Fall TV's Favorites and Flops: Returning Shows Hanging by a Thread

Fall soon will be upon us, from the leaves changing colors to the temperature dropping ever-so slightly. What will also be upon society is the return of primetime television. The stalwarts that managed to stick around long enough to avoid cancellation now have to work extra hard this fall to avoid the chopping block.

Here is a list of fifteen shows that are going for the gold, running into risky territory and should be getting axed by next year. Decide for yourself whether any of these established shows are still worth the effort or being discovered late in the game.

Shows Swinging for the Fences

-Grey's Anatomy- No more Isaiah Washington! No more depressing Meredith Drama! Cast members and the creative people behind the show promise that the fourth season will be a vast improvement from the uneven second half of season three. Hopefully, anything will be better than the George, Izzie, and Callie love triangle. It was completely unbelievable. The arrival of Meredith's younger sister as a potential rival for Derek's affections could be either a stepping stone for good drama, or another step down the slippery slope to cancellation. Stay tuned to find out.
-Heroes- New characters, more mythology, and more excitement. Need we say more.
-Desperate Housewives/Brothers & Sisters- The ladies of Wisteria Lane are slowly going back to the form that audiences loved during the first season. New housewife Dana Delany moves onto the block along with a gay couple who has every intention to cause trouble. Also, the fate of Nicolette Sheridan's Edie remains unknown from last season's finale. On another dramatic favorite, Brothers & Sisters continues to follow the Walker family as they continue to endure the dos and don'ts of society.
-Nip/Tuck- New city, new coast, more drama. Miami's favorite plastic surgeons got the heck of Florida and decided to move to sunnier pastures in California. Joely Richardson returns as Julia, Sean's ex, and launches herself into a lesbian fling with Portia De Rossi for at least nine episodes. Of course, there will be some dysfunctional family drama and more gory surgeries to cancel out any anxiety of a new locale.
-Dancing with the Stars- New cast, more catty comments from the judges. This show is American Idol with dancing shoes and celebrities trying to either recapture or become famous. Get ready to vote for the best and be puzzled as to who wears out their welcome much later than expected.

Shows Swimming in Shark Infested Waters

-Criminal Minds- Bye, Bye Mandy Patinkin. Hello Joe Mantegna. The departure of a popular leading man for a less established one is risky in itself, even if the show is an ensemble cast. The question remains: will the audience continue to watch now that Patinkin is out of the picture?
-House- At the end of last season, Hugh Laurie's curmudgeon of a doctor pulled out all the stops to make sure his team of three young assistants quit and fired the rest. Now, the next season has to show whether House can be a better doctor solo or with help from numerous inexperienced doctors that he can torment. Only time will tell if he made the right choice, or will regret it forever.
-Shark- New night, new time, against tough competition. Prosecutor James Woods has to deal with bad guys and intense rivalry from other networks. Good luck.
-Boston Legal- Creator David E. Kelley has a tendency of getting rid of cast members when their storylines don't seem to go anywhere. This season will be going on without three, potentially four, cast members who only served as comedic relief last season. The arrival of three new cast members, including John Larroquette, plan to add more spark that only stalwarts James Spader, Candice Bergen, and William Shatner seem to have bought to the table.
-Law & Order: Criminal Intent- Moving to new network (USA). Almost a sign of cancellation and resurrection on a smaller scale.

Should /Will be Cancelled

-'Til Death- Not funny the first season. Hopefully, won't be around long enough the second season.
-Las Vegas- Too many cast shake-ups, especially with the exit of former lead James Caan and being replaced by Tom Selleck. Another time slot change. Too much confusion for anyone to remember anything about it.
-Men in Trees- Not many watched the first time. Not many will watch the second time around. Critics might have liked it, but the audience was not fond of it. Unfortunately, the ones who did had to suffer from time slot changes and an extended hiatus, which could have been a cancellation in itself.
-30 Rock/Friday Night Lights- These shows might be critical darlings, but if hardly anyone continues to watch them like last season there won't be a season three to speak of.
-The Bachelor- Seriously, don't the women know that none of those relationships actually last. Why bother to go on the show? The dudes are about as interesting as a box of well muscle toned rocks.

Ultimately, the networks will be going to every extreme to make sure their shows are number one and stay that way. It's the audience's decision to choose which ones are worth the effort.