TVSquad

It's not really possible that every summer premiere on the great American broadcast TV schedule crashed and burned, is it?

But, out of all the original programs that premiered on the major networks after the completion of the fall 2008 season, not a single one got traction.

According to analysis reports, you can take your pick from any of the following shows: Defying Gravity, The Superstars, The Listener, Mental, The Philanthropist, Hitched or Ditched, Merlin and Great American Road Trip. All of them bombed -- each hovering just above a one market share.

In fact, you don't need numbers to prove that the fall crop crapped out. Ask your friend what his/her favorite summer replacement show was. You'll be waiting awhile.

One of the worst words to hear for a devoted TV fan is the word "cancellation." Just having to type it makes me cringe. Hearing this word a year in advance allows fans, cast and crew to prepare and usually means that we will get a satisfying ending (I say usually because, let's face it, not everyone was satisfied with the Seinfeld gang ending up in prison or with the black screen at the end of The Sopranos... then again, can we satisfy all fans?).

What makes the "word that shall not be typed again in this post" so scary is when it is said after a series wrapped up its current episode order or when it is said almost a mere minute before said episode order is completed. When this happens, it usually means that the shows will not have the money/time/leisure to go back to the drawing board and rework what will now be known as their series finale.

When ABC announced that Dirty Sexy Money, Eli Stone and Pushing Daisies were canc... not renewed, a lot of fans frantically searched the web to know if production had wrapped up in order to find out if there was hope for some closure. Well, my fellow TV fans, I come with answers: DSM and Eli finales will offer some closure while Daisies will end with a few cliffhangers!

Slight spoilers coming up!

There's a lot of animation I enjoy, but Disney's output has always been near the bottom of my list. My love for all things Warner Bros. may rival whatever admiration I have for Disney, but I'll admit I've always loved Disney's short-form cartoons, especially anything featuring Donald Duck or Goofy.

Why do I mention this? Well, news is popping up on some corners of the internet where animation nerds like myself hang out, and it seems that Disney has stopped production on its "Walt Disney Treasures" DVD collections. These collections, which the studio has been putting out since 2001, would have eventually collected every Disney short ever made. Much like the Looney Tunes Golden Collection DVD sets, some purists have found fault with the DVD's production values, but I file such minor glitches under "Beggars Can't Be Choosers."

The upfronts are right around the corner, where network executives let advertisers know what shows will be making the cut for next fall. Early word from MediaLife is that NBC has the longest list of shows might not be returning. Probably the most surprising show on the list is Law and Order: Criminal Intent. With the rotating cast and drooping ratings, media watchers say this one is likely on the chopping block (the other two are safe, though). Things aren't looking good for Commander in Chief, either. And, of course, we already knew that there is a good chance Scrubs will be... scrubbed (but possibly get new life on ABC).

Here are the shows (on all networks) that media buyers think are in danger of cancellation:

I lamented in an earlier post that some of the latter episodes of the first season of Everybody Hates Chris were being sandwiched between reruns of the show, making it difficult to keep track of when new shows were airing. If you're also wondering whether there will be a second season of the popular UPN sitcom, then you can keep wondering because no announcement has been made just yet. It's probably not all bad, though, since UPN hasn't announced new seasons of any of it's new shows, stating that May is still too far off. The show's premiere broke records for the network, but eventually ratings levelled out. It would seem foolish to drop the show, and I can't imagine UPN would. Of course, I stopped trying to understand the minds of TV execs a long time ago.