Already, we've seen some shows kick the bucket and some seal deals for renewals. No matter how poor a show's ratings might be, there's always at least a small amount of fans who will be disappointed to see a show they like disappear, and with the way television has been changing over the past few years with Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and other services picking up shows that other networks have dropped, fans are always looking for a second chance. Community was picked up by Yahoo! Screen last year, but not only did that not return, the platform itself is now defunct, and with no news of Hannibal making a return either, it proves that shows still mostly live or die by the networks.
That being said, which shows have been canned so far, but stand a chance to make a comeback? Which shows are in danger of being cancelled after this season and probably won't return? Let's take a look at some on the chopping block.
CBS Shows
Despite its detractors who absolutely hate it, The Big Bang Theory is already renewed for another season. That's the opposite of Mike & Molly, which went through so many changes over the past few years in regards to time slots and debuts that it's no surprise this will be its final season. Melissa McCarthy is becoming an even bigger star in the world of movies with Ghostbusters soon to only grow that to even higher levels. The show has probably run its course, so there's little incentive to return with such uncertainty of its scheduling.
TV By the Numbers, which is the standard tracking source for ratings, declares CSI: Cyber to be on its "sure bet to be cancelled by May 2016" list with some other likely candidates being The Good Wife and Hawaii Five-O. Looking at how poor those ratings are in comparison to other shows on the network, it would be no surprise to see them get dropped.
Although they state that Limitless isn't as safe as it once was, I can't imagine it not returning for a second season. The show does safe numbers and it's a perfect tone for the network, as it favors a mix between cop dramas and comedies. Just look at Scorpion as another example of a similar atmosphere which wasn't cut its first year, or the NCIS franchise which has two spin-offs to its name. I think if CBS was feeling bold and wanted to cut another show from the lineup, Code Black would get nixed before Limitless.
NBC Shows
Already renewed from NBC this year are Chicago PD, Chicago Fire, The Blacklist and Blindspot while we know that three shows are cancelled for sure. Those three shows are Truth Be Told, Heroes Reborn and The Player.
I know nothing about Truth Be Told, which makes sense considering its ratings. Even looking at pictures doesn't ring a bell, so I might not have seen previews for it, let alone the show itself.
Heroes Reborn was an example of a show that just annoys me. The original series had such an amazing build for its first season and then it went downhill, never fully recovering. This was promised as a means to pick up the story where we left off with a reboot to an extent, but most importantly rebuilding its former glory for the future. Instead, we got the same lazy writing as before, coupled with a ridiculous video game world premise. Many fans were underwhelmed and might even consider this to have not been worth the effort rather than letting sleeping dogs lie.
The Player was a show that I had watched a few episodes of, but I knew it was doomed. In fact, you can read an article I wrote in October stating that very thing. The premise of a consortium of wealthy businessmen seeking thrills by betting on crimes was very interesting, but the show just lacked the style (and the marketing) necessary to reach an audience. If you were a fan of The Player and you want to find another casino outlet, check out sites like Grizzly Gambling which offers free slots games. That way, you can be in on the action instead of just watching it, because you apparently can't watch it on NBC anymore anyway!
If NBC is feeling the itch to cleanse itself and start fresh, The Mysteries of Laura, Telenovela, Undateable, and possibly Grimm and Shades of Blue could be gone as well come next season.
CW Shows
Out of every network, it seems like The CW is the happiest with itself. Currently, nothing stands out as a potential release other than Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, but even that isn't listed as a guarantee and its numbers aren't too far off from Reign and Jane the Virgin. That might be more of a bad thing for the latter two than a good thing for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend if CW has some new ideas for shows to test out, but the ratings for the rest of the runs for those shows will play a big factor into CW's decision in May. If I were a betting man, I would say only the lowest goes away.
ABC Shows
Wicked City and Blood & Oil are gone, and joining them in the graveyard soon is likely going to be Galavant, Nashville, Castle and Agent Carter.
I've heard rumblings about Nashville and Castle not lasting another season for quite some time, so that comes to no surprise for me. However, Agent Carter is a little bit shocking, to an extent. Admittedly, the first season of that show wasn't something that I was super fond of and I think this current season is struggling to find a purpose for itself even more, but it's a Marvel property. I personally feel its outlived its usefulness and should be pushed aside to make room for the upcoming Marvel's Most Wanted, but even that show is something I'm not entirely supportive of. Damage Control seems far, far more interesting and I would rather keep Bobbi and Hunter on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to keep that show going rather than spin them off into a separate show, but that's another discussion for another time. In the end, it would be justifiable to see Agent Carter go away, but it still would be a bit eye-opening to see something under the Marvel brand not succeed for the first time in years.
FOX Shows
While I can say so many positive things about Limitless, I can't say the same for Minority Report. Ironically, both shows are based on films where I felt the opposite about them. The Limitless movie was just okay, if not disappointing, while Minority Report is a great one I definitely recommend. The television shows couldn't be a clearer 180 degree switch, though, with Minority Report being cancelled months ago for just, well, being terrible.
Poor Second Chance doesn't look like it will be getting a second chance of its own, either. Just like with The Player, I figured a cancellation was coming right after watching the first episode. With its ratings being a 1.2 on the premiere and a 1.0 its second week as well as a move to Friday nights in the works, that just screams bad news. As stated before, there's no shortage of shows that deal with similar concepts to help differentiate it enough for it to stand out, nor is there really any star power or buzz on social media. The premise and the show itself was an interesting experiment that just didn't pan out.
Sleepy Hollow, Bordertown, Cooper Barrett's Guide to Surviving Life, The Grinder, Grandfathered, Bones and The Last Man on Earth are all hovering around that mark of cancellation as well. I know virtually nothing about any of them, except I do know that Bordertown looked absolutely terrible on the preview I saw, and it doesn't surprise me one bit to see it listed as a likely cut. Try harder to sell your show than just jokes about ugly people, foreign people, or ugly foreign people. Be funny instead. It worked for Brooklyn Nine-Nine for three seasons, and seemingly a fourth along the way.
There are so many shows that are still yet to make their way to our screens, including Uncle Buck, Rush Hour, and Emerald City just to name a few, with a new show like Lucifer seemingly doing just fine and dandy.
What shows are you disappointed to see get cancelled? Are there any shows coming soon that you're particularly excited to check out? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
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