One of the best surprises this summer was "Huge," a show with subtlety, charm and flawed characters. It won't be back for a second season.

One of the best surprises this fall was "Terriers," with subtlety, charm and flawed characters. It won't be back next season.

Yes, there's a trend here.

The Fox network started by cleverly going where the others weren't. At various points, it tried all the things the big networks had abandoned. Some failed (there are, at times, good reasons for abandoment) and some succeeded splendidly; Fox revived primetime cartoons ("Simpsons"), variety shows ("In Living Color"), sci-fi ("X-Files") and amateur competitions ("American Idol").