Is your favorite show in danger?
The new fall TV season means plenty of promising new shows — and canceling struggling old ones to make room. As the networks roll out new programs this month at their upfront presentations to advertisers, here's our list of 13 at-risk shows. Many have posted significant ratings declines. Others are expensive to produce, getting old, or just aren't performing as well as their time-slot rivals. Read about the issues each faces and then weigh in on which shows deserve to stay — or go.
Caprica (Fridays at 9/8c, Syfy)
Issues: The heir apparent to Battlestar Galactica hasn't performed at nearly the same level, averaging just 1.1 million viewers over its first nine episodes. (The second half of its first season will air some time later this year). More bad news: Stargate Universe: SGU, its closest relative at the network in subject matter and ratings, has already been renewed for a second season.
Cold Case (Sundays at 10/9c, CBS)
Issues: Although the show pulls in a fairly steady average of 10 million viewers each week, it consistently underperforms in the desirable 18-to-49-year-olds demo. High production costs and the fact that CBS almost canceled it last year make another renewal unlikely.
FlashForward (Thursdays at 8/7c, ABC)
Issues: The show's intriguing concept has failed to deliver much in the way of genuine revelation, which may account for the show's plummeting ratings. Its most recent episode only attracted 5.1 million viewers. The producers' room has a revolving door on it lately, a sign that the show might not be around much longer.
Heroes (Mondays at 9/8c, NBC)
Issues: Season 4 saw this one-time ratings powerhouse hit new lows nearly every week, averaging between 4 million and 5 million viewers an episode. The show is a moneymaker on DVD and in international markets, however, so there's buzz about a truncated fifth season to close the series out.
Human Target (Wednesdays, 8/7c, Fox)
Issues: Male viewers haven't flocked to this graphic novel-based action series in the numbers Fox hoped for, but the show is still winning its time slot, albeit one of the week's least competitive.
Life Unexpected (Mondays at 8/7c, CW)
Issues: Critics love the show, but viewers are more lukewarm. The CW has announced several early renewals (90210, Gossip Girl, Smallville, Supernatural and The Vampire Diaries), but the list conspicuously did not include this midseason addition.
Medium (Fridays at 9/8c, CBS)
Issues: The former NBC drama has been a nice fit in CBS' Friday lineup and consistently wins its timeslot, but after six years, Medium has become pretty expensive. It's not in as dire a position as Cold Case, however, and its survival will likely depend on the strength of CBS' development slate.
Melrose Place (Wednesdays at 9/8c, CW)
Issues: The network ordered up a creative change in direction in the fall that included casting changes, a new showrunner and more Heather Locklear. Thus far, the ratings haven't improved, and it was also left off CW's early-renewals list. Jessica Lucas recently signed on to the NBC pilot Friends with Benefits, which certainly isn't a good sign.
Mercy (Wednesdays at 8/7c, NBC)
Issues: Though it does well with a female demo, it's not a young female demo. Its last new episode attracted 5.5 million viewers, which wasn't enough to win its time slot. A three-week hiatus this month may have hurt its momentum.
Numb3rs (Fridays at 10/9c, CBS)
Issues: The show's episode order was chopped drastically to make way for newcomer Miami Medical. Creatively, the show's season finale felt like a good-bye, and series star David Krumholtz has already landed a gig in Ron Howard's IRS comedy pilot at Fox.
One Tree Hill (Mondays at 8/7c, CW)
Issues: After losing a chunk of its cast this season, the series is showing serious signs of age. However, its average audience of 2.3 million viewers is more devoted than those of other CW shows (including Melrose Place and 90210.)
Trauma (Mondays at 9/8c, NBC)
Issues: This expensive, action-heavy drama has kind of already been canceled once. In October, NBC announced that it would not be ordering any new episodes past the original 13. When the network's late-night schedule imploded, Jay Leno's departure from prime time freed up real estate, and NBC ordered seven more episodes. With its ratings on the decline this spring after a three-month hiatus, the order was cut back to 18; the final episode aired April 26. And that's probably final.
V (Tuesdays at 10/9c, ABC)
Issues: The show's Olympics-mandated hiatus seems to have hurt its momentum. Though critics like the show's new episodes, it's getting killed by The Good Wife in its timeslot. Lately, NBC's Parenthood is beating it as well.
