Murder in Small Town X is a new one-hour unscripted drama series in which 10 players -- known as "investigators" – compete to solve a murder in the small town of Sunrise, USA. Once in the town, the investigators are introduced to improvisational actors who portray the townspeople - one of whom is the Killer. Murder in Small Town X debuts with a special 90-minute premiere episode Tuesday, July 17 (8:30-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. It was announced today by Gail Berman, President of Entertainment, FOX Broadcasting Co.

The eight-week series will feature players pursuing clues and researching leads to identify the Killer under the guidance of Lead Investigator Gary Fredo, a real-life Sargent with a Southern California Law Enforcement Agency. As each episode draws to a climactic conclusion, two investigators are selected by the group to stake out the Killer at different locations. One investigator will come back with a vital clue that will assist in identifying the Killer; the other will become the next victim.

"Murder in Small Town X is a new hybrid format," said Berman. "It combines real people with actors in an unpredictable situation that exposes the human dynamic. It's like `Ten Little Indians,' played out with real people."

Executive Producer George Verschoor, who directed and produced the first four seasons of the popular series "The Real World," states, "Our biggest challenge was maintaining a high level of secrecy while combining the real town and its residents with the actors in the fictitious world the show created." He added, "It was amazing how the contestants became entrenched in the Killer's world."

With 13 years of experience, Gary Fredo joins Murder in Small Town X as the program's Lead Investigator. His responsibilities include giving the training and tools necessary to help the investigators solve the crime.

George Verschoor, Robert Fisher Jr. and Gordon Cassidy are Executive Producers. Murder in Small Town X is a Final Stretch Production.