Shows on the Bubble

Let's raise a glass (of something bubbly perhaps) to TV shows gone too soon: Here's to "Arrested Development," "Pushing Daisies," "Moonlight," "Freaks and Geeks," "Veronica Mars," "My So Called Life"... we hardly knew ye. Here we are, just six weeks into the fall season, and we already have two more names to add to that list. (R.I.P., "Lone Star" and "My Generation.") Which shows will be next? These are in the most danger, due to low ratings, poor performances among younger viewers and other typical bad signs. Is your favorite show on the list? — TV GuideThursday, October, 21, 2010, 10:21 PM

"Community" — The Good News: Thanks to healthy DVD sales, the show has gained some new fans and good word-of-mouth, particularly about last season's paintball episode. It's nestled in a comedy block that does well among the younger 18-to-49 demographic that advertisers love so much. The Bad News: Comedians call it taking the bullet when you're the first act of the night, and that's what "Community" is doing as it tries to warm up the Thursday audience. It's currently hovering around 4.8 million viewers, far fewer than the new show "Outsourced," which has benefited from following "The Office." "Community" is a lot funnier than "Outsourced," but since when has that ever counted for anything? Thursdays at 8pm ET on NBC. Source: TV GuideNBC/Mitchell Haaseth - Thursday, October, 21, 2010, 1:21 AM

"CSI: NY" — The Good News: The decision to move the show to Friday night to help kick off "Blue Bloods" was a good one — "Blue Bloods" is a bona fide hit. Plus, it's winning its (admittedly not very competitive) timeslot. The Bad News: Unfortunately, "CSI:NY's" numbers are dwarfed by those of the Tom Selleck cop drama. CBS has two one-hour dramas set to launch at mid-season ("Criminal Minds": "Suspect Behavior" and "Chaos"), and in this network's rarefied air, 9.5 million viewers may not be enough to keep it around. Fridays at 9pm ET on CBS. Source: TV GuideCBS/Richard Foreman - Thursday, October, 21, 2010, 1:21 AM

"Fringe" — The Good News: Its timeslot — up against "CSI," "Grey's Anatomy," and "The Office" — is one of the week's most competitive. Fox has bigger fish to fry at the moment (see below), and would be crazy to give up a show with J.J. Abrams' pedigree. The Bad News: It's currently only attracting 5 million viewers for a potentially divisive season that features two universes and episodes that alternate between them. What if viewers only like one of them? Thursdays at 9pm ET on Fox. Source: TV GuideFOX/Andrew Macpherson - Thursday, October, 21, 2010, 1:21 AM

"The Good Guys" — The Good News: Until ABC decides to start airing "Body of Proof," this timeslot is pretty soft overall, with even "CSI: NY's" numbers taking a hit. The Bad News: It's Fox's lowest-rated program still on the air; it's even losing to the CW's beloved-but-little-seen "Supernatural" in the 18-to-49 demographic. Fridays at 9pm ET on Fox. Source: TV GuideFOX/Michael Lavine - Thursday, October, 21, 2010, 1:21 AM

"Life Unexpected" — The Good News: Despite middling ratings last season, it gained a loyal following, and The CW rewarded the show with a second season. The network has cautiously ordered two more scripts, for a total of 15. The Bad News: It's down to an anemic 1.5 million viewers. More disturbing, it's down among young women, a group whose presence buoyed the show's low ratings in the past. Tuesdays at 9pm ET on The CW. Source: TV GuideThe CW/Patrick Ecclesine - Thursday, October, 21, 2010, 1:21 AM

"Parenthood" — The Good News: NBC doesn't have many shows that do well among young women, but "Parenthood" is surprisingly strong among that group. The Bad News: In its second week, it dropped 11 percent from its premiere, and its most recent episode earned only 4.6 million viewers. It's losing its timeslot to ABC's also-tepidly-rated "Detroit 1-8-7" and CBS' powerhouse "The Good Wife." Tuesdays at 10pm ET on NBC. Source: TV GuideNBC/Florian Schneider - Thursday, October, 21, 2010, 1:21 AM

"Running Wilde" — The Good News: Fox scheduled the half-hour show in a one-hour comedy block with "Raising Hope," which appears to be safe for now. The Bad News: It's losing almost half of "Raising Hope's" lead-in, which can be the death of a two-series comedy block. Plus, Fox has two new half-hour sitcoms waiting in the wings for a mid-season launch: the animated "Bob's Burgers" and the romantic comedy "Mixed Signals." Tuesdays at 9:30pm ET on Fox. Source: TV GuideFOX/Brian Bowen Smith - Thursday, October, 21, 2010, 1:21 AM

"Undercovers" — The Good News: It's earning a solid 7 million viewers up against ABC's half-hour comedies "The Middle" and "Better With You," CBS' "Survivor" and Fox's "Hell's Kitchen." Reports indicate that NBC is ready to order up four more scripts. The Bad News: It's not attracting younger viewers, which isn't a good sign, especially when its timeslot competition tends to skew older already. Wednesdays at 8pm ET on NBC. Source: TV GuideNBC/Art Streiber - Thursday, October, 21, 2010, 1:21 AM

"The Whole Truth" — The Good News: Unfortunately, there really isn't any. The Bad News: The premiere was only seen by 4.9 million, which suggests the show is a mismatch with the ABC hit comedies that precede it on Wednesdays. Since the premiere, it's been losing to fellow legal dramas "Law & Order: Los Angeles" on NBC and CBS' "The Defenders." Wednesdays at 10pm ET on ABC. Source: TV GuideABC/Craig Sjodin - Thursday, October, 21, 2010, 1:21 AM

More at TV Guide: Fall TV: Familiar Faces in New Places / Our Favorite TV Families / The Unsexiest Sex Scenes, Vol. IIIThursday, October, 21, 2010, 1:21 AM