Fox chairman of entertainment Kevin Reilly hailed the new comedies as "everything we want to stand for in comedy" while announcing the pickups.
“'Ben and Kate' and 'The Mindy Project' have everything we want to stand for in comedy: smart writing, hugely appealing casts and comedy that feels contemporary and real -- which is why we’re confident they will continue to build on what is already an appointment comedy night for young, influential audiences on Tuesdays,” said Reilly.
The series, which are part of Fox's revamped Tuesday night comedy block, premiered two weeks ago to so-so numbers, with "The Mindy Project" scoring a 2.4 rating/6 share in the advertiser-friendly 18-49 demographic and taking 4.7 million total viewers, while "Ben and Kate" received a 2.0/6 in the demo and drew 4.2 million total viewers.
"The Mindy Project" stars "The Office" vet Mindy Kaling in a medical setting, while "Ben and Kate" stars Nat Faxon as a man who moves in with his Type A sister in order to help take care of his sibling's daughter.
"Ben and Kate" airs Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m., while "The Mindy Project" airs at 9:30.
