Photo Credit: ABC
It’s coming down to the wire for a lot of bubble shows waiting to hear any kind of renewal news.
The end of May brings the network upfronts when many bubble shows will finally learn of their fate. This is the final breakdown for all of the series still in limbo while fans mount campaigns to see their favorites return for one more year.
ABC
Agents of SHIELD
This Marvel show is the one series ABC isn’t able to kill. Yes, looking at the day-to-day ratings for SHIELD there shouldn’t be a lot of confidence over a renewal. Shockingly, this is one of the bubble shows where ratings don’t really matter. Marvel will want to keep their flagship show running for at least one more season so it can end alongside Avengers 4. With strong DVR viewership and one of the most loyal fan bases, the chances of a renewal are high.
Renewal Chances: 8/10
Photo Credit: ABC
Alex Inc.
With Zach Braff as a lead, Alex Inc. was expected to be a big hit for the network. Unfortunately, lukewarm critical reception and low ratings have likely sealed this comedy’s fate. It’s a shame because the show finally started coming into its own in recent weeks. But it’s competing with Splitting Up Together for a renewal and the Jenna Fischer comedy is simply pulling better ratings.
Renewal Chances: 3/10
Photo Credit: ABC
Speechless
Fear not, Speechless fans, it would be a major shock if this endearing sitcom didn’t make it back for another season. Easily the most underrated show on ABC’s comedy block and one of the more surprising bubble shows, Speechless should come back. Whether it’s a fall or midseason show is yet to be seen. Considering it’s not an in-house production, there’s a chance it gets a shortened series order. However, every network is trying to find high rated comedies and ABC isn’t going to let go of a consistent series at this point.
Renewal Chances: 9/10
Photo Credit: ABC
Designated Survivor
This presidential show is heading into series lows for ratings in the finale. ABC was hot on this Kiefer Sutherland drama and they still want to see it come back for one more term. Yet fans seem to be abandoning ship with each passing episode. Perhaps audience members are tired of seeing politics with the real-life version offering up enough drama to last a lifetime. It does earn a lot overseas which helps its renewal shot, but this is one of the bubble shows with a hard road ahead.
Renewal Chances: 4/10
Photo Credit: ABC
The Crossing
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ABC tried their hand at a Lost-like genre show but The Crossing hasn’t garnered much enthusiasm among viewers. Lack of advertising could easily be the reason for the low ratings because it doesn’t seem like anyone knew the show had debuted. This isn’t the first time ABC has tried to kill a series by simply not promoting it. Kyra Sedgwick was pretty vocal about how unprofessional the network was with her drama, Ten Days in the Valley, an accusation which ABC never responded to. Fans of SHIELD are familiar with the network’s tactics as well and this is going to be one of those bubble shows which meets an unhappy ending.
Renewal Chances: 1/10
Photo Credit: ABC
Quantico
This is another show in the same boat as Designated Survivor. Lukewarm critical reception, sub par ratings, but strong overseas revenue has been the story for the past few years with this series. Quantico has a slightly better shot because it also does really well on Netflix, which helps ABC make more money. Is that going to be enough this year? Honestly, Quantico is a true tossup, and it will likely come down to whether there’s room on the schedule for another midseason debut. ABC probably won’t rule out a summer season as well, which might actually help the ratings.
Renewal Chances: 5/10
Photo Credit: CBS
CBS
Criminal Minds
Long-time fans of this procedural are used to this waiting period for news on Criminal Minds. It comes from an outside studio, and the contract negotiations are generally pretty ruthless. CBS is always desperate to cut costs and they will try to find any way possible. Even with Criminal Minds sinking ratings, the show is still a decent performer for the network. There’s almost no doubt it will get a season 14 to at least wrap things up, but not every cast member will return. Fans will remember the contentious decision CBS made a few years ago to jettison the female cast members to save money, and they will likely do the same. Damon Gupton got the short end of the stick for season 13, who could be on the chopping block this year.
Renewal Chances: 7/10
Photo Credit: CBS
Life in Pieces
When CBS announced its renewals and Life in Pieces wasn’t one of them, almost everyone seemed pretty shocked. It’s one of the few bubble shows which really should have been guaranteed to come back. CBS hasn’t had success with comedies outside of The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon in recent years, and this is their only strong performer. With a winning cast, and a group of kids who haven’t gotten into any scandals, how was this not renewed? The only answer is, once again, money. CBS is notoriously stingy and Life in Pieces comes from an outside studio. Hopefully, a deal can be made but things definitely look bleaker.
Renewal Chances: 6/10
Photo Credit: CBS
Scorpion
Sorry Scorpion fans, but things aren’t looking great. The show does not do well on Monday nights and it’s not picking up those ratings in the DVR either. Katharine McPhee also scored the leading role in the Broadway musical, Waitress, for the summer which could also lead to some problems. If the series plans to return in the fall, she might not be available for the first few weeks. This might be one of the bubble shows that bites the dust despite the loyal fan base.
Renewal Chances: 4/10
Photo Credit: CBS
Superior Donuts
CBS is looking for scripted comedies, but Superior Donuts probably won’t magically turn into a hit with another season. The show has maintained a relatively steady viewership but it still debuted lower than last year. It was considered on the bubble in its first season, and it doesn’t bode well for snagging another renewal. This is probably the end of this underrated CBS sitcom.
Renewal Chances: 2/10
The CW
Photo Credit: The CW
iZombie
Fans of this undead series have been waiting for any information about a renewal. With The CW expanding to an extra night for this fall, it would be a shock not to see iZombie on their schedule at some point. Critically beloved, with a small but vocal fan base (like most CW shows), it should scrape through as another midseason series. The 100, another one of the network bubble shows, was renewed right away and it pulls similar ratings to the Rob Thomas series. At the very least, the CW likes to give its long-running shows a season to wrap things up so expect to see iZombie for at least one more year.
Renewal Chances: 9/10
Photo Credit: FOX
FOX
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Unfortunately, Brooklyn Nine-Nine was canceled by FOX today. The cop series was doing pretty terribly in the ratings when moved to Tuesday nights, but back on Sundays, it has flourished. The huge rating uptick should have been enough to save it but ultimately it was not. However, there’s still a strong chance the Brooklyn Nine-Nine gang will appear on a streaming service. A rumor broke earlier this year that the vultures are circling FOX hoping to swoop in and steal the critically acclaimed series out from under them. With a loyal following, a strong ensemble, and one of the best creative teams in the business, this sitcom might live to see another day.
Renewal Chances: 6/10
Photo Credit: FOX
Gotham
A few months ago, a report actually broke saying Gotham was renewed. For a while, this seemed feasible since the ratings were pretty steady and this season has been better than the others. Unfortunately, the numbers have been tanking in recent weeks and things have not looked great for the DC Comics series. It does seem like negotiations are underway with Warner Brothers to help get the costs down, and fans have been desperate to see a final season. A script leaked on Reddit which promised a fully fledged Batman series for next year, which should be enough to bring back some viewers.
Renewal Chances: 6/10
Photo Credit: FOX
Lucifer
Like Gotham, this DC Comics series has a pretty loyal fan base trying to convince the network of a renewal. Of the two bubble shows, Lucifer does seem more likely to secure a renewal. It’s less expensive, has a smaller cast, and does better in the DVR ratings. While this season has been a bit hit-or-miss depending on the episode, it has a higher than average chance to secure another season.
Renewal Chances: 6/10
Photo Credit: FOX
Lethal Weapon
Firing Clayne Crawford basically guarantees FOX will go ahead and renew the series. It has high ratings and was only thrown in with bubble shows because of Crawford’s onset behavior. However, how successful a third season will be is the big question. Fans were outraged over Crawford’s firing because he denied any bad behavior and has simply been joking about all of these stories. It’s hard to tell who is telling the truth, but if FOX genuinely decided to fire him after his fellow cast members, and crew had spoken out then there have to be some accuracy to the allegations. Nevertheless, this was barely on the bubble and with recasting underway, Lethal Weapon will probably be back.
Renewal Chances: 8/10
NBC
Timeless
Talk about a show that just won’t quit! A terrible timeslot and barely any marketing seemed to seal the fate of this time-traveling drama. But fans are refusing to give up, and like last year another huge campaign has been mounted to save it. Once again, the series won USA Today’s Save our Show poll, flaunting the passion of fans. The Smithsonian even began reviewing each individual episode this year just to promote how educational this fun series has become. Deadline reports that NBC is once again negotiating with Sony to try to bring the series back for another trip in the Life Boat. #RenewTimeless has constantly been trending on Twitter, and the network can’t ignore one of their bubble shows with a huge online presence. Apparently, NBC is hoping to bring it back for another ten episodes with a more cost-effective budget.
Renewal Chances: 6/10
Photo Credit: NBC
The Blacklist
Like Timeless, The Blacklist renewal will come down to negotiations between NBC and Sony. It’s not a rating hit like it used to be, but it’s still a strong performer for the network. Not to mention, the syndication and overseas deals make the network a fortune. As long as negotiations go well, fans should expect to see this show back for one more season.
Renewal Chances: 7/10
Photo Credit: NBC
Great News
Honestly, if Great News snags a renewal, NBC viewers might boycott. The show has always done well with critics but the ratings have been awful. It doesn’t pull in syndication money, nor does it have the fan base like other bubble shows. There’s nothing working in this series’ future, and it will probably be bad news for this sitcom.
Renewal Chances: 1/10
Photo Credit: NBC
Rise
NBC is hot on this show but audience members have not. Rise is basically Friday Night Lights but with theater kids. It uses the same shaky-cam, small-town setting, with an ensemble of broken kids which did not catch on with audiences. Every part of Friday Night Lights was unique, and those actors brought so much to those characters. The new Coach Taylor is now the director of the musical but he’s insufferable to watch. There isn’t even a lot of singing for a show supposedly about of the best musicals of this time. In fact, Rise spends more time focusing on the football team than the actual play. Sorry Rise fans, but this is no FNL and it couldn’t hold the numbers to be a This Is Us replacement. NBC might try to rework the show for a second season but with the ratings falling, it seems like a long shot.
Renewal Chances: 4/10
Photo Credit: NBC
The Brave
This military drama is extremely well-liked by executives within NBC but the ratings don’t warrant a renewal. There are so many shows like it the network could take a chance on next year. But almost all of the new procedurals had pretty soft debuts this year and NBC might recognize a shift away from that kind of story-telling. There wasn’t anything new or exhilarating about The Brave despite the impressive cast. It probably won’t be back, and the network will just order a different military pilot to try out again next year.
Renewal Chances: 3/10
Cable TV
Atlanta
The Donald Glover series will likely continue as long as he wants to do it. Technically there has been no renewal news, but there’s no doubt FX would like to continue their collaboration with Glover. It’s one of their most critically acclaimed dramas, and Atlanta has garnered a lot of support from viewers. When the third season airs is completely up in the air though, with the sophomore run taking a big break after the first season’s finale. It’s definitely one of the safest bubble shows on this list.
The Terror
When it debuted on a Sunday, The Terror did very well for AMC but the show has fallen quite a bit in the ratings since the shift to Monday. It will be interesting to see if the network makes a decision on this show by the upfronts. They still have Humans and Dietland to air later this year and either one of those could steal a renewal from the horror show. AMC doesn’t necessarily renew things based on ratings so some of their bubble shows rely entirely on critical appeal. At least The Terror has that going for it.
Legion
FX recently added an extra episode onto this season of Legion which confirms the show is fully supported by the network. While the series doesn’t do well in the ratings, it’s been heralded as one of the most ambitious shows of all time. The Marvel adaptation is completely different and has some of the most jaw-dropping scenes of all time. Chances are high for it to return for another run, especially because Aubrey Plaza has blown up recently. Her performance on Legion is finally getting recognized and there might be some new fans tuning in for a season three.
Renewal Chances: 8/10