It’s getting to be that time of year again when the TV networks make all their difficult decisions, namely: piss off small but vocal fan groups, or lose money?
Usually they go for the latter, but a couple of the underdogs — namely NBC’s Chuck and Fox’s Dollhouse — got renewed for at least thirteen episodes next season.
(The stipulation for Chuck? Massive budget cuts. Two writers and at least one cast member will be let go, and the supporting cast will likely not all appear in every episode.)
Not everybody was as lucky. Dollhouse’s timeslot companion, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, was canceled despite the absurd hotness of Summer Glau. (She’s an alum of Joss Whedon’s Firefly — I wonder if she’ll pop up on Dollhouse next season?)
Other noteworthy canceled shows include ABC’s The Unusuals and Samantha Who (the latter of which was expected to get a renewal) and CBS’s long-running Without a Trace (Cold Case, on the other hand, will survive).
Fox’s Fringe, the second-biggest new TV show of the year (after CBS’s The Mentalist) won an easy renewal, as did Bones (for two seasons!) Scrubs, somehow, some way, will also be back on ABC next season, despite airing a very clear-cut series finale last week. Zach Braff won’t be the star anymore, but he might show up from time to time.
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