Fox renews comedies ahead of pilot pickups

US network Fox has renewed a raft of comedies including New Girl ahead of its annual Upfronts event next month.

The US broadcaster has renewed the Zooey Deschanel-fronted series for a second season and has also given Ryan Murphy’s musical comedy drama Glee an order for a fourth season and Martha Plimpton-fronted comedy Raising Hope a third season.

“Over the past season, New Girl has become the hottest new appointment series for young adults; Raising Hope has established itself as one of the smartest and most unique offbeat comedies on television; and Glee has continued its success as a genre-defying, global cultural phenomenon,” Fox Entertainment chief Kevin Reilly said.

This comes as the network is prepping a pile of new pilots ahead of the Upfronts and LA Screenings in May. Fox is piloting a number of new comedies including a medical comedy written and starring The Office’s Mindy Kaling, Latin-themed El Jefe, Like Father, a family comedy from Scrubs‘ Bill Lawrence and Living Loaded from It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia creator Rob McElhenney.