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.

CW Fall Schedule

The CW announced its fall schedule today. In addition to some returning favorites, a few new dramas and reality shows will be on the lineup.

The CW picked up Sarah Michelle Gellar's new show, Ringer, after CBS passed on it. I'd already seen indications that this was the case, but now we have the official word. The network also picked up Hart of Dixie, which stars Rachel Bilson.

Supernatural is staying in its Friday night timeslot. I really wish it had been paired with The Vampire Diaries and put back on Thursdays. Instead, Nikita is moving to Fridays, and The Secret Circle will be paired with The Vampire Diaries. This pairing makes sense, considering the fact that both shows are based on books written by L. J. Smith. Days of Our Lives fans will recognize Shelly Hennig, who played Stephanie until recently, as one of the stars.

In addition to Supernatural's undesirable timeslot, I was disappointed not to see Awakening on the schedule. I was looking forward to the zombie show.

The full story is here.

CBS Fall Schedule

The CBS fall primetime schedule is in, and it includes five new series and major timeslot moves for CSI and The Good Wife. Check here for the full story.

The five new shows consist of three dramas and two sitcoms. One of the dramas is A Gifted Man, which is about a surgeon whose dead ex-wife starts appearing to him to teach him the meaning of life. I mentioned this in an earlier post, but the series was still untitled at that point. Julie Benz will play the doctor's sister.

CBS didn't pick up Ringer, Sarah Michelle Gellar's pilot, but all indications are that the CW did.

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.