The four major networks have announced their cancellations, and there are a few surprises here, as well as a few that were expected. ABC’s Nashville is getting the ax, and although declining ratings are likely the cause, star Hayden Panettiere has been very vocal about her postpartum depression, so that may have played a role. Agent Carter, which has been on the bubble, is finally being let go, and being that the Marvel Cinematic Universe closed out her storyline in Captain America: Civil War, it’s unlikely we’ll see the character pop up again. The Muppets have had an upswing in the latter half of the season, but not enough apparently. The departure of Castle’s Stana Katic has prompted ABC to end the series run, though the writing was already on the wall.
The most notable cancellation was CBS’s Supergirl, which is being moved over the the CW. The move is a smart one for both networks. It didn’t quite have the ratings to justify the cost on CBS, although the switch will likely result in a noticeable lower budget (the CW is already having budgetary issues trouble with DC’s Legends of Tomorrow). The CW’s Flash recently crossed over on Supergirl, so now that they’re on the same network, we can expect a stronger connection on CW’s DC Universe. The move also concretes the networks hold as TV’s comic book go-to location, with four DC shows on the schedule (including the flagship Arrow), plus iZombie, which is based on the Vertigo comic (an imprint of DC).
Here is the list of all of the shows not returning next fall (some on the list weren’t cancelled, but rather have just run their course):
ABC
Agent Carter
The Astronaut Wives Club
Castle
The Family
Galavant
The Muppets
Rookie Blue
The Whispers
Nashville
Of Kings and Prophets
Wicked City
CBS
Angel From Hell
CSI: Cyber
Extant
The Good Wife
Mike and Molly
Person of Interest
Supergirl (moving to The CW)
Under the Dome
Fox
American Idol
Bordertown
Cooper Barrett’s Guide to Surviving Life
Grandfathered
The Grinder
Knock Knock Live
NBC
Hannibal
Mr. Robinson
Best Time Ever With Neil Patrick Harris
Heroes Reborn
The CW
America’s Next Top Model
Beauty and the Beast
Containment