60 dramas now are on display, most of which belong to CW in the last third of the chart. 40 shows are renewed and returning, 2 are moving elsewhere (Paramount Plus), 4 declared their final season prior to launch, 12 were cancelled, and The Outpost and The Republic of Sarah are still on the air ready to determine. Given it is nearly impossible for CW to cancel a show, there isn't much for discussion there.
What is on the table is the slew of awkwardly executed cancellations performed by NBC following upfronts in May. It was hardly surprising to see Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist get the axe though the shock laid in it wasn't outsourced to streaming app Peacock. The series was critically acclaimed and visually appealing, but rated downright poor during both of its seasons. Even a mild bounce to Tuesdays could not forecast growth was possible. Manifest had its own shock factor after moving to Thursdays late in the season, taking a dip in ratings but upgrading the poorly-rated sitcoms. However, it also sat next door to the lucrative and powerful Law & Order power block, failing to establish itself being able to improve various timeslots if moved elsewhere.
These cancellations seemed saddening (and should have been handled earlier as it seemed NBC made up their mind a long time ago). However, this week's cancellation of Good Girls struck the largest shockwave. Good Girls was in its 4th season and helped NBC make a soft colony on Sundays, a difficult evening to broadcast. Renewal odds were predicted for Likely Renewal due to a strong history, which now appears to have come to a close. NBC appears to be heading not for troubled waters, but a bland, predictable schedule few will care about. Just how many Chicago or Law & Order spinoffs does an audience need?
