by Daniel Erenberg

It occurred to me this week that we are a mere two and a half months away from the broadcast network upfront presentations. So I thought we could take a look at some existing shows that remain on the proverbial network bubble and whether they will or won’t and should or shouldn’t be cancelled. I’m not going to go into mid-season replacement shows like Dollhouse or Castle because it’s far too early to go into discussion. I also won’t be going into hit new shows like Lie To Me or total pieces of shit like Kath and Kim because, well, who really cares? I’m just going to read into a few decent-to-great shows that may or may not be on your TV dial next year.

The Show: Privileged

What Is It? A CW show based on a series of teen books called How To Teach The Filthy Rich, it follows an over-literate, manic twenty-something named Megan Smith (Joanna Garcia) as she moves into a Palm Beach mansion to tutor twin teens Sage (Ashley Newbrough), a rebellious socialite, and Rose, a sweet underachiever who actually wants to learn. She also flirts with Will, the cute rich guy next door, and her friend Charlie, who harbors an unrequited crush on her, all while trying to deal with her ex-alcoholic father, criminal sister and runaway mom.

Who is Responsible? Rina Mimoun, who you might remember from the great work she did on the WB’s Everwood.

Will It Be Renewed? It doesn’t seem likely at this point. The first season came to an early end last week, and the final episode only managed a 1.1 rating. But it could be brought back mid-season next year, much like what the CW is trying with Reaper.

Should It Be Renewed? It wouldn’t break my heart if it was cancelled, but it’s a sweet little appetizer of a show, with a good cast and characters. It’s one of those weird shows where, even if you think the writing and the storylines suck, you still want to watch the characters. And that’s to be valued. I’d like to see it renewed.

Season One Rating: B-

The Show: Reaper

What Is It? Another CW show, this one about a kid named Sam (Bret Harrison) whose soul was long ago sold by his parents to the Devil (Ray Wise) and now must work for him as a Reaper, collecting lost souls and dispatching them back to Hell, all while maintaining a job at the Work Bench (basically Home Depot), friendships with slacker friends Sock (Tyler Labine) and Ben (Rick Gonzalez) and a relationship with the beautiful Andi (Missy Peregrym). And it’s hilarious.

Who is Responsible? Tara Butters and Michelle Fazekas, who used to be X-Files writers.

Will It Be Renewed? It’s been renewed for a 13-episode second season, which kicks off this week. We’ll see how the ratings are, but it doesn’t look good. The show has been placed to go up against American Idol.

Should It Be Renewed? Indefinitely. After a shaky, formulaic start last season, the show really came into its own after the writer’s strike, with the addition of Ken Marino and Michael Ian Black to the cast as a gay demon couple. And Labine and Wise consistently give two of the best comedic performances on TV.

Season One Rating: B+

The Show: Life on Mars

What Is It? An ABC remake of a British show about a New York City policeman (Jason O’Mara) who is dispatched in the year 1973 after being hit by a car. There, he must deal with a world that seems completely alien to him and a police force that includes nut jobs like Harvey Keitel and Michael Imperioli and the charming female, “Officer No-Nuts” (Gretchen Mol). The 1970’s were a very different time, and Life On Mars makes that very blatantly clear.

Who is Responsible? Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec and Scott Rosenberg, who had previously created October Road, which was cancelled after two short seasons.

Will It Be Renewed? It’s definitely a possibility. It is, after all, a well-liked show with a great cast getting middling ratings. But it’s losing a lot of its Lost lead-in and the ratings have only been dropping. It’s also an expensive show to produce with all of the seventies music cues and it hasn’t seemed to pick up a cult following beyond the folks who discovered it when it was on after Grey’s Anatomy.

Should It Be Renewed? I don’t really care. Probably not, if I’m being honest. It’s become extremely formulaic, sort of a traditional cop procedural set in the seventies. It’s a much better premise than it is a show. Fans who desperately want to know what happens can just seek out the supposedly superior British version and have just as good a time.

Season One Rating: C

The Show: Worst Week

What Is It? Another British import, this one on CBS, about a walking calamity named Sam Briggs (Kyle Bornheimer) who can’t seem to get anything right, except for his relationship with his pregnant fiancée, Melanie Clayton (Erinn Hayes). This often leads to trouble with her ever-present parents (Kurtwood Smith and Nancy Lenehan), who are helping them plan their wedding.

Who is Responsible? Matt Tarses, who wrote many good episodes of Scrubs.

Will It Be Renewed? I’m guessing no, as the first season ended last month with very little fanfare. A new season of Rules of Engagement has taken its place. It should also be noted that, while Worst Week had pretty solid ratings, it lost about half of its lead-in, Two and a Half Men’s large audience.

Should It Be Renewed? Based on quality, yeah. Kyle Bornheimer is a spectacular comedic find and the writing was consistently good. Early on, the show was rightfully accused of ripping off Meet the Parents, but Worst Week handled the premise in a smarter and funnier way, with much more believable and likeable characters. But the show ended with Melanie and Sam married and with child, and with the Claytons beginning to warm up to Sam. So why come back? I sort of feel like we’ve already seen the whole story.

Season One Rating: A-

The Show: Chuck

What Is It? An NBC dramedy about a charming nerd named Chuck Bartowski (Zachary Levi) who has had all the secrets of the CIA and NSA implanted into his head. While maintaining a job as a member of the Nerd Herd (Think Geek Squad) at the Buy More (Think Best Buy), a friendship with even nerdier Morgan Grimes (Joshua Gomez) and a close relationship with his live-in sister Ellie (Sarah Lancaster) and her fiancée Captain Awesome (Ryan McPartlin), Chuck is protected from the evil Fulcrum by Major John Casey (Adam Baldwin) and Agent Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strahovski), who Chuck almost immediately falls in love with. She digs him too, but it can never be.

Who is Responsible? Josh Schwartz, who brought us The O.C. and Gossip Girl, and his friend, Chris Fedak.

Will It Be Renewed? It’s definitely a possibility, but you have to worry with Jay Leno monopolizing an hour of NBC’s primetime line-up next season. After all, some things are gonna have to get cancelled, and Chuck could very well be a casualty. Chuck is in its second season now and hasn’t proven that it could grow beyond what it already is in terms of ratings.

Should It Be Renewed? Fuck yes! It’s one of the best shows on television right now, consistently hilarious and moving, with a pitch-perfect cast, a fascinating, ever-expanding back-story and some damn fun action sequences. I’m more invested in this show than practically anything else on the air right now.

Season Two Rating: A

The Show: Heroes

What It It? A slowly dying phenomenon on NBC about a whole bunch of one-dimensional characters with powers. It’s like X-Men. Almost exactly like it, in fact. It used to be really great though.

Who is Responsible? Tim Kring, who also created Crossing Jordan.

Will It Be Renewed? NBC says probably, but I’m not so sure. The ratings are way down, and NBC was so embarrassed by headlines that wondered whether Heroes would ever be good again that they fired two of the show’s main writers, Jesse Alexander and Jeph Loeb. And Leno, once again, plays a factor.

Should It Be Renewed? I’m ready for it to die. I’ve never seen the quality of a show with that great a first season fall off so quickly. It’s actually pretty remarkable how mediocre it is now. I’d much rather see Chuck renewed.

Season Three Rating: C-

The Show: Scrubs

What Is It? A super-emo medical comedy about a maybe-crazy guy named John “J.D.” Dorian (Zach Braff) and his friends, Elliot Reid (Sarah Chalke), Chris Turk (Donald Faison) and Carla Espinosa (Judy Reyes), who is married to Turk. The show also has time for the doctor J.D. publicly idolizes, Perry Cox (John C. McGinley), the ex-Medical Chief Dr. Bob Kelso (Ken Jenkins) and a psychotic Janitor (Neil Flynn). The show experiments with narrative and visual devices a lot, and, over eight years on the air, has set up quite a fascinating little world in Sacred Heart Hospital, populated with endlessly entertaining characters and a massive supporting cast (including Dr. Beardface and Colonel Doctor).

Who is Responsible? The great Bill Lawrence, one of the co-creators of Spin City and Clone High.

Will It Be Renewed? While the current season has been advertised as its last, and Zach Braff has been confirmed to be leaving after this season, there is a possibility that ABC, who picked up Scrubs after NBC cancelled it last season, will renew it for another season with Dr. Cox teaching a new batch of interns.

Should It Be Renewed? No. The show remains good, but let’s let it go already. J.D. is the heart of the show and, if he’s gone, then the show should be as well. Also, Aziz Ansari, who plays the best of the new intern characters, has left to be on the new show Parks and Recreation, so we wouldn’t be getting that character continuing forward either. Let it go. Eight years is a really good run, and Lawrence wants to get going with his new show, Cougar Town, anyway.

Season Eight Rating: B+

The Show: The New Adventures of Old Christine

What Is It? A post-Seinfeld Julia Louis-Drefus vehicle about a manic and co-dependent single mother named Christine Campbell, who lives with her equally co-dependent brother Matthew (Hamish Linklater) and her best friend Barb (Wanda Sykes). She also hangs out with her ex-husband Richard (Clark Gregg), who has gotten engaged to a new girl named Christine (Emily Rutherfurd), hence the title.

Who is Responsible? Kari Lizer, who used to write for Will and Grace.

Will It Be Renewed? It really is on its last leg. It was a surprise renewal last year after it wasn’t brought back following the writer’s strike, and it would be an even bigger surprise this year.

Should It Be Renewed? After Lizer brought in many former Seinfeld and Friends writers for the second season, the show got quite good, but those days are gone now, and we really are in middling territory. I’d like to see the show renewed, mainly because it has quite a good cast, but the writers really have to get their shit together and figure out where they want to go with this.

Season Four Rating: C+

The Show: Friday Night Lights

What Is It? A brilliant portrait of the small town of Dillon, Texas, whose entire population is captivated by the local High School football team, the Dillon Panthers. The show follows the team’s coach (Kyle Chandler) and his family, along with many of the team’s players, past and present, and their families. The best characters include the coach’s wife (Connie Britton), the paralyzed ex-starting quarterback (Scott Porter), quarterback Matt Saracen (Kyle Gilford), who has to take care of his grandmother while his father is in Iraq, and Matt’s best friend, Landry (Jesse Plemons), who is in a local band called Crucifictorius.

Who is Responsible? Jason Katims, who used to be a major writer for My So-Called Life and Roswell, and Peter Berg, who directed the film based on the book that this show is based on.

Will It Be Renewed? I said no last year, but NBC brought it back in a deal that let it air on DirecTV before moving back over to NBC starting in January. So that may help it get a fourth season this year. But the ratings are pretty awful, so I wouldn’t count on it.

Should It Be Renewed? Oh yeah. Totally. After a second season that didn’t quite live up to its perfect freshman year, Friday Night Lights has rebounded with a perfect third season, full of the small moments and lived-in quality that made us fall in love with it in the first place.

Season Three Rating: A+

Tags: bubble shows cancelled
March 2, 2009 at 6:10pm ∞