• After 20 season, Law & Order is ending (the show, not actual law and order). It appears that, despite tepid ratings, NBC was willing to bring the show back for Season 21 because it makes a boatload in syndication, but creator Dick Wolf scoffed at the idea of doing fewer episodes for less money, so the network cut the show. I’m sure that fans are crushed, but don’t worry, there’s still two spin-offs and somewhere in the range of 4000 episodes playing on TNT.
• Chuck will live to fight another day. Fan support has been really strong, as always, and the show will be back for a 13 episode fourth season. That means we can prepare ourselves for another year of wondering whether or not the show will get picked up for a fifth season.
• They’re coming….back. ABC has decided they might as well give V a shot at replacing Lost, renewing the show for a 13 episode second season. Here’s hoping they’ll remind us of that fact by putting a countdown clock to next season in the corner of every show between now and then. (Sidenote: I like that both Chuck and V each got 13 episodes and that that is becoming a trend. Not only is it more cost productive, but it allows the writers to be more focused and have more high quality episodes as opposed to fillers. There’s also the ability of the network to have two different shows in the spring and the fall. This is a good trend.)
• With the renewal of V and ABC’s pick-up of some new shows,* that means they’ve cut a few: Better Off Ted, Scrubs, FlashForward, and Romantically Challenged. The biggest loss there is Better Off Ted, a ridiculously quirky and funny show that oozed with charm. There’s no word yet on whether or not they’ll burn off the few unaired episodes, but here’s hoping they at least make a DVD. As I said before, Scrubs should have ended definitively last season (and probably one or two before that), and FlashForward never lived up to the hype that surrounded it last fall. Romantically Challenged was pretty much doomed to be canceled when they named it Romantically Challenged.

*We haven’t really been reporting on the slew of new shows picked up by networks as we wait for the network upfronts next week. That way, we can get a little more info on some of these shows. Stay tuned until then.

• If you liked Happy Town or at least were interested enough to stick around to find out what’s going on, you may want to stop yourself from getting too invested. It seems that after premiering to a tepid 5.2 million viewers, the show dipped to 3.8 million for its second episode. The show will air its final five episodes starting June 2. More Here.
• Vulture is reporting that the once great Heroes will finally (and mercifully) come to some sort of an end. The word from Vulture is that NBC had been leaning towards keeping the show around for another year as a back up plan, but after reviewing the pilots they’ve commissioned, they’ve decided to cut the show. Though the show hasn’t been officially canceled, the word is that NBC will probably give the show a 2-4 hour TV movie to wrap everything up. Like I said, NBC could change their mind before Monday’s upfront, but it doesn’t seem likely.
• The biggest surprise was The Sarah Silverman Program, which netted Silverman an Emmy nomination last year for Best Actress in a Comedy Series. Despite a Twitter campaign to save the show, the Comedy Central decided they know best. Don’t forget this is the network responsible for Mind of Mencia, The Jeff Dunham Show, and Halfway Home. More Here.

• ABC Picking Up After CBS: It looks like ABC will have two shows in their lineup next season from CBS, though neither are too stellar. The New Adventures of Old Christine will likely be paired with The Middle during ABC’s comedy night, and The Ghost Whisperer, which produced by ABC Studios, will probably pick up the void left by a drama that won’t be back next year (Lost for sure, probably FlashForward, and maybe V). The move of Old Christine is part of a comedy house clearing by CBS, who is only keeping How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory, and Two and a Half Men, provided Charlie Sheen signs a contract extension. More Here
• Chuck looks safe: Though not officially renewed, it looks like Chuck will be back for a fourth season. Evidently, the NBC execs have been pleased with the numbers the show has been getting, and though nothing is set in stone yet, it looks like it will return. More Here
• Parenthood renewed: NBC had a lot riding on Parenthood, and so far, it seems to be paying off. The show has done well in the ratings, and really well in the rich demographic ($100,000+ households) and has been #1 in the 18-49 demographic. The show has steadily improved since the pilot, with the cast figuring things out, so I’ll be glad to see it back next year. More Here
• Heroes probably returning?: Michael Ausiello recently was asked about the status of Heroes, and he responded, “The latest is that there’s a 60 percent chance the show will be back for a series-ending 13-episode run.” Sounds like the slide further to the bottom for a once great show will continue.

Better Off Ted
Ted hasn’t exactly been a ratings winner in its short time on the air, despite it’s quirky charm. The chances of cancellation seem pretty high given its anemic numbers, but there’s still hope it could become a cheap summer show or jump to another network. Content wise, the best place it would fit would be Comedy Central or FX, but it’s a little to smart of Comedy Central and not quite edgy enough for those brash folks at FX. Either way, we’re hoping Veridian is around for a little longer.
Cancellation Scale: 1

Heroes
For a show that was so good when it started, Heroes‘ slow fall from the top has at times been painful to watch. Its ratings this season have been way down, hardly resembling the hit of season one. With a budget that’s probably too big for cable, I’d say the cancellation chances are very high. At least we’ll get Zachary Quinto in another Star Trek movie.
Cancellation Scale: 0

Scrubs
Like Heroes, Scrubs was once a good show. When ABC picked it up for last season, it was about giving the original cast and characters an ending. This season has more or less been a spin-off, but it’s foolishly been branded with the franchise name. It’s been just plain bad, in content and in the ratings, and is almost assuredly done.
Cancellation Scale: 0

Parks and Recreation / Community
Both of these shows are in similar boats, so we’ll group them together. Parks and Rec suffered from bad reviews in its first year, but has built up a following in its terrific second year. Community has a solid following too as the lead-off hitter in NBC’s comedy lineup. The chances for both are pretty good as a result of the Jay Leno cancellation. Keep in mind, NBC has to fill 5 hours a week now in his old slot, not to mention holes in its lineup next year from possible cancellations of Heroes, Trauma, and Mercy. They aren’t guaranteed to stick around, but the chances are on the good side.
Cancellation Scale: 6

Fringe
A big time bubble show, Fringe is most likely in a dogfight with Lie to Me as to which show is going to stick around, and I’m hinging my bet on Lie to Me, mostly because Fringe has been a disappointment, while Lie to Me has done about what’s expected. There’s a chance both could stick around, but doubtful.
Cancellation Scale: 5

Flash Forward
Another highly touted sci-fi (excuse me, syfy) show that hasn’t done very well is ABC’s Flash Forward, and the chances of it sticking around aren’t very good. It comes back in mid-March, and if it continues to slide (and what show doesn’t after being off the air that long mid-season), it could be a goner. If they stay steady or improve, it might be on next season, though with greatly diminished expectations.
Cancellation Scale: 4

Notable Renewals:
How I Met Your Mother
Modern Family
Glee