With the upfronts just around the corner (NBC kicks off the festivities of May 13th), the five networks (ABC, CBS, The CW, Fox and NBC) are still evaluating which of its bubble shows to let go and which pilots to pick up to series for next season. Will your favourite show make the cut? Or is it a goner? Listed below, by network, you’ll find the latest industry buzz on which shows will be back next year and which shows we will be saying goodbye to. If you can’t find the show you’re looking for below, then chances are that it has already been renewed or cancelled. To check on that, you can use our handy scorecard.
ABC
At the alphabet, the network has yet to renew a single series and while the latest scuttlebutt is that they will start handing down renewals either late this week, or early next. ABC has already cancelled 5 series (666 Park Avenue, Don’t Trust The B—- In Apartment 23, Last Resort, Private Practice and Zero Hour) and is set to cancel Happy Endings (although rumours of a last minute pick up from cabler USA Network persist) and Red Widow. My sources still tell me that Castle, Grey’s Anatomy, The Middle, Modern Family, Once Upon A Time, Revenge and Scandal are all locks for renewal and will be back next season. While Body of Proof, How To Live With Your Parents, Last Man Standing, Malibu Country, Nashville, The Neighbors and Suburgatory are all on the bubble. Getting a clear read on these 7 shows is difficult, but I hear that How To Live With Your Parents, Last Man Standing, Nashville, The Neighbors and Suburgatory will be renewed, while Body of Proof and Malibu Country will be cancelled. Interestingly, the fates of both Body of Proof and Malibu Country are being dictated more by the network’s current roster of pilots than ratings/cost. Last season, Body of Proof narrowly avoided cancellation due to concern that without the series the network’s new dramas would be entirely soaps or fantasy series, with no procedurals on tap. The network is more confident of the variety offered by the pilots this year and with the dwindling ratings are prepared to say goodbye to Dana Delaney and co. Malibu Country is in a similar position. Despite ok ratings, the series has had some behind the scenes upheavals and ABC is betting that multi-cam King John, which has a number of supporters at the network, will make a better companion for Tim Allen’s Last Man Standing. Of course, if after the final cut of the pilot has been screened the project loses steam, Malibu Country could return for a second season, but I wouldn’t count on it.
CBS
There has been some minimal movement over at CBS. The network, as expected, renewed Two And A Half Men for an eleventh season, With the renewal the series joins 2 Broke Girls, The Big Bang Theory, Blue Bloods, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Elementary, The Good Wife, Hawaii Five-0, How I Met Your Mother, The Mentalist, Mike & Molly, NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles and Person of Interest, all of which have been renewed for next season. A deal for a ninth season of Criminal Minds is in the midst of being hammered out, and barring any major hickups, the series’ renewal should come down in the next week. CBS has already cancelled Made In Jersey and Partners, and word is that Friend Me is being deep-sixed and won’t see the light of day on the network. That leaves four shows with their fates still up in the air: CSI: NY, Golden Boy, Rules of Engagement and Vegas. I hear that all four will be cancelled by Nina Tassler by the time of the network’s upfront presentation as she looks to pick up 3 drama pilots and two comedy pilots to series for the 2013-2014 season.
The CW
Over at The CW, Mark Pedowitz has renewed most of his scripted fare and has already started with new pick ups for next season, by handing a series order to Vampire Diaries spin-off The Originals. The network has renewed Arrow, Beauty and the Beast, Hart of Dixie, Supernatural and The Vampire Diaries and cancelled 90210, Cult and Emily Owens. The only two shows whose fates are still hanging is The Carrie Diaries and Nikita. I’ll address The Carrie Diaries first. Despite our report that WBITD are close to finalising a UK sale for the series, it has not been a huge success on the global market, and international sales is not a key factor in the renewal decision (as was the case with Beauty and the Beast). According to my sources the series will be cancelled by the network by the time of their upfront. As for Nikita, the fact that the series wasn’t renewed alongside Beauty and the Beast and Hart of Dixie this past week has led to A LOT of rumours about the fate of the series, these rumours are almost all erroneous and seem to be emanating from less than credible sources with little knowledge of the industry. Let me put you Nikita fans at ease. Insiders tell me that the series is all but assured a fourth season renewal. The rumour that the series fate is connected to pilots is partly true, but only in terms of the episode order. According to my sources, a fourth season of 13 episodes is a shoo in, they have also indicated that this would be the final season for Nikita. The network could still go for a 22 episode season if they don’t pick up as many drama pilots as they currently expect to and it should be noted that both Warner Bros. and EP Craig Silverstein are pushing for 22 episodes.
Fox
Over at Fox, there has been some very minimal movement. The network has already cancelled Ben & Kate and renewed American Dad, Bob’s Burgers, Family Guy, Glee, The Simpsons, The Following, New Girl, The Mindy Project and Raising Hope. The only two shows in question are Touch and The Cleveland Show. Despite both shows having strong supporters at the network, it should come as no surprise that executives at the network feel that, given their ratings this season, they cannot justify bringing them back for the 2013-2014 season. While word is that the network is looking to pick up 3 dramas and 2 comedies from the current roster of pilots to series, to give them a deeper bench of originals next season, something they didn’t have this season which caused a number of programming and scheduling issues.
NBC
Finally, over at NBC the network just this past week pulled the trigger on renewals for its top performing series Chicago Fire, Grimm, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Parenthood and Revolution. The network has already cancelled Animal Practice, Do No Harm and Next Caller, leaving the fates of 1600 Penn, Community, Deception, Go On, Guys With Kids, Hannibal, The New Normal, Parks and Recreation, Smash, Up All Night and Whitney up in the air. As with last season, given NBC’s ratings woes the network is once again more likely to bet on new series to deliver strong ratings than show the patience needed for a freshman series to grow its audience in its second season. To that end, I’m told that it’s only Parks and Recreation that is looking like a lock for a renewal, Hannibal is still looking good for renewal as is Go On while, based on recent chatter, Guys With Kids, which had been thought dead, now has a shot at swinging a second season. According to my sources, the networks remaining bubble shows 1600 Penn, Community, Deception, The New Normal, Smash, Up All Night and Whitney will all be cancelled.
