MUMBAI: US broadcaster Fox has announcing 2011-2012 midseason premiere dates for new and returning series, including the return of ?American Idol? the debuts of new dramas Touch, ?Alcatraz? and ?The Finder?; and the launch of new animated series ?Napoleon Dynamite?.

?American Idol? comes back for the 11th season. It begins with a two-night premiere on 18 January 2012. The show features host Ryan Seacrest and returning judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler.

?Touch?, the new drama created by Tim Kring ?Heroes? and starring Kiefer Sutherland ?24) will debut with a special preview on 25 January immediately following ?American Idol?. The drama, which makes its series premiere on 19 March features Sutherland as a widower and single father haunted by an inability to connect to his mute 11-year-old son. But everything changes when he discovers that his son possesses the gift of staggering genius - the ability to see things that no one else can and the patterns that connect seemingly unrelated events.

JJ Abrams? new thriller ?Alcatraz? will debut on 16 January with a two-hour premiere event. The series then makes its time period premiere on 23 January following all-new episodes of ?House?. The mysterious drama stars Sarah Jones, Jorge Garcia and Sam Neill as a team investigating the shocking reappearance of Alcatraz?s most notorious prisoners, 50 years after they vanished.

?The Finder?, the one-hour procedural centering on a man with the ability to help people find the unfindable, joins the schedule on 12 January.

?Napoleon Dynamite?, the new animated comedy joins the Animation Domination lineup with a double dose of episodes on 15 January. Featuring the voices of the original cast the show follows the continuing adventures of America?s most awesomely awkward teenager and his quirky family and friends, as they navigate small-town life in rural Idaho.

From 6 March Tuesday will have a new block of four half-hour comedies led by encores of ?New Girl? followed by the second season of ?Breaking In?, the workplace comedy starring Christian Slater, Bret Harrison and new series regular Megan Mullally. The Tuesday night of comedy continues with all-new episodes of the show followed by the misadventures of the Chance family on ?Raising Hope?.

?Bob?s Burgers? joins the Animation Domination menu when it the second season kicks off on 11 March. This season, Bob (the voice of H. Jon Benjamin) and the family test-drive the food truck industry, dive into the world of synchronized swimming, search for treasure in an abandoned taffy factory and get tied up with a very needy bank robber.

MUMBAI: Nigel Lythgoe, executive producer of television juggernaut ‘American Idol‘ and the co-creator and executive producer of ‘So You Think You Can Dance‘, will receive the 2011 International Emmy? Founders Award.

International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (Iatas) president and CEO Bruce L. Paisner announced that Lythgoe will accept the Award at the 39th International Emmy Awards Gala, on 21 November, in New York City.
 
NPaisner said, "Starting as a TV executive in London, Nigel Lythgoe has made big jumps across oceans and formats to become one of the major television producers of our time. The Founders Emmy recognizes these accomplishments, and Nigel‘s deep commitment to the art of dance and to the dancers who bring it to life."

Lythgoe said, "This is a true honour. The world of television is becoming increasingly more global, and I am grateful that The International Academy is recognizing the growing importance of performing arts and dance on television throughout the world."