Good News/Bad News for some of my favorite shows on the bubble.

via TV Guide

Alcatraz (Fox)Wrapped March 26; aired Mondays at 9/8c

The Good News: Fox has kept Fringe alive this long — maybe executives will be generous to another J.J. Abrams drama with a small-but-passionate fan base? And they already canceledTerra Nova, which theoretically helps.
The Bad News: The Voice kind of clobbered it, and worse, viewers flat-out rejected this island mystery. Less than half the audience who watched the premiere tuned in for the finale to learn the secret of those disappearing, reappearing prisoners.


Awake (NBC) Thursdays at 10/9c

The Good News: Series creator Kyle Killen, he of the well-liked-but-short-lived Lone Star, is a guy with ideas! A guy creative people flock to! So what if he makes shows for broadcast that would be better off on cable and not enough folks come to watch?
The Bad News: To be fair, airing it at the end of NBC's low-rated Thursday-night comedy block — and immediately after the night's biggest loser, Up All Night — hasn't been a great fit for the somber drama about a man dealing with tremendous loss. Ratings are abysmal. 



Community (NBC) Thursdays at 8/7c
The Good News: After a more than three-month hiatus, Community returned in March to its biggest audience since October 2010. And relative to NBC's Thursday-night lineup, it's pretty coolcoolcool.
The Bad News: NBC's Thursday-night lineup is a bust, led by a flailing-in-its-eighth season The Office, so any ratings fetes enjoyed by Community are still small in the bigger picture — and it will be measured against some strong comedy pilots in contention, among them Justin Kirk-frontedAnimal Kingdom and White House comedy 1600 Penn, starring (Bill Pullman) and Book of Mormon's Josh Gad.

Fringe (Fox)
Fridays at 9/8c

The Good News: Fox has always loved this show, having rescued it from the bubble twice already. Since the network has already canceled Terra Nova and House, it may want to hang on to this cult favorite for a final (probably shortened) season.
The Bad News: Fox has a couple of buzzy new drama pilots, including a serial killer story from Kevin Williamson starring Kevin Bacon, so the network may decide to clear the bench. Fox Entertainment President Kevin Reilly put it pretty plainly in January that the network's generous pocketbook might be closing when it comes to the costly Fringe: "We're not in the business of losing money," he said.



Parenthood (NBC)
Wrapped Feb. 28; aired Tuesdays at 10/9c
The Good News: This touching family drama is a critical darling with a small-but-loyal fan base, and NBC will need a couple veteran dramas to anchor its fall schedule. Parenthood is neck and neck with Law & Order: SVU to be the second-highest-rated drama at NBC behind the already-renewed Smash.
The Bad News: We're running low on Kleenex over here!


Up All Night (NBC)Wrapped April 12; last aired Thursdays at 9:30/8:30c
The Good News: NBC pulled out all the stops trying to make this one work. After it did so-so numbers on Wednesday, they decided to give it another push, slotting it behind The Office and hoping that viewers would take a second look at Will Arnett and Christina Applegate playing new parents, and Maya Rudolph as a crazy diva talk show host.
The Bad News: The audience actually shrunk in the move to Thursday! NBC already has a few low-rated pedigree comedies it probably wants to keep (30 Rock, Community, Parks and Recreation) and this one has the fewest viewers.

Love for the Bravermans.

Who else is loving Parenthood right now?

I feel so bad for Crosby (even though I sort of like Minka Kelly more than Jasmine. shhh!). My heart aches, seriously aches, for Julia. And the parents meeting the boys before prom this past week was perfect. Awkward, but perfect. And so real.

I love this show.

Parenthood, get real.

I've got a bone to pick with you, Parenthood.

You are usually real. Sure, you've got a huge, blended family with a crazy-ton of problems, but at least I can relate to them. But this new boss for Adam thing? No way.

Do companies hire young, hip talent all the time? Sure. Do slackers who made good money on start ups/tech companies sometimes become the boss? Of course.

But this guy you brought in is extreme. He isn't relatable, he isn't believable, he isn't likable. There are still ways you could put stress on his relationship with Adam - he could have come in with the same crazy, 'let's be pre-99' attitude, but maybe he shows it by throwing out all the old plans/shoes. Maybe he shows it by taking the staff out on a 'field trip'. Maybe he announces no more suits and ties. Maybe he comes in with a huge, over the top, shoot for the stars idea the clashes with Adam's modest, realistic attitude. I don't know....

It's just that I work with creative, 'hip' people. People that probably share a lot of this new boss' views about the importance of thinking, about innovation, about creativity. But I don't think they act like he does.

I just think there is, er was a way for Parenthood to have Adam clash with his new boss without resorting to such extreme measures as showing him getting high in his office and playing bball with his buddies.

Do you watch Parenthood?

I think you should... but it's too late now (The season finale was this past week).

This show got a lot of press before it even first aired, as Maura Tierney (ER) dropped out for health reasons and was replaced by Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls). Not that I was super psyched about the show to begin with, but thats switcheroo actually made me not want to watch it. Gilmore Girls was great, Lauren Graham seems like a cool chick, I just don't believe she can play any other character than Loreli Gilmore (which, in my opinion, is still true. Yes, I like Parenthood, but I still think the character she plays is exactly like Loreli). Plus, isn't it basically just another version of Brothers and Sisters? (Yes.)

Anyway, I caught a few episodes this season (mainly just because I left it on NBC after Biggest Loser was over), and am actually starting to like the Braverman's. Even just watching an episode here and there, I'm getting caught up in all the family drama (Haddie's boyfriend sleeps with her cousin?! wtf! Sorry, I also don't know all their names yet....). I'm actually a little sad it's over. 

Put it on my list of shows to catch up on this summer....