The big broadcast networks will soon make splashy announcements regarding their fall schedules -- or as splashy as they can get considering the economy. New series will be introduced, which necessarily means some older shows will have to give way. Most of the doomed programs have already disappeared or are on their way to doing so -- Life on Mars aired its final episode on April 1 -- but the fates of several other shows remain a mystery. Here's a look at a few of the shows on the bubble, and my judgment on whether or not they deserve another shot.
Chuck (NBC)
This sophomore show has a couple of strikes against it. One is that NBC has to clear space for five hours of Jay Leno at 10 p.m. beginning in the fall, and even though the network is a distant fourth in the Nielsen race, that leaves little opening for them to cut a break to a weaker series. The other is that Chuck has faced brutal competition, especially with House moving to 8 p.m. in the winter and Dancing With the Stars also now back. One hopes that NBC will find a way to keep the show alive, though. Chuck straddles serious and silly as well as any other current series, and has one of the more underrated casts out there, led by Zachary Levi. Considering what a mess Heroes has made of everything on the same evening, shouldn't Chuck get a break? Verdict: Keep it.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Fox)
This show also spent the first half of the season on Mondays at 8 before moving to Friday as part of the new Fox sci-fi block. Unlike Chuck, Terminator has not spent its sophomore season getting better. There were some promising moments early on after Shirley Manson was introduced as the new antagonist, but by and large the plots have gotten more convoluted, and the show's mythology has not been deepened. Fox has two other shows in the genre, Fringe and Dollhouse, which show more promise and/or get better ratings, and other than the slot vacated by Prison Break, it too has little space for potential new shows -- unless this one is terminated. Verdict: Dump it.
The Unit (CBS)
The top-rated network has little that flat-out isn't working, and that includes The Unit, which has held its own since it moved to the difficult 10 p.m. Sunday spot. The issue here is that after several seasons, there probably isn't much growth left in The Unit, which has its loyal audience and not much else. Given a choice between this series and Eleventh Hour, which performed only fairly in the plum post-CSI slot, CBS will likely stick with the younger show. Verdict: Dump it.
Reaper and Privileged (CW)
Life isn't fair, as Reaper has found. The writers' strike and the decision of the CW to hold its second season debut until a few weeks ago seem to have doomed it, but the real problem here is that the show never did build on its terrific pilot. Privileged got a lot less attention than fellow freshman 90210 and on the surface seems to be just another CW, cute, rich kid showcase, but it's the least cartoony of the network's series in that genre. The CW needs to make room for the new Melrose Place (good grief) and a new Washington-based series it's excited about, and thus it's very unlikely both Reaper and Privileged can come back. Verdicts: Dump Reaper and keep Privileged.
My Name is Earl (NBC)
The peacock seems likely to stick with its time-honored sitcom block on Thursdays from 8 to 10 p.m. Kath & Kim was DOA and neither 30 Rock nor The Office are going anywhere, but what about the grizzled veteran in the current NBC Thursday lineup? The ratings for Earl have clearly peaked and it's questionable whether there's much more life left in its premise. But a lot will depend on whether the new Parks and Recreation shows signs of catching on. If it fails, then NBC might want to keep the sure thing Earl around. But if it works, the network might feel emboldened to replace it. Verdict: Keep it ... maybe.
Ugly Betty (ABC)
While it seems almost impossible this series could be in trouble, the fact that ABC saw fit to remove it from the air for several weeks in order to try out In the Motherhood is an indication that Ugly Betty is no longer held in the same esteem. There's little question that it has lost cachet since its first season, in large part because it began spending too much time with characters who ought to be comic relief and not enough with its title character. There's little doubt that there is still something to salvage here, especially considering that there seems little point right now in putting a non-established series up against Survivor. But perhaps this near-death experience will prompt the producers of Ugly Betty to get serious about fixing it. Verdict: Keep it.
According to Jim (ABC)
Seriously? Cancel this all-time classic, this epitome of the family sitcom, this showcase for the incomparable Jim Belushi? ABC wouldn't dare!
Verdict: Keep it, keep it, keep it! (Hey, nothing else has worked to get rid of this show -- might as well try reverse psychology.)
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