ABC:
First show to get a full season: Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD- Lets face it. If the second episode does relatively well, ABC is going to throw full support behind it. The only way this doesn’t get snapped up quickly is if it loses over half its audience from week 1 to week 2.
First show to get axed: The Goldbergs- Hasn’t been getting great reviews, and there is no way it can retain a decent fraction of the SHIELD audience. ABC might have a hit with Trophy Wife, and they’ll be anxious to try and shift it around so it doesn’t die. Part of that requires pairing it with something that doesn’t suck. As a close second, I could see them axing Lucky 7 at the same time. Seriously, is anyone looking forward to Lucky 7? ABC has four shows I’m convinced will be cancelled, which is not a good way to start a season. Several TV critics are predicting Super Fun Night and Betrayal as the first cancellations. ABC is betting hard on SHIELD.
Should get a full season: Trophy Wife, Back In The Game, Once Upon A Time In Wonderland
Should get axed: Betrayal, Super Fun Night, Lucky 7
NBC:
First Show to Get A Full Season: The Blacklist-NBC is really high on this show, and they don’t have an obvious slam dunk sitting around otherwise. Even if it just does so-so, NBC will still want to go the distance with it. They’re still very much in a rebuilding stage.
First Show To Get The Axe: Welcome To The Family- Honestly, I think it might be the only new NBC show to get the axe. It could take a while, but I don’t think Family pairs well with Parks and Recreation. It likely will be the black hole in NBC’s new Thursday night lineup, and even if it airs all 13 episodes, they’ll end up swapping it out come midseason.
Should get a full season: Sean Saves The World, Dracula
Already has a full season: The Michael J Fox Show
Could Go Either Way: Ironside
CBS:
First show to get a full season: The Crazy Ones- CBS landed Robin Williams. They’ll want to keep him around for more than 13 episodes. It might need some timeslot shifting, because the Thursday at 9PM timeslot is effing ridiculous right now, but I feel confident that this will get a full season.
First show to get the axe: We Are Men- Looks awful. It might be CBS’s only fall cancellation. I think CBS will stick behind The Millers longer than We Are Men. Mom can’t be cancelled, it’s a Chuck Lorre production. Even if it does awful, Lorre is still showrunning 2 Broke Girls, The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, and Mike and Molly. There’s no way Mom doesn’t get a full season.
Should get a full season: Mom, The Millers
Not really applicable: Hostages (I’m predicting it will get a second season)
FOX:
First show to get a full season: Sleepy Hollow- It has the benefit of being the first premiere. It also comes from some seriously established showrunners. The audience increased even more with the DVR viewings added to it. Adding John Noble to the cast just adds to the vote of confidence FOX already has with the series.
First show to get the axe: Dads- There aren’t a ton of new FOX shows. Junior Masterchef has the bar set so low, being on Friday night, that it would have to just do record-breaking awfulness to get the axe. Reality shows like Junior Masterchef typically go the distance and finish their runs. Especially when positioned in a timeslot that FOX doesn’t expect to win. Dads is leading in to the strongest FOX sitcom in years. Sleepy Hollow is doing boffo ratings, and Almost Human doesn’t premiere till November. Even if Almost Human does terrible out of the gate, Dads will have had 7 or 8 episodes aired to allow FOX to make an official decision on the future of the series. I’m not even sure Dads has a 13 episode commitment. If I remember correctly, it was given a straight-to-series order, and the number was below 13. They might need to make their decision quicker than usual.
Should get a full season: Brooklyn Nine Nine, Almost Human
Should get the axe: Junior Masterchef
THE CW:
First Show To Get A Full Season: The Originals- The Vampire Diaries spinoff is a slam dunk for The CW. It is also their first fall premiere, so I can’t see it not being the first show to get a full season.
First Show To Get The Axe: Ummm… not applicable? I think The CW is going to stick behind its fall shows. The midseason ones look worse. Reign has a difficult timeslot, but critics are actually loving it. I could see The CW relocating it, and at least giving it a full season to try and find some wings. After all, this is the network that kept Nikita on for four years, Hart of Dixie for three so far, and even renewed the low-rated The Carrie Diaries.
Should Get A Full Season: The Tomorrow People, Reign
