Another round of predictions from TV industry experts

We're still three months away from the networks' announcements of their fall schedules (and with them, the final status of all of this season's shows), and a handful of shows from the current season have yet to debut. But that doesn't mean that industry experts aren't speculating about the renewal and cancellation prospects for dozens of shows now on the bubble.

What are the chances that each of these bubble shows will return next season? To answer that question, we have compiled the latest renew/cancel predictions from seven sources:

ABC

For a last-place network (at least in the key 18-49 demo), ABC has surprisingly few programs facing certain cancelation. Like many industry observers, TV by the Numbers unequivocally considers Pan Am to be canceled already, though ABC claims, perhaps disingenuously, that the show is technically still under consideration for a second season. (Either way, the season's final episode airs Sunday night.) And it looks like death is imminent for second-year medical crime drama Body of Proof, which is getting buried even by somewhat lackluster competition (Unforgettable, Parenthood) in its 10pm Tuesday timeslot.

Among the network's other hourlong dramas, only The River looks to be in major trouble, and while that show is new enough on the schedule that the jury's still out, its second episode found it sinking considerably in the ratings. The fate of that series may also hinge on the performance of three new dramas that have yet to debut.

Similarly, ABC's one real comedy question mark—the just-returned Cougar Town—will have an easier time securing a pickup if another late-season arrival, Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23, bombs with viewers. The latter comedy, however, has fairly good early buzz (despite its unwieldy and constantly changing title), while Cougar Town's season premiere earlier this week was underwhelming from a numbers standpoint. Fellow laugher Happy Endings isn't exactly setting ratings records itself, but experts consider it a sure thing to earn a renewal; as Vulture's Adalian writes, "Buzz on the show is great and ABC suits love it."

ABC Primetime Programs, 2011-2012 Season Show Expert Predictions EW Spoiler TVbtN bw TVbtN rc TVG TVLine Vulture Fate to be determined: America's Funniest Home Videos The Bachelor Body of Proof Castle Cougar Town Dancing with the Stars Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 Premieres Wednesday, April 11 GCB Premieres Sunday, March 4 Grey's Anatomy Happy Endings Last Man Standing The Middle Missing Premieres Thursday, March 15 Modern Family Once Upon a Time Pan Am Private Practice Revenge The River Scandal Premieres Thursday, April 5 Secret Millionaire Shark Tank Suburgatory Wife Swap Wipeout You Deserve It (none) Charlie's Angels CANCELED: 7 of 8 episodes aired; remaining episode unlikely to air Desperate Housewives ENDING: Series finale will air in May Extreme Makeover: Home Edition ENDED: All episodes have aired; show may return as occasional specials Man Up! CANCELED: 8 of 13 episodes aired; remaining episodes available on Hulu Work It CANCELED: Pulled from schedule after 2 episodes; will not return

CBS

The top network in terms of total viewers has only a few dead spots in its primetime schedule. Freshman drama A Gifted Man looks to be the likeliest CBS series to get the ax at the end of the season, though fellow newcomer Unforgettable is having an awfully difficult time living up to its title and could also be gone when the season ends.

This could also be the year that the CSI franchise finally loses one of its three hours. While the flagship, reinvigorated by its less demanding timeslot and the addition of Ted Danson, seems likeliest to stick around, either of the New York or the Miami spin-offs could be cut, though it would be surprising if both were canceled at the same time, and both could survive to return another year. (Perhaps the two could be consolidated into CSI: Mid-Atlantic.)

The relatively low-rated but critically acclaimed drama The Good Wife, meanwhile, is also a bit of a bubble show, though it survived similar numbers last year without a problem, and the network likely enjoys the prestige that comes with Emmy nominations. New comedy Rob will never be associated with the phrase "critically acclaimed," but it too, should stick around (it's no Big Bang Theory, but it outdraws everything in its timeslot other than Idol), unless CBS decides to cut the number of hours it devotes to comedies. In the latter scenario, Rules of Engagement would certainly be a goner, but that hard-to-kill sitcom could otherwise return for another season.

CBS Primetime Programs, 2011-2012 Season Show Expert Predictions EW Spoiler TVbtN bw TVbtN rc TVG TVLine Vulture Fate to be determined: 2 Broke Girls The Amazing Race Blue Bloods Criminal Minds CSI: Crime Scene Investigation CSI: Miami CSI: New York A Gifted Man The Good Wife Hawaii Five-0 The Mentalist Mike & Molly NCIS NCIS: Los Angeles NYC 22 Premieres Sunday, April 15 Person of Interest Rob Rules of Engagement Two and a Half Men Undercover Boss Unforgettable The Big Bang Theory RENEWED through 2013-14 season How I Met Your Mother RENEWED through 2012-13 season Survivor RENEWED through 2012-13 season How to Be a Gentleman CANCELED: 3 of 9 episodes aired; remaining episodes unlikely to air

The CW

While the CW canceled only a few series at the conclusion of last season, the network might be quicker to pull the trigger on underperforming shows this year, thanks to an atypically strong development slate that could produce plenty of replacements. Of the shows currently airing on the fifth network, only The Vampire Diaries is a lock to secure another season.

Every other show on the CW's current schedule can be considered on the bubble, with renewal chances ranging from fairly good (Supernatural, The Secret Circle) to slim (Ringer). However, given that this is the same network that is devoting an hour of its primetime schedule to a literal game of musical chairs (Oh Sit!), it's hard to predict how the CW's primetime schedule will be shuffled at the end of the season. And TV Guide's Battaglio notes that low ratings aren't necessarily a deal breaker for any of these shows, since the network can still make a profit from them through its foreign sales and licensing deals with Netflix and Hulu.

CW Primetime Programs, 2011-2012 Season Show Expert Predictions EW Spoiler TVbtN bw TVbtN rc TVG TVLine Vulture Fate to be determined: 90210 America's Next Top Model The Frame Premieres in the spring (date TBA) Gossip Girl Hart of Dixie Nikita Oh Sit! Premieres in the spring (date TBA) Remodeled Ringer The Secret Circle Supernatural The Vampire Diaries (none) H8R CANCELED: Pulled from schedule after 4 episodes; remaining episodes unlikely to air One Tree Hill ENDING: Series finale to air in April

Fox

For a network that is currently in first place in the key 18-49 demographic, Fox has a lot of question marks in its ongoing primetime schedule. Among the network's scripted shows, Bones, Glee, and New Girl are certain to return, while I Hate My Teenage Daughter looks like a goner. After that, things get interesting.

Nearly every other show in the current Fox lineup is on the bubble, though perhaps the furthest out on the fringe is, indeed, Fringe, which is underperforming even by Friday night standards and is expensive to boot. Still, with the show so close to having enough episodes to secure a syndication deal, there's a chance it could return, especially if, as Adalian points out, Fox can get producer Warner Bros. TV to cut its fee, though TV by the Numbers' Gorman thinks that even if the show were free, Fox would be better off passing.

And if Fox wants to be in the J.J. Abrams business, it no longer needs Fringe; the network can keep fellow bubble show Alcatraz instead. The fate of both those shows, as well as Terra Nova (which, despite being expensive to produce and not as much of a critical or commercial hit as the network hoped, actually made some money for Fox) and Bones spinoff The Finder, could hinge in part on the success of the new Kiefer Sutherland drama Touch next month, though the departure of House also clears up an hour on the schedule. Thanks to the long production time needed for the complex special effects, a decision on Terra Nova should come soon (though experts have been saying that for the past two months).

On the comedy front, the future for the once promising Raising Hope now looks murky, though a renewal is not out of the question. The same goes for animated comedies Bob's Burgers (which has yet to return for its second season) and Napoleon Dynamite; Fox doesn't need either one in order to fill its Animation Domination lineup, but yearly rumors suggest that the network isn't all that fond of American Dad, and thus wouldn't mind having another animated show around as backup if they suddenly demonstrate potential.

Note that predictions for I Hate My Teenage Daughter are based on its performance during the fall; the show will have a chance to redeem itself—however unlikely that may be—when it returns from a lengthy hiatus on March 6.

Fox Primetime Programs, 2011-2012 Season Show Expert Predictions EW Spoiler TVbtN bw TVbtN rc TVG TVLine Vulture Fate to be determined: Alcatraz American Idol Bob's Burgers Season premiere Sunday, March 11 Bones Breaking In The Finder Fringe Glee Hotel Hell Premieres Friday, April 6 I Hate My Teenage Daughter Mobbed Napoleon Dynamite New Girl Raising Hope Terra Nova Touch Premieres Monday, March 19 (sneak preview already aired) American Dad RENEWED through 2012-13 season The Cleveland Show RENEWED through 2012-13 season Family Guy RENEWED through 2012-13 season Kitchen Nightmares RENEWED through 2012-13 season The Simpsons RENEWED through 2014-15 season The X Factor RENEWED through 2012-13 season Allen Gregory CANCELED: All 7 episodes have aired House ENDING: Series finale will air on May 21

NBC

There's good news for fans of NBC's Community: the longer it remains on hiatus, the better the show's chances of renewal. TV by the Numbers' Gorman points out that since the comedy left the schedule, NBC's already-low ratings have declined even further across the board, meaning that the numbers that Community was posting in the fall no longer make it one of the network's worst-performing shows. Of course, the folks at Greendale are scheduled to return at some point this spring, but if fans return with them, consider the show fairly safe.

Indeed, NBC's overall struggles could be good news for fans of many of the network's low-rated shows, since conventional wisdom suggests that they can't all be canceled. Of course, some will be canceled, and for that list, start with second-year drama Harry's Law, which proved not to be the David E. Kelley hit that network execs thought they had on their hands last year; viewership has dropped considerably in year two for a show that was already skewing a bit too old in its demographics.

Also looking endangered are a pair of freshman comedies that viewers seem enthusiastic about disliking: Whitney and Are You There, Chelsea? Chances are better for the slightly superior first-year sitcom Up All Night, though its return is by no means guaranteed. Much likelier to return are 30 Rock and Parks and Recreation, which have the support of critics—and the benefit of already airing multiple seasons—even if their ratings aren't what would typically be called "good." The same can be said for viewership levels for the network's other primetime shows with the exception of new hit Smash (which, even though it lost a significant number of viewers in its second week, remains NBC's only scripted program in the weekly top 25), but all look to be on track for renewal, even Grimm, which manages to outdraw Fringe on Friday nights.

NBC Primetime Programs, 2011-2012 Season Show Expert Predictions EW Spoiler TVbtN bw TVbtN rc TVG TVLine Vulture Fate to be determined: 30 Rock The Apprentice Are You There, Chelsea? Awake Premieres Thursday, March 1 Bent Premieres in the spring (date TBA) Best Friends Forever Premieres in the spring (date TBA) Betty White's Off Their Rockers The Biggest Loser Community Fashion Star Premieres Tuesday, March 13 Grimm Harry's Law Law & Order: Special Victims Unit The Office Parenthood Parks and Recreation Rock Center with Brian Williams Smash The Sing-Off Up All Night The Voice Whitney Who Do You Think You Are? Who's Still Standing? (none) Chuck ENDED: All episodes have aired The Firm EFFECTIVELY CANCELED: NBC is burning off remaining episodes on Saturdays Free Agents CANCELED: 4 of 8 episodes have aired; remaining episodes available on Hulu The Playboy Club CANCELED: Pulled after 3 episodes aired; will not return Prime Suspect CANCELED: All episodes have aired

What do you think?

What bubble shows would you like to see return, and which deserve to be canceled? Let us know in the comments section below.

