Shows In Trouble

Fox's recent cancellation of "Lone Star" wasn't a huge surprise: That slow-paced, intelligent adult drama belonged anywhere but on network television. Now the question is: Which remaining freshman shows are just so bad, or so poorly scheduled, that they're likely to get axed next? Here are the programs most likely to suffer an early exit — and how they could've prospered on alternate networks.Thursday, September, 30, 2010, 7:30 PM

"Detroit 1-8-7": After NBC's failure to do gangbusters with "Southland," I don't know why ABC would break from soaps to try to get network-size ratings out of a "gritty" cop drama. Or a cop drama at all. "Detroit 1-8-7" is simply not a mass-appeal show, and it belongs on a network like FX, where smaller numbers are worth more, and where they can be as bloody and disgusting as they wanna be, plain and simple. ABC/Craig Sjodin - Thursday, September, 30, 2010, 7:30 PM

"Undercovers": This show feels like an unnecessary, more expensive duplicate of "Chuck," an NBC show that has miraculously made it to a fourth season without actually becoming a hit. This silly, sappy, bloodless spy show should've been on subsidiary network USA, taking over for mega-hit "Covert Affairs" in its offseason.NBC/Chris Haston - Thursday, September, 30, 2010, 7:30 PM

"Running Wilde": I have no idea why this Fox sitcom ended up so bad despite its "Arrested Development" pedigree, but something tells me that if Starz had aired it, it could've been the new "Party Down," though hopefully not canceled after two seasons.FOX/Ed Araquel - Thursday, September, 30, 2010, 7:30 PM

"The Whole Truth": If only Lifetime had scooped it up before ABC did, they'd have finally had their skinny, serious flip-side to "Drop Dead Diva." ABC/Craig Sjodin - Thursday, September, 30, 2010, 7:30 PM

"Chase": A middling, straightforward procedural with Texas marshals catching bad guys at 10pm? Why, that's a CBS show millions of Americans can fall asleep to. So what is it doing drowning on NBC?NBC/Brian Bowen Smith - Thursday, September, 30, 2010, 7:30 PM

"Outsourced": This workplace comedy had a strong premiere (7 million viewers), but we'll have to wait to see if the hoopla surrounding it hurts its second-week numbers. Although our gut tells us that NBC won't cancel it anytime soon (unfortunately), we still think its brazen political incorrectness would have fit better on Fox.NBC/Mitchell Haaseth - Thursday, September, 30, 2010, 7:30 PM

"Better With You": This multicamera, laugh-tracked "differences between men and women" show straight out of the '90s should not be defacing ABC's Wednesday-night comedy block. If it belongs anywhere, it's CBS, where they manage to turn outdated lead into ratings gold all the time. ABC/Bob D'Amico - Thursday, September, 30, 2010, 7:30 PM

"Outlaw": By all accounts, this looks to be on life support. It's a mediocre legal drama starring a slightly aging yet familiar face — but that's a formula that's worked for the networks in the past. On TNT, this could've been a modest hit. (Update: NBC has pulled the plug on "Outlaw.") NBC/Mitchell Haaseth - Thursday, September, 30, 2010, 7:30 PM

"My Generation": This was ABC's biggest disappointment of the season, not surprisingly. The show is not only objectively good, it's also awfully hard to explain. IFC could have folded the documentary-style show into their experimental slots of scripted shows and probably made it work. (Update: ABC has pulled the plug on "My Generation.") ABC/Bob D'Amico - Thursday, September, 30, 2010, 7:30 PM

More at Television Without Pity: "Brilliant But Canceled": Dramas Axed Too Soon / "The Event": Other Event Shows That Failed / "Top Chef All Stars": Who Made the CutThursday, September, 30, 2010, 7:30 PM