Will Your Favorite Shows Be Back?

If you haven't been keeping up with the news from the television networks, you may still be wondering whether your favorite shows will be back for a new season.

Some shows ended their run and got a proper finale, while others ended on a cliffhanger that left fans in suspense, never knowing what would have happened if the network had decided differently. Still others were yanked from the air early on.

If you still don't know the status of your favorites, check out this list of canceled and renewed scripted shows from TV by the Numbers. TV Guide's scorecard includes the status of both scripted and reality shows.

New Paranormal, Science Fiction, and Fantasy TV Shows on the Fall Schedule

Every year, I wait for the TV networks to announce the fall schedules. I enjoy reading the descriptions of each new show and deciding which ones are worth checking out.

I tend to gravitate toward certain genres. If a scripted show has a paranormal/supernatural/horror slant, chances are good I'll at least give it a try. Science fiction and fantasy are also high on my list, as are mystery and intrigue.

I've found five cool new paranormal, science fiction, and fantasy series on the fall 2011 schedule. The premieres start in September, so if you're interested in those types of shows, check out my article for the details you need.

Bittersweet News for Fans of AMC and OLTL

There was a big announcement from ABC today, when a press release revealed that both All My Children and One Life to Live will continue after all. The catch? They won't actually be on TV anymore.

Instead of continuing on ABC or any other network, both shows will be moving to an online venue. This is big news for everyone involved, and while it makes a lot of people happy to know that their shows will continue in some form, it isn't exactly the news we'd hoped for. You can read more about it here.

ABC Fall Schedule

The fall 2011 primetime schedule for ABC has been released, and it includes thirteen new series.

Fans of canceled soaps All My Children and One Life to Live may not be interested, since many have vowed never to watch ABC again, but here's some info for those not affected by the daytime situation.

Once Upon a Time, ABC's fairy tale offering, is currently set to air on Sundays, which means it's not in direct competition with NBC's Grimm. Several of the new shows won't premiere until mid-season; these include Missing and Good Christian Belles.

Hallelujah sounded weird enough to get my attention but didn't make it to the schedule. Neither did Poe, the drama about Edgar Allan Poe as the world's first detective.

You can see the full schedule here.

Is General Hospital the Next to Go?

General Hospital is likely on its way out, or at least that's the rumor. Would you like to know what would go on the air in its place? A talk show headed by Katie Couric.

Although GH spin-off Port Charles was my favorite soap opera, I've never been a GH fan. Nevertheless, I'm angry about this development. It seems that all the soaps are being systematically taken away. Many are already gone, and All My Children and One Life to Live won't be around much longer.

Even people who don't get into the soaps have reason to be concerned. Soaps have a huge fan base that is being ignored. Certain demographics are considered important, and if you're not included, the TV execs don't give a hoot about your opinions. For now, soaps are the target. When they're all gone, what type of show will be next?

Supernatural, Horror, Sci Fi, and Fantasy Pilots

The television networks have been busy selecting the shows that will be on the fall lineup. Although none of this is set it stone yet, there are quite a few supernatural, horror, science fiction, and fantasy pilots that could start airing this fall on the major networks. By that, I'm referring to ABC, CBS, CW, FOX, and NBC. Other channels such as Syfy will probably have a few new shows of their own that fall within at least one of these categories.

Here are the ones I've been able to find:

17th Precinct - This series, which is set in a world ruled by magic, has potential. The cast includes Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica), Stockard Channing (The West Wing), and Brandon Jay McLaren (Being Erica). (NBC)

Awakening - Zombie fans, take note. This show is set during a zombie uprising. It stars Lucy Griffiths (Robin Hood, Collision) and Meredith Hagner (As the World Turns, Royal Pains) as teen sisters who don't get along. I don't know how it will compare to AMC's The Walking Dead, but my guess is that it won't be anywhere near as graphic, which will make it a better choice for those who find the other series too intense. (CW)

Ghost Angeles - This one is about someone who talks to ghosts, but instead of being a drama or thriller, it's a sitcom. (NBC)

Grimm - David Greenwalt (Angel) is involved, which means it should be good. It's described as "dark but fantastical," and it has characters from fairy tales. I hope this one makes it to the air. (NBC)

Hallelujah - Terry O'Quinn (Lost, Millennium) has joined the cast of this series, which is set in Hallelujah, Tennessee. Hallelujah is a small town that's being torn apart by the forces of good and evil when a stranger shows up to help. Music is going to be an important part of this show, and probably not the way you think. The songs will be performed by a gospel choir that serves as kind of a Greek chorus. Um, okay. It all sounds interesting, but I have my doubts that this one will make it to the final lineup. (ABC)

Heavenly - It's not clear how much of a fantastical element this series will have. It stars Ben Aldridge as a man who used to be an angel. (CW)

Locke & Key - Based on the graphic novel by Joe Hill, this series should be a good one if it makes it to the fall schedule. It's about a woman and her three daughters who move into a creepy old house where a violent murder took place.

Once Upon a Time – Okay, what's the deal? This is another show with characters from fairy tales. This one takes place in a small town where fairy tales might actually be real. The characters include Snow White, Prince Charming, Pinocchio, and Grumpy. (ABC)

REM - This series has been described as a "procedural hybrid which follows the simultaneous and parallel lives of a detective who can not let go of any aspect of his fractured family after a horrible car accident." Further digging around led me to some clarification. Basically, the main character is caught between two different realities after being in an accident. (NBC)

The River – I have no idea why this one is described as a "horror drama," but since it is, I'm including it here. After a famous TV explorer and his crew disappear in the Amazon, his son decides to go searching for him. (ABC)

The Secret Circle - All the buzz says this one is going to be good! It's about witches and is based on a book series by L.J. Smith, who also wrote the books on which The Vampire Diaries is based. (CW)

Touch - This is the latest series from Tim Kring (Heroes). Keifer Sutherland stars as a man who learns that his autistic, mute son has psychic abilities. (FOX)

There is also the Untitled Susannah Grant TV Project in which a surgeon's ex-wife starts teaching him about life--after she dies. (CBS)

I'm also going to include Terra Nova, which has been postponed more than once and is now slated for a fall premiere. This Stephen Spielberg series is set 85 million years in the past! (FOX)

Which Shows Are Coming Back in the Fall?

It's that time of year again. Television networks are finalizing their plans for the fall season. Some series have already been renewed, while others won't be back. Still others are "on the bubble," which means that the decision could go either way.

At this point, only one of my shows is on the bubble, right where I knew it would be. The fate of Chuck is always undecided until the last possible minute. It angers, annoys, and just plain bothers me, but that's just the way it is. Chuck's ratings are never very good, and that's something I'll never understand. It's a fantastic show.

To find out the status of your shows, there are a few places you can look. My favorite is TV By the Numbers. They have a renew/cancel index and much more. I also recommend following them on Twitter.

You can also check this list from the TV Squad, which is updated as news becomes available. They are also on Twitter.

Spin-Off Ideas

Some of my all-time favorite shows were spin-offs of other shows. Angel was a spin-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which is another one of my favorites. Even Port Charles was a spin-off, although I didn't (and don't) watch General Hospital.

A while back, I wanted to come up with a few spin-off ideas for some of my favorite shows. Which shows had the best potential? I thought about what they would be like and who would star in them.

I came up with three shows that I felt had terrific spin-off potential, based on a character in each one. I planned them out carefully and came up with my dream casts. If you're interested, you can read all about them here.

Granted, this isn't something I would expect to happen. Most of my shows don't get spectacular ratings; they're usually hanging by a thread, hoping not to be canceled. In fact, since I came up with these fantasy spin-offs, one of these shows was canceled, but my ideas for its spin-off are still valid.

It probably seems like a silly waste of time to a lot of people, but I enjoyed it. After all, people are always thinking about their favorite shows and actors. They also like to come up with dream casts for movies or shows made from books. This isn't much different, and it was a lot of fun.

Protest ABC Across America

ABC's recent announcement that both All My Children and One Life to Live have been cancelled has a lot of people very upset. Protest ABC Across America is a campaign intended to let the network executives know that soap fans have had it.

Hoover is even getting in on the protest, with the company's marketing VP writing a message to fans of the two shows and pulling their advertising from ABC. In addition, Hoover has set up a special e-mail address for fans and promises to get all messages to the network. Wow!

Please visit the above links for more information. Even though they're on Facebook, the pages are public so that everyone can read them.

Nolan North

Who is Nolan North? Many people recognize his name. In fact, if you're a gamer, you're probably quite familiar with his work; for the past few years, he's been concentrating on voiceover roles.

That's not the only place you'll come across Nolan North, though. His acting career started when he landed a major role on a new soap opera. He's also been on primetime television and in movies, and he currently has a recurring role on Pretty Little Liars, as Spencer's dad.

Loss of Two More Daytime Soaps

If you're a soap fan and haven't heard the news yet, make sure you're sitting down. This is a doozy.

ABC has announced the cancellation of both All My Children and One Life to Live. Fans were expecting it to be one or the other, but certainly not both.

If this trend continues, there won't be any daytime soaps left.

Exciting News for One Life to Live Fans!

For quite some time, fans of One Life to Live have been hoping for the return of Roger Howarth to the show. Well, now it's finally happening. Roger Howarth, the original Todd Manning, is coming back!

What does this exciting news mean for the the show, for Todd, and for the two actors who have played the role? There's a lot of speculation out there, and as someone who has watched the show for many years, I can speculate with the best of them. I pay attention to little details and always ask questions about what I see--and what I don't see. If you're interested in my thoughts, check out my article.

I'm looking forward to seeing Roger Howarth back on my TV screen. That doesn't mean I want Trevor St. John to go anywhere, though. Both are good actors who have brought something unique to their portrayals of Todd Manning.