Every year around this time the American television networks go through a period of cleansing, in which they decide to purge themselves of generally regrettable or not widely beloved shows while making googly eyes at the fresh new girls (i.e., shows) getting off the bus. Some years it can feel like a bloodbath whereas others it can feel more like a modest thinning of the herd. This year, it has been a bit anticlimactic. Most of the obvious hits have been renewed weeks ago. Even Glee was recently given a two season renewal. However, each network approaches the process differently, and right now the real instability is coming from ABC and NBC, who had been relatively quiet on this front.
Well, that just changed. Over the past two days somebody has been taking a flamethrower to NBC’s schedule. Shows are dying fast, with announcements coming fast and furious. Around these parts, I am not quite ready to say goodbye to Community nor is Julianne ready to depart Hannibal‘s dirty party. Alas, there has been no word on either show as of yet thus meaning our stress continues unabated. In the meantime, a lot of other shows are starting to drop like flies.
Here is a rundown of the latest, divided by network [this page will be updated to reflect each new announcement; the below list is as of 5/10]:
ABC
American Broadcasting Company (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
No recent cancellations or renewals. Shows whose fates are net yet written (because there’s no fate but what we make for ourselves – sorry, I couldn’t resit re-using an iconic line from the films Terminator and Terminator 2t) include The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, Body of Proof, Castle, Dancing With the Stars, Happy Endings, Grey’s Anatomy, Last Man Standing, Malibu County, The Middle, Modern Family, Nashville, The Neighbors, Once Upon a Time, Red Widow, Scandal, Shark Tank, and Suburgatory (otherwise known as basically their entire schedule). Most of these shows are sure bets to be renewed, but those most likely to get canned include Happy Endings and Red Widow. Shows canceled earlier in the season include 666 Park Avenue, Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23, Last Resort, Private Practice, and Zero Hero.
CBS
CBS Logo Light (Photo credit: watchwithkristin)
The only shows from CBS’ 2012/2013 lineup to have been canceled are Made In Jersey and Partners, neither of which even made it into 2013. All but four other shows have been renewed. Those four? CSI: New York, Golden Boy, Rules of Engagement, and Vegas. One or all four of these could be canceled, but there has been no announcement either way to this point.
CW
English: Network logo for The CW Television Network. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Almost all of the network’s active shows (Vampire Diaries, Supernatural Arrow, etc) have been renewed for an additional season except for 90210, which has been canceled and airs it series finale May 13. The only shows with uncertain fates are America’s Next Top Model and Cult, with the latter having been pulled from the schedule and presumed canceled. The most recent shows to have received a renewal announcement from the network are Nikita and The Carrie Diaries, with the former returning for a shortened, likely last season and the latter returning for its second season. Those canceled earlier in the season include Gossip Girl and Emily Owens, M.D.
FOX
Logo of the Fox Broadcasting Company (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The Kiefer Sutherland show Touch has been canceled. We await word on American Idol and Kitchen Nightmares. Shows canceled earlier in the season include Ben & Kate and The Mob Doctor. The Cleveland Show is believed to be canceled, although Fox has yet to make that official. Other shows such as The Mindy Project, New Girl, and The Following were renewed back in March.
NBC
A 3D “glass effect” version of the Peacock, currently in use in NBC promotional advertising (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
They are dropping the axe to their schedule. As announced yesterday, 1600 Penn, Deception, Guys With Kids, Up All Night, and Whitney are all being sent to a permanent dirt nap. As announced mere hours ago, the Matthew Pretty timeslot hit – meaning it did very well when The Voice aired before it but plummeted when The Voice went on hiatus – has also been canceled. This joins Animal Practice, Do No Harm, and Brian William’s Rock Center as shows canceled from the network’s 2012/2013 lineup, with 30 Rock and The Office both dying but of natural causes as opposed to murder-by-NBC. Smash is also assumed to be canceled though nothing is official, kind of like nobody has hit it with a car yet (which happened to one of the characters on the show in just its latest insanely stupid plot developments) meaning it is technically still alive.
On the plus side, Leslie Knope and the town of Pawnee live on as Parks & Recreation has been renewed. This criminally underwatched Amy Poehler property was considered on the bubble so allow me to repeat the news in all caps for those who might simply skim this article looking for the name of the show they loved: PARKS & RECREATION HAS BEEN REWED. However, there are quite a few other shows with undecided fates: Betty White’s Off Their Rockers, The Biggest Loser, Celebrity Apprentice, Community, Fashion Star, Hannibal, and The New Normal.
I, for one, will miss Go On, which never quite became great but featured a solid ensemble cast and increasingly brilliant performances by Laura Benanti as Lauren and Sarah Baker as Sonia. Matthew Perry did a perfectly fine job as a slightly sadder version of Chandler Bing on the show, but it is Benanti and Baker who are the ones to look out for. I hope to see them in a different show sooner rather than later.
On the cable side of the coin, TNT has canceled Southland and Monday Mornings, USA has announced the upcoming season of Burn Notice will be its last, and SyFy has renewed the usually excellent Defiance.
