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

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1 of 26 Jon Lemay/ABC, Richard Foreman/CBS, Michael Parmelee/NBC

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Will Nashville's recording contract be extended through next season? Can CSI: NY cheat death a third time? The networks are about to decide which shows to cut and which to keep this fall. Are your favorites in jeopardy? We offer an analysis of what's to come, so you can prepare for the worst. (Fans of 1600 Penn and Cult, just be glad for the time you had.)
2 of 26 Ben Mark Holzberg/The CW

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[UPDATED: Good news! CW has renewed Beauty and the Beast for another season.] Beauty and the Beast (The CW) Thursdays at 9/8c The Good News: Shout-out to the Beasties! The series has attracted a small but devoted following, and if The CW knew what was good for it, it wouldn't dare piss them off. The Bad News: Beast sheds nearly half of its Vampire Diaries lead-in, and with a Vampire Diaries spin-off in the works, there's incentive for The CW to cut the cord.
3 of 26 Richard Foreman/ABC

Body of Proof (ABC)

Tuesdays at 10/9c The Good News: Since lead-in Dancing with the Stars returned last month, Proof has won its timeslot in viewership and in the adults 18-to-49 demographic. And it's already escaped cancellation once, so why not again? The Bad News: Dana Delany & Co. are lost without their ballroom friends, returning with its revamped Season 3 in February to a series low. And with Private Practice, which aired at the same time in the fall, already canceled, ABC might want to use Dancing to launch a new show in the timeslot next season.
4 of 26 Patrick Harbron/The CW

The Carrie Diaries (CW)

Wrapped April 8; aired Mondays at 8/7c The Good News: Rather than getting lost in the Sex and the City of it all, the cutesy drama has established a small, but consistent, following by telling its own story. (It's modest ratings are also balanced by a huge online viewing audience.) Plus: The soundtrack is totally tubular. The Bad News: The CW probably hoped nostalgia and brand recognition would have boosted this one a bit more than it has. Saving Nikita or even giving Beauty and the Beast another shot seem more likely than the CW going another round with Carrie.
5 of 26 Vivian Zink/NBC

Community (NBC)

Thursdays at 8/7c The Good News: Despite some major changes behind the scenes, the show's cult audience remained faithful and gave the show's much-delayed season premiere its best ratings in a year. And given NBC's other comedy woes (1600 Penn and Guys With Kids are likely goners and the Peacock is losing The Office and 30 Rock), perhaps they keep this veteran show around long enough to get it into syndication? The Bad News: That small cult audience keeps getting smaller: This season the show is averaging just under 3 million viewers. (To put that in perspective, Whitney's completely buzz-less second season averaged 3.7 million viewers.) Surely some of the network's new pilots could do better than that, right?
6 of 26 Ron P. Jaffe/CBS

CSI: NY (CBS)

Wrapped Feb. 22; aired Fridays at 9/8c The Good News: The show's already wrapped ninth season averaged 9.7 million viewers and a 1.4 in the demo, numbers other networks would kill for on a Friday night. The Bad News: The show isn't on those other networks. The show has cheated death twice, but, given the expense of continuing a veteran show, CBS might be more keen on clearing space for some newer, cheaper programming than staying this show's execution a third time. Also: Mac's engagement in the season finale was an awfully tidy conclusion.
7 of 26 Vivian Zink/NBC

Go On (NBC)

Tuesdays at 9/8c; finale airing Thursday at 9:30/8:30c The Good News: The Matthew Perry comedy has been well-reviewed throughout its freshman season, and NBC really wants it to work, having aired a special preview of it during the Olympics (yes, we know, they did the same for the departed Animal Practice) and putting it on after The Voice. During the fall, Go On even notched a few wins over New Girl. Plus: It reunited the Bings! Could this be any better? The Bad News: Actually, yes, it can. Go On tumbled without The Voice in the winter. Its two-week tryout on Thursdays didn't get off to a good start either, drawing just 2.4 million viewers and a 1.1 last week.
8 of 26 David M. Russell/CBS

Golden Boy (CBS)

Tuesdays at 10/9c The Good News: After a two-week tryout in CBS' best launching pad (aka after a two-hour block of NCIS), the network decided to keep Golden Boy in that timeslot instead of burying it on Fridays. The Bad News: The show is routinely dumping about half of its esteemed lead-in's audience. Worse, its average demo rating (1.4) is lagging well behind the equally ratings-challenged Vegas (1.7), which previously occupied the timeslot and is also a longshot for renewal.
9 of 26 Richard Cartwright/ABC

Happy Endings (ABC)

Fridays at 8/7c; aired Tuesdays at 9/8c and Sundays at 10/9c The Good News: You can't say ABC isn't trying. It hasn't pulled the cult favorite yet and even launched a Save Happy Endings campaign for the show's Friday timeslot premiere. But should you fail ABC's order, USA is reportedly interested in picking it up. Characters welcome indeed! The Bad News: If USA doesn't come through, things are not looking good on the ABC front. The show flopped in its Friday debut, not even breaking a 1.0 rating for either of its two episodes.
10 of 26 Mike Yarish/The CW

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[UPDATED: Good news! The CW has renewed Hart of Dixie for another season.] Hart of Dixie (CW) Tuesdays at 8/7c The Good News: Of the CW shows that didn't get an early renewal, it's both the network's highest-rated show and most-consistent performer. As a sweet show with pretty people, it goes down easy. The Bad News: With several veteran genre shows already staking claim to the network's relatively small landscape, the show could be competing against some of the network's noisy, high-concept pilots for a spot in the fall. Will small-town drama win out over comas, aliens and Hunger Games homages?
11 of 26 Craig Sjodin/ABC

Last Man Standing (ABC)

Wrapped March 22; aired Fridays at 8/7c The Good News: The show's steady, if not blockbuster ratings saw a nice boost for the season finale. Thanks to bankable star Tim Allen, the show's second season averaged just under 7 million viewers and a 1.5 in the demo, which is nothing to sneeze at on a Friday night. By comparison, fellow bubble show Happy Endings failed to crack a 1.0 when it debuted in that same timeslot. The Bad News: ABC has lots of comedy pilots in development. ABC might want to make room for younger, buzzier names like Rebel Wilson and Malin Akerman on its schedule.
12 of 26 Michael Parmelee/NBC

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[UPDATED: Good news! NBC has renewed SVU for another season.] Law & Order: SVU (NBC) Wednesdays at 9/8c The Good News: Despite its age, the show's ripped-from-the-headlines approach keeps the show in the larger TV conversation, and even earned an additional episode this year. And the show's tried-and-true formula has served as a stable launching pad for NBC's (also Dick Wolf-produced) sleeper hit Chicago Fire. The Bad News: Chicago Fire actually improves on SVU's decidedly modest lead-in (6.3 million viewers, 1.7 in the demo) on a regular basis. That could be a signal that audiences are ready for a new spin on the familiar procedural.
13 of 26 Nicole Wilder/ABC

Malibu Country (ABC)

Wrapped March 22; aired Fridays at 8:30/7:30c The Good News: The show that brought Reba McEntire back to television was a natural pairing with Last Man Standing and retained most of its audience in both total viewers (6.4 million) and the demo (1.4). Could ABC build a new TGIF family night on this solid foundation? The Bad News: The show was hustled off the air in March without a lot of fanfare. Would ABC rather have something that gets the blogosphere buzzing?
14 of 26 Chris Hollo/ABC

Nashville (ABC)

Wednesdays at 10/9c The Good News: The show, one of the best-reviewed freshman series of the season, is the only of ABC's new drama offerings still on the air. With its successful soundtrack(s), the show has great cross-platform potential to make money, and the show's less-than-ideal ratings (6 million viewers, 1.9 demo) regularly see huge increases with DVR usage. The Bad News: The network has to be concerned with why such a critical darling can't seem to attract more eyeballs during its regular timeslot — especially if ABC hopes to use the show as a lead-in for something new next season.
15 of 26 Richard Cartwright/ABC

The Neighbors (ABC)

Wrapped March 27; aired Wednesdays at 8:30/7:30c and 9:30/8:30c The Good News: ABC Entertainment President Paul Lee is having the last laugh. The Neighbors didn't do as badly as everyone thought it would, finishing the season with an average of 6.2 million viewers and a 1.9 — on par with ABC Wednesday comedies not named Modern Family. The Bad News: Fellow freshman sitcom How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life) debuted strong last week, posting the best retention rate out of Modern Family in more than two years. If it keeps this up, The Neighbors might have to move out for good.
16 of 26 Trae Patton/NBC

The New Normal (NBC)

Wrapped April 2; aired Tuesdays at 9:30/8:30c The Good News: Although the charming comedy was nearly on life support without The Voice, The New Normal did no worse than any other woefully rated NBC sitcom. Yay for small victories! The Bad News: Taking into account ratings, acclaim and buzz, the latter of which The New Normal lacks, Parks and Recreation, Community and Go On have the edge in the race to earn a pickup.
17 of 26 Ben Mark Holzberg/The CW

Nikita (The CW)

Fridays at 8/7c The Good News: With Supernatural, which thrived on Fridays, relocated to Wednesdays, Nikita's ratings don't look that meager. The Bad News: The spy drama's down 50 percent in both measures (season average so far: 1.17 million viewers and a 0.3). Plus: The older the show, the more it costs to produce, so The CW could get stingy here.
18 of 26 Neil Jacobs/NBC

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[UPDATED: Good news! NBC has renewed Parenthood for another season.] Parenthood (NBC) Wrapped Jan. 22; aired Tuesdays at 10/9c The Good News: Beloved by critics and viewers, the triple-hanky tearjerker saw its ratings slowly improve at the end of the season. And with Smash bombing so hard, you know NBC wishes it had ordered more than 15 episodes of the Bravermans. The Bad News: Boasting one of the largest casts on TV, Parenthood is on the expensive side, so NBC will have to take a good look at the books. If it's renewed, it's unlikely it will get a full season (it's only had one in four years).
19 of 26 Danny Feld/NBC

Parks and Recreation (NBC)

Thursdays at 8:30/7:30c; aired Thursdays at 9:30/8:30c The Good News: With 30 Rock and The Office ending this year, Parks and Rec is the sole critical darling remaining on the network, and surely not even NBC is that dumb to let it go. Right?! The Bad News: While Parks and Rec has been steady with or without a good lead-in, ratings are down 20 percent — but that could just be NBC's fault, shuffling it between two timeslots and thus far never airing new episodes for more than three weeks in a row.
20 of 26 Monty Brinton/CBS

Rules of Engagement (CBS)

Mondays at 8:30/7:30c The Good News: The sitcom still hasn't let CBS down as a midseason replacement, bringing in a consistent (and obviously very loyal) audience wherever it lands on the schedule. The Bad News: The finale will be the show's 100th episode, aka the money-making syndication benchmark, so CBS might be ready to move on. The producers' and the actors' contracts are also up, and Patrick Warburton — who's voiced his frustration with CBS' (mis)treatment of the show — and David Spade are attached to new pilots.
21 of 26 Craig Blankenhorn/NBC

Smash (NBC)

Saturdays at 8/7c; aired Tuesdays at 10/9c The Good News: Um, it's still on the air. The Bad News: The much-ballyhooed revamped Season 2 crashed and burned, premiering down a ridiculous 71 percent (4.5 million, 1.2). Since then, Smash has continued to drop and has only reached the 1.0 mark once. The show was moved to Saturdays, Debra Messing joined a pilot, and, in the most foreboding sign, Katharine McPhee chopped off her Karen locks!
22 of 26 Adam Taylor/ABC

Suburgatory (ABC)

Wednesdays at 8:30/7:30c The Good News: The show's sophomore season won the coveted post-Modern Family slot, signaling ABC's belief in the show. And it's earned its keep: The witty (if wildly uneven) comedy is a nice fit in ABC's family comedy block. The Bad News: Although its numbers (6.1 million viewers, 2.2 in the demo) are solid, the show pulls in about half the ratings Modern Family (11.4 million viewers, 4.4 in the demo) does.
23 of 26 Isabella Vosmikova/FOX

Touch (Fox)

Fridays at 9/8c The Good News: Well, if you watch with your eyes closed, you can kind of pretend Jack Bauer is still running missions on a weekly basis. The Bad News: The show's Season 2 launch was pushed back twice, which perhaps explains the show's abysmal average ratings (2.8 million viewers, 0.7 in the demo). Then again, nothing really excuses those numbers, even on a Friday night. The only lower-rated Fox show was The Mob Dcotor and we already know how that turned out…
24 of 26 Colleen Hayes/NBC

Up All Night (NBC)

On hiatus since Dec. 13; aired Thursdays at 8:30/7:30c The Good News: Who are we kidding? There isn't any. The Bad News: Everything. The ill-conceived idea to reboot the parenting comedy as a multi-camera sitcom failed spectacularly, culminating with star Christina Applegate departing the show. Plans to produce one multi-cam episode were scrapped and Will Arnett has joined another pilot. (And Maya Rudolph is pregnant with her fourth child.) And yet NBC still hasn't called a time of death. It's highly unlikely that NBC will be able to salvage this, and if it somehow does, it might as well just be a new show altogether.
25 of 26 Cliff Lipson/CBS

Vegas (CBS)

Fridays at 9/8c The Good News: The period drama boasts a great cast led by Dennis Quaid and Michael Chiklis and, although it lacks much buzz, it pulled in a consistent 11 million viewers during its Tuesday-night run, where it often won its timeslot. The Bad News: The old-skewing show has since been shelved on Fridays, where its audience fell to 7.6 million and an abysmal 0.9 in the demo, beating out only Touch on Fox. Betting big on great actors costs a lot of money, and right now, this show's return isn't matching its investment.
26 of 26 Byron Cohen/NBC

Whitney (NBC)

Wrapped March 27; aired Wednesdays at 8/7c The Good News: Whitney Cummings got paid a network-TV salary for an extra year! Kidding aside, with an average of 3.6 million viewers, the show actually isn't that far behind NBC's coveted Thursday night comedies. (It even beats some of them.) The Bad News: Unlike those Thursday comedies, Whitney has zero buzz. Also: Its season-premiere ratings matched the show's lowest Season 1 performance, and the numbers slid downhill from there.