It’s that time of year, TV fans: time to wait with bated breath to find out if your favorite shows are coming back for another season.
Next week is the annual TV Upfronts, and with that comes the unveiling of the broadcast networks’ primetime schedules for next season. Now, we already know a lot of the shows that will be on those schedules, both renewed veterans and new series pickups. But plenty of shows are still dangling in limbo, waiting to hear whether they’re renewed or cancelled.
In fact, several series on ABC, NBC, Fox and The CW are still awaiting word on their status for next season. (We’re leaving off CBS, since they’ve already announced cancellations/renewals for all of their current shows.) Below, we let you know which broadcast TV shows are still on the bubble, along with some crucial ratings info to help you read the tea leaves and guess which way the network execs might be leaning. And we’ll be updating this list as the cancellation news starts rolling in, so keep checking back to get the latest news on where your shows stand.
Read on to see all the shows currently teetering on the cancellation bubble, and let us know which ones you most want to see saved in the comments.
Accused (Fox)
Season 2 of Fox‘s crime anthology series averaged 2.4 million total viewers (with delayed playback), down 50% from its freshman run. Out of the seven dramas that Fox has aired this TV season, it ranks No. 5, besting only Alert: MPU and The Cleaning Lady.
Alert: Missing Persons Unit (Fox)
Season 3 of the Scott Caan-led procedural is averaging 2.2 million total viewers (with delayed playback), down just 12% from its sophomore run. Out of the seven dramas that Fox has aired this TV season, it ranks sixth, topping only The Cleaning Lady. The season finale is currently set for May 27.
All American (The CW)
The veteran sports-themed drama averaged just 514,000 total viewers in its seventh season (with delayed playback), down 33% from last year. Out of the nine dramas that The CW has aired this TV season, it ranked No. 6 (behind Wild Cards, Sherlock & Daughter, the cancelled Superman & Lois, Sullivan’s Crossing and Good Cop/Bad Cop).
Animal Control (Fox)
The Joel McHale-led comedy wrapped up its third season in March, averaging just shy of 1.8 million total viewers (with delayed playback), down 17% from its sophomore run. That puts it second out of Fox‘s nine comedies this season, behind animated freshman Universal Basic Guys. UPDATE: Renewed!
Brilliant Minds (NBC)
The freshman medical drama starring Zachary Quinto is still expecting a prognosis on Season 2 after wrapping its run in January, averaging 4.9 million total viewers and a 0.38 demo rating (with Live+7 playback). Out of the eight dramas on NBC last fall, it ranked No. 5 in viewers (trailing the #OneChicago trifecta and Law & Order: SVU), but last in the key 18-49 demo. UPDATE: Renewed!
The Cleaning Lady (Fox)
The veteran crime drama starring Élodie Yung is averaging 1.74 million total viewers (with delayed playback), which is down just 13% from last year, but it ranks last in total audience among the seven dramas Fox has aired this TV season. Season 4 is set to wrap up with a two-hour finale on June 3.
Doctor Odyssey (ABC)
ABC‘s lone remaining bubble show, the cruise ship-set drama starring Joshua Jackson is averaging 4.8 million weekly viewers (with delayed playback) so far this season, nearly matching what Grey’s Anatomy did in the time slot last season. But out of the six dramas that ABC has aired this TV season, it sits in fifth, outdrawing only Grey’s in total viewers. The Season 1 finale airs Thursday, May 15.
Found (NBC)
Season 2 of the Shanola Hampton-led crime drama is averaging 3.9 million total viewers (with delayed playback), down just 13% from last season. Out of the 11 dramas that NBC has aired this TV season, it ranks No. 9 (outdrawing freshmen Suits LA and Grosse Pointe Garden Society). Season 2 wraps up next Thursday, May 15. UPDATE: Cancelled.
Going Dutch (Fox)
The military comedy starring Denis Leary and Danny Pudi debuted in January, wrapping up its 10-episode freshman season in March. It averaged 1.6 million total viewers (with delayed playback), retaining 89% of its Animal Control lead-in. That places it fourth among Fox‘s nine comedies. UPDATE: Renewed!
Good Cop/Bad Cop (The CW)
The quirky dramedy starring Leighton Meester and Luke Cook as a brother-and-sister detective duo wrapped up its eight-episode freshman run in April. It averaged 608,000 total viewers (with delayed playback) and ranked fifth out of the nine dramas The CW has aired this season.
The Great North (Fox)
Fox‘s animation staples The Simpsons, Family Guy and Bob’s Burgers all earned four-season renewals back in April, along with American Dad!, returning to Fox after a 10-season run on TBS. Left out in the cold, though, was this family sitcom featuring voice work from Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally, Jenny Slate and Will Forte. It returned for Season 5 in February and is averaging 532,000 total viewers (with delayed playback), placing it dead last among Fox’s nine comedies. In fact, it’s Fox’s least-watched scripted anything.
Grimsburg (Fox)
The fate of this noir-style animated comedy — starring Jon Hamm as private eye Marvin Flute — is still an unsolved mystery, since it was left off of Fox‘s big list of animation renewals as well. Season 2 is averaging 619,000 total viewers (with delayed playback), down just 8% from its freshman run, which ranks it just above last-place The Great North on the list of Fox’s comedies. UPDATE: Renewed!
Grosse Pointe Garden Society (NBC)
Things aren’t exactly coming up roses for NBC‘s freshman murder mystery, which sports an ensemble cast led by Melissa Fumero and AnnaSophia Robb, since it was shuffled off to Friday nights after its first three episodes. At the time, Grosse Pointe was averaging just 1.85 million weekly viewers (with Live+7 playback), ranking dead last among all dramas airing on NBC this season. The season finale is slated to air Friday, May 16.
The Hunting Party (NBC)
The prison break thriller starring Melissa Roxburgh wrapped up its 10-episode freshman run in April. It averaged 4.2 million total viewers (with delayed playback) and ranked eighth out of the 11 dramas NBC has aired this season (ahead of Found, Suits LA and Grosse Pointe Garden Society). UPDATE: Renewed!
The Irrational (NBC)
Season 2 of the Jesse L. Martin-led procedural wrapped up in March, averaging 4.4 million total viewers (with delayed playback), down just 4% from Season 1. That places it seventh out of the 11 dramas NBC has aired this season. UPDATE: Cancelled.
Law & Order (NBC)
The venerable procedural returned for Season 24 (the fourth since being revived by NBC) in October, with a SVU crossover airing in April. Season-to-date, it’s averaging 5.1 million total viewers (with delayed playback), down 12% from last season, and it ranks fifth among all NBC dramas (trailing only the #OneChicago trio and SVU). Season 24 wraps up with a finale next Thursday, May 15. UPDATE: Renewed!
Law & Order: SVU (NBC)
We know, we know: You’d riot if NBC tried to take Olivia Benson from you. But SVU is still not officially renewed for a 27th season, so we have to include it here for now. Season 26 — which wraps up next Thursday, May 15 — is averaging 5.7 million total viewers (with delayed playback) so far, down 17% from last season (now airing opposite CBS’ freshman hit Matlock). It ranks No. 4 among all NBC dramas, trailing only the #OneChicago trio. UPDATE: Renewed!
Lopez vs. Lopez (NBC)
The family comedy starring comedian George Lopez and his real-life daughter Mayan returned for Season 3 in October, in the Friday night time slot following Reba McEntire’s new sitcom Happy’s Place. It averaged 2.33 million total viewers (with delayed playback), about even with last year but losing nearly half of its Happy’s Place lead-in. Season 3 wrapped up in February, and Happy’s Place earned a renewal that same month. Could the Lopezes be far behind? UPDATE: Cancelled.
Night Court (NBC)
The jury is still out on NBC‘s courtroom comedy, which just wrapped up its third season this Tuesday (with another Big Bang Theory reunion in the form of guest star Simon Helberg). The ratings verdict is not promising, though: It averaged 2.34 million total viewers (with delayed playback), retaining 80% of its St. Denis Medical lead-in but down a whopping 38% from last year. It just edges out Lopez vs. Lopez for third place among NBC’s four comedies. UPDATE: Cancelled.
Suits LA (NBC)
Anticipation was high for this offshoot of the hit USA legal procedural headlined by Arrow alum Stephen Amell. Despite guest appearances from Suits cast members like Gabriel Macht, though, Suits LA has floundered in the ratings: It averages just 2.35 million total viewers (with delayed playback) and finishes ahead of only Grosse Pointe Garden Society among all NBC dramas this season. The season finale is set to air Sunday, May 18. UPDATE: Cancelled.
Wild Cards (The CW)
The romantic procedural starring Vanessa Morgan and Giacomo Gianniotti recently got a vote of confidence from Canadian co-producers CBC Television, earning a two-season renewal earlier this month. But The CW hasn’t announced yet whether Seasons 3 and 4 will air here domestically or not. Still, the numbers look good: It’s averaging 799,000 total viewers (with delayed playback), down just 10% from its freshman run, making it the most-watched of The CW’s nine dramas. The Season 2 finale aired on May 7.
Wild Cards (The CW)
The romantic procedural starring Vanessa Morgan and Giacomo Gianniotti recently got a vote of confidence from Canadian co-producers CBC Television, earning a two-season renewal earlier this month. But The CW hasn’t announced yet whether Seasons 3 and 4 will air here domestically or not. Still, the numbers look good: It’s averaging 799,000 total viewers (with delayed playback), down just 10% from its freshman run, making it the most-watched of The CW’s nine dramas. The Season 2 finale aired on May 7.
