They probably did, but apparently they don’t think that’s enough for production to stay ahead of air dates. TV production is not my expertise by any stretch, but what I find so shocking is how much promo this things has received all over the place, and the fact that it wasn’t ready to go even with some reasonable delays makes this move unprecedented according to folks who know about such stuff, even with the pandemic.
January 13, 2022 @ 4:20 pm
I’m thinking the advertising folks want a full deck to play.
January 13, 2022 @ 11:15 am
So do they only have a few episodes shot and continue to film as the season goes on? If so better to delay and have a whole season ready to go instead of a pause part way thru the season due to a Covid issue.
January 13, 2022 @ 6:39 pm
Yeah, that’s generally how it works. You have a handful done and others in various stages of completion (filming, editing, post-production, etc.) while you keep the assembly line going.
No clue how many they have completed now, but makes sense that they’d want to have a little more cushion in case there were further production delays. Especially if they’re putting a lot of weight on this being a new signature show for them.
January 13, 2022 @ 11:17 am
Well since I wouldn’t watch it if you paid me to do so, I could care less. Well unless they paid me a lot! However I have no doubt this has all involved angst ridden and regrouping to change the promotional work regarding the show. Yellowstone is the first new drama I have watched regularly in years and it took me 3 years to be talked into watching it but Bingham was on it and I love his tunes so that convinced me to give it a shot.
January 13, 2022 @ 11:18 am
I wonder how many episodes were already in the can. Seems like they could have aired what they already have and set up for a short season with a cliffhanger before bringing it back in the fall for season 2, or late summer to finish out season 1.
January 13, 2022 @ 12:02 pm
They should just continue and air what they have; then when they get to a scene or episode that wasn’t filmed due to covid issues, they can do a cutaway while the dialogue scrolls on the screen: ‘The following scene was not filmed due to covid protocols. Please enjoy Trace Adkins singing Honkytonk Badonkadonk as the dialogue is presented for your viewing pleasure.’
I picture a cutaway like the Conway Twitty cutaways in Family Guy.
January 13, 2022 @ 12:29 pm
It’s unfair to pre judge, having not seen a single second. I suspect they had to reshoot most, if not all, of Adkins’ scenes based on focus groups or screeners. Production delays/COVID make convenient excuses. I bet they’re scrambling because the marketing blitz has made it all but impossible to replace him now. Unless they rewrite the storyline to kill him off after 2 or 3 episodes.
Any Trace Adkins vehicle has been completely unwatchable. He did quite a few westerns, so I gave him a chance and tried to watch a couple of those. He even did one with Kristofferson, whose acting chops are pretty good. I probably made it through 10 mins of each before reaching for the remote and the back button. It’s like watching your special needs nephew in the high school play, bless his heart. A little stroll through Adkins’ IMDB catalog and you’ll see a lot of overly generous, IMO, 3-4 star rated movies.
Not sure why folks just don’t stay in their lane. Not all actors make musicians and not all musicians make actors. There are exceptions, Dwight Yoakam comes to mind, Mr. Adkins is not one of them.
Pump the brakes Adkins fans, this isn’t me hating on Adkins as a musician. I love Bingham’s music, but I’d level the same criticism at his acting as well. Adkins is just so much worse. He must know where the bodies are buried or have unedited copies of 3pstein’s flight logs.
January 13, 2022 @ 1:03 pm
There’s no information out there that this delay has been caused by anything but COVID disrupting the production process, but this move is so unprecedented, and the rollout by FOX has been so pronounced, I wouldn’t be surprised if there weren’t some other factors in play here, whatever they are. Maybe they’re Trace Adkins’ acting chops, I don’t know. But you would think at this late stage they would try and figure out how to make it work, maybe release the first 3-4 episodes as some have suggested, then take a pause for a few weeks on a cliffhanger and let production catch up as opposed delaying the whole thing. Choosing to back out entirely does make one wonder if something else is going on.
January 13, 2022 @ 1:10 pm
Guess I’m livin’ under a rock, then. Pretty content.
January 13, 2022 @ 2:38 pm
We have survived for forever without this show. I think we’ll be ok.
January 13, 2022 @ 3:04 pm
Yellowstone is pretty trash soap TV, and this looks like the faltering first copy-cat show trying to take advantage of the newly refreshed public interest in things that they think will make them more “cowboy & country,” I.e. carhart and tecova boots (even, and especially in places that have nothing to do with such a lifestyle). Was anybody holding their breath for this? It seems absurdly cheesy and dumb
January 13, 2022 @ 3:14 pm
Don’t underestimate the amount of basic people out there that get excited for broadcast television.
I’m not sure the level of disappointment is the reason this is newsworthy though. It’s that FOX built their entire broadcast year around a show about country music, poured millions of dollars into promo for it, then yanked it two weeks before it was set to start airing.
January 14, 2022 @ 7:13 am
Personally I hadn’t heard of it. I don’t even watch Yellowstone though. I’ve thought about it but for various reasons I haven’t done it yet. Mainly cause it’s probably more like modern westerns which tend to be horrible.
January 13, 2022 @ 5:27 pm
On a side note – the movie ‘Old Henry’ was really good and I thought Trace did a decent job in his role.
January 14, 2022 @ 7:41 pm
It was an excellent movie all around.
January 14, 2022 @ 11:57 pm
It’s my favorite movie not starring Nicolas Cage last year
January 13, 2022 @ 5:44 pm
By the time it goes on in the Fall, those singles will be long forgotten about. If they even make a dent on the charts no one will remember.
January 13, 2022 @ 7:55 pm
I was obsessed with Susan Sarandon in high school (this was 20+ years ago) – like, if I had gone to my high school reunion anyone I talked to who knew me then would have probably asked if I still was…Dang me if she doesn’t still look amazing.
January 13, 2022 @ 11:06 pm
I don’t mean to be cheeky, as I like this site, but this article is a bit hysterical, isn’t it? Covid has always caused delays. The Bond film was delayed, for instance.
January 14, 2022 @ 1:36 am
So I won’t have to see those awful promos over and over anymore?
January 14, 2022 @ 6:17 pm
Susan Sarandon seems like an awful person who is very pleased with herself. If this show is ever broadcast, I won’t watch due to the simple fact she’s on it.
January 14, 2022 @ 7:29 pm
I think Susan Sarandon is a Very cool person.
January 15, 2022 @ 11:16 pm
hey looks like tards walking around in cowboy hats on tv is all the rage lets make one of those! hire that guy who wrote that rap song, honky tonk badonkadonk gnomesaying? if you want a good show about tex-ass watch the righteous gemstones, probably not this junk
February 5, 2022 @ 1:35 am
Susan shot herself in the foot with the comments made about the many officers at the slain officers funeral. She should have kept her mouth shut, and that’s why it’s being delayed. The NYPD won’t accept her lame apology.