FRESHMAN SCORECARD: March 2012

Here is the March scorecard! We are just over two months until upfronts and there is still only one renewal for a freshman show! Crazy! If interested, check out February's scorecard as well as last March's scorecard. As always, the shows are ranked from my perception of best to worst chance of survival.

ABC

Once Upon a Time - There is no way this show is not coming back next fall and I'm 99% sure it will be exactly where it is (Sundays 8pm). It has been an unexpected hit in a difficult timeslot and continues to shine.

Suburgatory - It fits so perfectly in the Wednesday lineup. It is absolutely coming back. In terms of quality, it hasn't lived up to the pilot though.

Last Man Standing - It survives on an island on Tuesdays despite having three incompatible partners (Man Up, Work It, Cougar Town). It'll stay exactly where it is and find a better companion next fall (maybe Reba McEntire's pilot?)

Revenge - The final of ABC's quartet of fall success stories has been one of the buzziest shows. Plus it's doing well in a time period that has been troubling to ABC for a long, long time. It is coming back for sure. Let's hope it can keep up the intrigue as the season continues.

Celebrity Wife Swap - It did nothing special but I could definitely see it coming back as a filler. Maybe it should be the December filler between Dancing with the Stars and The Bachelor? ABC has a hard time with that slot.

The River - The new horror show debuted to ho-hum numbers in early February and has dropped since. Though I expect ABC will let it air the rest of its episodes, I would be stunned to see anything beyond that. This one just didn't work for them.

Pan Am/You Deserve It - Not officially cancelled, but let's be real. They're toast.

Work It/Man Up/Charlie's Angels - Cancelled

CBS

2 Broke Girls - It's most recent feat was topping all the other Monday sitcoms to be the top dog of the night. Of course it's coming back, the only question is whether it stays put or moves to 9:30pm or Thursday? I would suggest it stays put.

Person of Interest - The little show that could has quietly become one of the top dramas on TV. From fourth place in the demo in the fall to a tie for first last week, it is finding its audience in a big way. And for good reason, week after week is intense and awesome!

Rob - This is a real tough call. It all depends on whether CBS wants to add a comedy block and what they do with Rules of Engagement. A true toss-up.

Unforgettable - The more the season wears on, the worse this show's chances get. It goes in reverse of Person of Interest, hitting lows and finishing behind last year's ho-hum numbers for The Good Wife in the same timeslot. At this point, given all of CBS's dramas, I think it could be done.

A Gifted Man - The only sure cancellation on CBS's schedule. It's done ok for Fridays but CBS just doesn't have room for it.

How to Be a Gentleman - Cancelled.

NBC

Grimm - Who would have thought looking at NBC's fall schedule that Grimm would be the lone new drama remaining? It has capitalized on low expectations for an underperforming network. It doesn't seem to do well in other slots, would NBC consider keeping it on Fridays?

Smash - NBC's hottest midseason prospect got off to a sizzling debut but fell hard and quick in the ratings. It stabilized itself this week at a 2.3 demo. If that stays, then it's a slam dunk renewal. But if the drops pick up again, then who knows. If NBC's gonna be patient with any show, it's this one.

Up All Night - Yeah the ratings have sucked since it moved to Thursdays (which is surprising) but I still see NBC giving this one another chance. It's not like they are soaring with their other comedies and a couple of them are getting really old.

Whitney - It has done pretty terrible on Wednesdays but honestly, not as bad as some thought it would. I'd say it's chances are below 50/50 but it still has a chance, especially if NBC moves in a multicamera direction. We'll see.

Rock Center with Brian Williams - Yeah it must be ridiculously cheap to produce but it brings down the whole lineup. It should go but will it? We'll see.

Are You There, Chelsea? - Unlike Whitney, this isn't showing any signs of life. Even if NBC does move to a multicamera emphasis, this is still likely a goner.

The Firm - Banished to Saturdays = an all but official cancellation.

Prime Suspect/Free Agents/The Playboy Club - Cancelled.

FOX

The X-Factor - Already renewed.

New Girl - This, 2 Broke Girls, and Once Upon a Time are the three 100% certain returners. It will be interesting to see if it can anchor a night of sitcoms in the future with this March test run.
 
Terra Nova - As FOX has seen its other dramas slip, this show's chances have reportedly upped. FOX needs to make a decision soon but they might actually give it one more chance to pull it all together.

Napoleon Dynamite - It's not sinking like Allen Gregory but not impressive. I could see it being this year's Bob's Burgers

Alcatraz - Alcatraz has really hurt its chances in recent weeks with ever dropping performances. It's going to need to reverse itself in a big way over the next month to have a chance.

I Hate My Teenage Daughter - We'll see how it does on Tuesdays at 8:30pm this month but I am not feeling confident for its chances.

The Finder - It has squandered an Idol lead and made no real dent in the TV landscape. It's a goner.

Allen Gregory - Cancelled.

By the time we have the April Scorecard - Awake, Q'Viva: The Chosen, GCB, Fashion Star, Missing, Touch, and Bent all join the list! Plus, will we finally have some renewals?