Production of the series began in 2011, with a demo airing on Fox on January 5, 2012. The series was originally set to premiere on July 20, 2012 to concide with the release ofIce Age: Continential Drift, but was moved to August. The producers decided to "go ahead" and air another first episode, "Welcome Back" on August 10, 2012. On May 10, 2016, Fox renewed the series for its fifth, sixth, and seventh seasons, with the fifth season premiering on July 22, 2016.