Why is Dr Ken No Longer "Certain to be Renewed"?
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tonight's (Friday March 4) data point without an all-new Last Man to make a decision, but if that was the case then why couldn't ABC wait a few more days to announce their renewals? We need to keep in mind that Dr Ken is co-produced by ABC Studios and Sony, which has a history of going through extensive measures to make its shows survive the cut. But it is entirely possible that ABC will only renew Dr Ken if they can renew Last Man Standing, or possibly even get rid of the multi-cam block entirely. They are under new management, after all, and if they did a year-round Shark Tank/Beyond the Tank lineup they could probably make a solid profit and at a cheaper production cost.
Why is Nothing "Certain to be Cancelled"?
I made a promise that I would not put an ABC bridge series as a certain cancellation after what happened last season. Under new management though, I think it's safe to say that Agent Carter and Galavant are most likely done. In fact, an interview with TV Series Finale saw an Agent Carter EP say that they thought chances of renewal were, in their own words, bad. Finally, I think it's safe to say The Muppets won't be coming back either. ABC was willing to give renewals to mediocrely-rated Quantico and ok-but-out-of-house-production Fresh Off The Boat renewals, but not The Muppets, which is fully owned and has corporate synergy with Disney. Considering Miss Piggy isn't a real person (shocking, right?), I think it's safe to say that contractual negotiations aren't holding back a decision. Speaking of which...
The Castle and Nashville Update
I'm not sure what to think about the lack of Castle in the announcements. I think if they were to bring it back for a final season definitively, they would have done so in the mass renewal announcement. Instead, nothing. Per Deadline they may still be in talks to figure out contracts, but with such low ratings does ABC even think it is worth it? Also, the lack of Nashville is starting to remind of Revenge last season. I think Nashville can still get a renewal if it returns to the 1s AND all the midseason dramas flop AND they can't get Castle negotiations figured out. It's to ABC what I consider Grandfathered to be to FOX; it's not out yet, but a lot has to go wrong in order to give it a spot on the schedule.