10 Shows On The Bubble
Once Upon a Time
ONCE UPON A TIME
CON: The Once-hot fantasy drama's ratings are falling fast.
PRO: There's hope within ABC that a much-buzzed-about Season 7 reset could breathe new life into the waning franchise.
elementary-cancelled-renewed
ELEMENTARY
CON: If you remove DOA midseason drama Ransom from the equation, the Sherlock drama stands as CBS' lowest-rated drama.
PRO: Its stateside ratings may be anemic, but the show earns CBS a lot of money internationally.
The Last Man on Earth
THE LAST MAN ON EARTH
PRO: Will Forte's apocalyptic satire remains creatively viable, with the show's current third season yielding some of the series' best episodes. And with Son of Zorn and Making History unlikely to be renewed, it's hard to imagine that Fox would cancel all three of its Phil Lord/Christopher Miller productions.
CON: At this point in its run, it's unlikely Last Man will see its small but loyal audience grow. And as much as Forte's Tandy would like us to believe size doesn't matter, in this case, it does.
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D
PRO: Never understimate the power of the Marvel pedigree...
CON: ... unless, of course, your Live + Same Day demo rating hovers around a 0.5.
Blindspot - Season 2
BLINDSPOT
PRO: After suffering a marked ratings drop upon moving to Wednesdays-at-8, the series' ratings have stabilized.
CON: Sadly, they've stabilized at around a 0.9 demo rating, making it one of NBC's worst-performing dramas. The fact that NBC doesn't own the show (Warner Bros. does) could hasten its demise.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
BROOKLYN NINE-NINE
PRO: Andy Samberg & Co. saw their ratings soar to season-high levels with their two-part winter finale back in January, proof that B-99 still has some life left in it.
CON: If it's a choice between B-99 and fellow bubble comedy New Girl, Fox is going to side with the show it owns (aka the latter).
New Girl
NEW GIRL
PRO: Exec producer Brett Baer recently told TVLine, "All indications are that it's a very good possibility that we are coming back." And he would know, right?
CON: Next week's season finale feels a lot like a series finale.
2 Broke Girls
2 BROKE GIRLS
PRO: Warner Bros. stands to lose a lot of syndication coin should the ax fall, so it's in their best interest to make CBS a renewal offer they can't refuse.
CON: CBS already renewed two Warner Bros.-produced comedies (The Big Bang Theory and Mom), and just ordered a third (the Big Bang prequel spinoff Young Sheldon).
Quantico
QUANTICO
PRO: Yes, the sophomore drama's ratings are down 40 percent compared to Season 1, but it currently enjoys broadcast TV's most impressive DVR bump (a staggering 143 percent). "I would say that we've got a pretty good shot [at Season 3]," showrunner Josh Saffran recently told TVLine.
CON: The show's move to Monday's cushy post-Bachelor/DWTS perch yielded modest gains. Plus, it's down double-digts vs. Castle's year-ago performance.
the-originals-season-4-premiere
THE ORIGINALS
PRO: It's hard to believe The CW would kill the entire Vampire Diaries franchise in one season. Ratings-wise, the spinoff is matching its year-ago numbers (and these days flat is the new up).
CON: The CW has already renewed 75 percent of its lineup, which leaves precious few slots for buzzy wannabe series like Dynasty and Black Lightning.