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We weigh the pros and cons on your favorite shows' renewal chances

Bubble Shows, Nathan Fillion, Emily VanCamp, Kevin Bacon
1 of 26 Michael Desmond/ABC, Tony Rivetti/ABC, Giovanni Rufino/FOX

Bubble Shows, Nathan Fillion, Emily VanCamp, Kevin Bacon

Is the case closed on Castle? Will Revenge finally be murdered? And will viewers follow The Following to its demise? It's time for the networks to decide which shows to cut and which to keep this fall. Are your favorites in jeopardy? Click ahead to see the pros and cons for keeping or killing each show. For the latest renewal and cancellation information, check out our Fall TV Scorecard.

2 of 26 Jordin Althaus/NBC

About a Boy (NBC)

Tuesdays at 9:30/8:30c
The Good News:
NBC has a soft spot for creator Jason Katims, whose shows Friday Night Lights and Parenthood defied the cancellation odds more than a few times. Also, NBC has basically no comedy brand right now and might want to hold on to a familiar show or two as it rebuilds.

The Bad News:
Its second season is averaging just 3.5 million viewers and a 1.03 in the demo, making it NBC's lowest-rated series that's yet to be canceled. (By comparison, it is down almost 50 percent in both measures from a year ago, when its post-The Voice timeslot made it NBC's highest-rated sitcom.) And given that NBC already trimmed two episodes from its order, the writing may be on the wall.

3 of 26 Van Redin/ABC

American Crime (ABC)

Thursdays at 10/9c
The Good News: ABC really wants it to work, heavily promoting it and slotting it in a coveted #TGIT berth. Since it's a limited series, ABC might just let it finish its run. It has a stellar pedigree, with stars Felicity Huffman and Timothy Hutton, and as the ads constantly remind us, 12 Years a Slave's Oscar-winning screenwriter John Ridley. After a 30 percent free-fall in its second week, ratings have finally plateau-ed around 5.5 million and a 1.2.

The Bad News: Those numbers are well below what How to Get Away with Murder did in the same timeslot in the fall.

4 of 26 Liane Hentscher/FOX

Backstrom (Fox)

Thursdays at 9/8c
The Good News:
Creatively,the show is a nice companion piece with Fox stalwart Bones, which, like Backstrom, was created by Hart Hanson. And even though its modest average audience (4.3 million, 1.12 in the demo) is about half of what the show premiered to, it has been consistent.

The Bad News:
It's Fox's lowest-rated drama series still on the air. The episodes that have aired since Bones became its lead-in have been its lowest-rated yet.

5 of 26 Cliff Lipson/CBS

Battle Creek (CBS)

Sundays at 10/9c
The Good News: This Vince Gilligan-David Shore collaboration has great behind-the-camera auspices, and stars Josh Duhamel and Dean Winters make a compelling pair of non-buddy cops. Plus: It's a refreshingly different take on the police procedurals that dominate CBS' lineup.

The Bad News: It seems CBS' audience doesn't care for fresh takes. With a season average of 6.7 million viewers and a 0.8 in the demo, it's CBS' lowest-rated drama series. Even with the star power attached, we don't expect this show to receive much mercy.

6 of 26 Colleen Hayes/ABC

Castle (ABC)

Mondays at 10/9c
The Good News: The charming procedural is important to ABC, and we can't see the network giving it the ax without allowing the show to give its loyal fans a proper ending.

The Bad News:
The show's seventh season seems to be losing creative steam, and with it, its audience. The drama is down about 15 percent in both total viewers (8.5 million) and in the demo (1.6) from its most-watched season a year ago. Perhaps most alarming, stars Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic haven't signed on for an eighth season.

7 of 26 Tina Rowden/NBC

Constantine (NBC)

Fridays at 10/9c
The Good News:
Comic book stories are all the rage right now, and this show might have more brand recognition than any of the dramas NBC has in development. Plus: Its Friday timeslot might give it a little latitude, ratings-wise.

The Bad News:
Even though NBC held this show back from the series premiere glut, very few viewers found this show, which is NBC's lowest-rated drama. The 13-episode first season averaged only 3.3 million viewers and a 0.92 in the demo, shedding much of its (similarly spooky) lead-in Grimm's audience.

8 of 26 Adam Taylor, ABC

Cristela (ABC)

Fridays at 8:30/7:30c
The Good News:
When factoring in DVR numbers, the multi-camera comedy is around 6 million viewers, a solid improvement from ABC's previous Friday night dud The Neighbors. (Its most recent episode was up 25 percent.) Plus: With its focus on family and its diverse cast, it's completely on-brand for ABC comedy.

The Bad News:
ABC would probably like the show to retain more of Last Man Standing's lead-in live audience, and its demo score (1.0) is the network's worst. Also, Cristela is owned by another studio, which might make ABC less enthused about giving it a chance to grow.

9 of 26 Monty Brinton/CBS

CSI (CBS)

Sundays at 10/9c
The Good News: The mothership of the biggest TV franchise in the world has outlasted two spin-offs (and just launched a new one). It has always been a reliable player for CBS wherever it lands on the schedule, and its Sundays-at-10 replacement Battle Creek is performing much worse than CSI did.

The Bad News: Due in part to erratic scheduling after football games, the show's truncated 15th season only cracked 10 million viewers once, and its season average (8.2 million viewers, 1.3 in the demo) is down 30 percent from the previous year. Plus: Nearly all of the original cast members have moved on.

10 of 26 Michael Yarish/CBS

CSI: Cyber (CBS)

Wednesdays at 10/9c
The Good News: Having aired only four episodes at press time, the third offshoot is already averaging better ratings (9 million, 1.6) than the original CSI and previous timeslot holder Stalker. The series premiere also added 4 million viewers in seven-day DVR playback. Plus: CBS might cancel the aging mothership before it would deign to ax the one boasting Academy Award winner Patricia Arquette.

The Bad News: The procedural hasn't broken out as a quiet hit like, say, Scorpion. If CBS is feeling stingy and/or loves its development slate, it might hit Ctrl-Alt-Del on Cyber. The network also has a Criminal Minds spin-off in the works, which would pair perfectly with the original on Wednesdays.

11 of 26 Giovanni Rufino/Warner Brothers

​The Following (Fox)

Mondays at 9/8c
The Good News: Kevin Williamson's thriller has gotten itself back on track in Season 3 with a retooled story line after an abysmal, misguided Season 2 that literally saw fans flee by the millions. (Season 2 opened to 11.18 million and ended with 4.8 million.) Fox's lineup is also in dire straits, so it could be keen to keep one of its more high-profile shows.

The Bad News: It might be too little too late. Season 3 is so far averaging just 3.8 million and a 1.2, and is dropping every week. At this rate, star Kevin Bacon might want out.

12 of 26 Giovanni Rufino, ABC

Forever (ABC)

Tuesdays at 10/9c
The Good News:
Although the show's average live audience (5 million, 1.1 in the demo) is modest, it routinely adds about 3 million viewers in DVR playback. ABC should also be pleased that the show hasn't completely tanked in a timeslot the network has had trouble with for years.

The Bad News:
It still routinely comes in third to the not-so-stiff competition of NBC's Chicago Fire and CBS' Person of Interest. Plus: The only ABC drama performing worse is Revenge (click ahead for its prognosis).

13 of 26 Daniel Liam/ABC

Galavant (ABC)

Sundays at 8/7c
The Good News: ABC clearly likes the show, and its huge promotional push paid off with strong premiere numbers (7.4 million viewers, 2.0 in the demo). The show's fun, musical approach won critical praise for being unlike anything else on TV, and it did a solid job filling in for Once Upon a Time during its hiatus.

The Bad News:
The show failed to keep its look-in audience during its short four-week run, and although its finale bounced back, the season averaged less than 5 million viewers and a 1.3 in the demo. This one may come down to whether ABC develops a better midseason placeholder this development season.

14 of 26 Greg Gayne/The CW

Hart of Dixie (CW)

Fridays at 9/8c
The Good News:
The drama has a teeny but devoted fan base, so The CW might want to give it one last hurrah (see: Nikita's six-episode final season) or turn it into a summer player like Beauty and the Beast.

The Bad News:
That last hurrah has likely already happened. Creator Leila Gerstein and star Scott Porter have both hinted on Twitter that Season 4, which was cut to 10 episodes to accommodate Rachel Bilson's pregnancy, would be the show's last. Gerstein also crafted the March 27 finale to double as a series-ender.

15 of 26 Vivian Zink/NBC

Marry Me (NBC)

Tuesdays at 9/8c
The Good News: Though an average of 3.8 million and a 1.18 doesn't exactly scream "Renew Me!," Marry Me is not NBC's lowest-rated comedy (that dubious honor goes to About a Boy). If the network still believes in the show as it did in the fall, when it pulled out all the stops for a post-Voice, mid-October launch, the sitcom stands the slightest of chances.

The Bad News:
After a promising debut (7.5 million, 2.3), the show's most recent episode, before it was yanked for The Voice and Undateable, drew 2.08 million and a 0.7 in February. It has four episodes yet to air. Plus: Star Casey Wilson and her hubby, Marry Me creator David Caspe, are expecting their first child in May.

16 of 26 Kelsey McNeal/ABC

Marvel's Agent Carter (ABC)

Tuesdays at 9/8c
The Good News:
This well-reviewed timeslot-warmer actually averaged more viewers than Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s current season. And given that Disney-owned ABC is keen to wave the Marvel flag as much as possible, bringing this one back makes a lot of sense.

The Bad News:
Despite having a slightly larger audience than S.H.I.E.L.D., its viewers were slightly older.

17 of 26 Patrick McElhenney/FOX

The Mindy Project (Fox)

Tuesdays at 9:30/8:30c
The Good News: Mindy Kaling closed out Season 3 with a strong episode and one helluva globe-trotting cliff-hanger. Fox has always been patient with and supportive of the cult favorite, upping its 15-episode order to 21 this year, and it's not like lead-in New Girl (2.8 million, 1.3) is doing that much better than Mindy(2.3 million, 1.05). If Fox does let it go, the show has a high probability of getting shopped around and picked up somewhere, like by fellow NBC Universal property Hulu. Besides, we have to see Mindy give birth, right?

The Bad News: Its already tiny ratings got smaller (Season 2 drew 2.5 million and a 1.3) and only New Girl was renewed last week to hit the 100-episode syndication mark, which Mindy won't be near any time soon. Three years might be enough of a college try for Fox.

18 of 26 Barbara Nitke/NBC

The Mysteries of Laura (NBC)

Wednesdays at 87c
The Good News:
The critically reviled procedural has become a reliable player and self-starter, leading off NBC's Women Crush Wednesdays to 7.8 million viewers, which is better than a lot of old stalwarts and every other new show NBC launched this year. Plus: Maybe they can use "Copmom Momcop" as their theme in Season 2. #neverforget

The Bad News:
It skews super-old, with a 1.29 rating in the demo. Laura might follow the path of Harry's Law, another AARP must-watch that NBC canned after two seasons.

19 of 26 Mark Levine/ABC

Nashville (ABC)

Wednesdays at 10/9c
The Good News:
The show's average ratings aren't huge (5.3 million viewers, 1.38 in the demo), but they are consistent. (The show is only 6 percent off from a year ago.) Plus: Giving the show a fourth season will qualify it for syndication, which would benefit ABC's bottom line since its studio also produces the show.

The Bad News:
As has been the case for the past two seasons, the only thing worse than the show's modest ratings is a complete lack of buzz. Although ABC has bigger problems in the drama department (see: Revenge and Resurrection), a strong development season could encourage the network to try something new.

20 of 26 Cathy Kanavy/NBC

The Night Shift (NBC)

Mondays at 10/9c
The Good News: The medical drama has been grabbing 5.3 million viewers and a 1.3, which isn't that much lower than its Season 1 numbers during the summer last year. And it gives good promo shots.

The Bad News:
It is way off The Voice's numbers, shedding half the reality show's viewership and rating points, and is pretty much on par with the surely dead State of Affairs, whose timeslot it inhabited. NBC is also plotting Chicago Med, the Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D. spin-off, which will probably be a go barring complete disaster.

21 of 26 Greg Gayne/NBC

One Big Happy (NBC)

Tuesdays at 9:30/8:30c
The Good News: There's not too much data on the show yet since it just premiered, but it's still not NBC's worst-performing comedy, despite its 4.4 million and 1.34 average. And it actually grew in its third week...

The Bad News:
... to 3.8 million and a 1.2. With just six episodes, there's not a lot of time for the Ellen DeGeneres comedy to prove itself. After its 30 percent plummet in Week 2, it's probably one more big drop from cancellation.

22 of 26 Guy D’Alema/ABC

Resurrection (ABC)

Sundays at 10/9c
The Good News: With 4.6 million and a 1.3 average, it did better than lead-in and one-time hot-shot Revenge. Though its viewership falls short, Resurrection tied CSI in the demo in the fall and is handily trumping Battle Creek (0.86) now unless the CBS drama makes a drastic turnaround.

The Bad News:
Resurrection wasn't DOA when it bowed to 13.9 million viewers last year, but those days are long gone. It's hard to justify keeping a show that shed 10 million viewers in a year. Plus, midseason replacement Secrets and Lies has been performing better.

23 of 26 Danny Feld/ABC

Revenge (ABC)

[EDITOR'S NOTE: ABC has canceled Revenge.]

Sundays at 9/8c
The Good News: Revenge has been an important asset for ABC's female-targeted wheelhouse. It could come back for a shortened Season 5 to hit 100 episodes for syndication.

The Bad News:
Its woeful ratings aside (4.5 million, 1.2), does anyone want it to continue? The buzz is all but dead, Emily VanCamp wanted it to end last season and Josh Bowman basically begged to be put out of his misery for a full year before Daniel was killed off.

24 of 26 Brownie Harris/ABC

Secrets and Lies (ABC)

Sundays at 9/8c
The Good News: The show's average ratings (5.7 million viewers, 1.44 in the demo) are a marked improvement over Resurrection, the series it replaced. And although the numbers have slid since its premiere, they're consistent enough to suggest that the audience is invested in the content.

The Bad News:
Since it was announced as a "limited series," ABC could easily ax the middling drama without losing face. Plus: The show's murdered-child premise seems way past its sell-by date at this point.

25 of 26 Cliff Lipson/CBS

Stalker (CBS)

Wednesdays at 10/9c
The Good News: Kevin Williamson's other gore-fest was competitive against NBC's Chicago P.D., garnering 7.7 million viewers and a 1.5. It also remained pretty stable throughout its run with few major drop-offs. Its remaining three episodes will air in May, which, depending on how they do, might result in a late renewal as a midseason backup or summer show.

The Bad News:
Or CBS could just be burning off those episodes. CSI: Cyber is out-performing Stalker in the timeslot. And remember, there's that Criminal Minds spin-off too...

26 of 26 Ben Cohen/NBC

State of Affairs (NBC)

Mondays at 10/9c
The Good News:
Well, it brought Katherine Heigl back to TV!

The Bad News:
The show's late fall launch failed despite a massive marketing push and the coveted post-The Voice timeslot. Averaging 5.3 million viewers and a 1.26 in the demo, the show skewed very old and lost the timeslot The Blacklist used to dominate.