Do you hear that low, rumbling, gurgling sound? That's the collective ulcers churning from TV shows on the bubble.
These are the series that have not yet been renewed and whose fate rests in a number of factors still being evaluated by the network programmers.
USA Today, which holds an annual "Save Our Shows" poll this time of year, lists 21 series perched precariously on the bubble. Will their bubbles burst or will they live to see another season?
Ratings are still at the top of the list of reasons for being renewed, but eyeballs alone are becoming less important as the industry -- and the way we watch -- is in flux. Delayed viewing (DVRs, On Demand) as well as social media buzz are also considered.
Also factored is the cost of production. Some shows, with large casts and elaborate sets, cost a lot more than others to crank out. Are those costs being offset by a positive or steady ratings arc?
In addition, the reaction to each spring's pilot season weighs in. Was it a good year? Are there some promising replacements waiting in the wings?
Also, programs not produced by a network's own studio are in more danger of being cut. If a marginal program comes from the network's shop, then at least any money to be made will stay in-house.
All that said, here's the current roundup according to USA Today. Note that some perennial favorites are on the endangered list (Nashville, Bones, Person of Interest). Also, there are still a dozen freshmen, such as ABC's Forever and NBC's The Mysteries of Laura, holding their breath. First-season shows are always more at risk because their audiences haven't reached that solid, passionate fan base stage yet.
We'll know the results in a couple of weeks, when the networks unveil their fall lineups at the "upfront" presentations to advertisers.
ABC
Bubble: Forever, Nashville, Cristela, Revenge, American Crime, Secrets and Lies, Marvel's Agent Carter, Galavant.
Renewed (or will be): Castle, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The Goldbergs, The Middle, Modern Family, Black-ish, Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, How to Get Away With Murder, Fresh Off the Boat, Last Man Standing.
Gone (or going): Selfie, Manhattan Love Story, Resurrection.
CBS
Bubble: The Odd Couple, Battle Creek, Stalker.
Renewed (or will be): Person of Interest, Mike and Molly, Mom, The Big Bang Theory, Scorpion, NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS: New Orleans, Criminal Minds, Elementary, The Good Wife, Blue Bloods, Hawaii Five-O, Madam Secretary, 2 Broke Girls, CSI: Cyber, CSI.
Gone (or going): Two and a Half Men, The McCarthys, The Millers, The Mentalist.
Fox
Bubble: The Mindy Project, Bones, Backstrom.
Renewed (or will be): Gotham, Empire, New Girl, The Simpsons, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Family Guy, Bob's Burgers, The Last Man on Earth, Sleepy Hollow.
Gone (or going): The Following, Red Band Society, Glee, Gracepoint, Mulaney, Weird Loners.
NBC
Bubble: The Mysteries of Laura, The Night Shift, Undateable, One Big Happy, About a Boy.
Renewed (or will be): Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., Law & Order: SVU, The Blacklist, Grimm.
Gone (or going):: State of Affairs, Parks and Recreation, Marry Me, Bad Judge, A to Z, Parenthood, Constantine, Allegiance, The Slap (limited series).
CW
Bubble: Hart of Dixie.
Renewed (or will be): Jane the Virgin, Supernatural, Arrow, The Flash, The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, The 100, Reign, Beauty and the Beast, iZombie.
Gone (or going): None.
• Binge watchers. Increasingly, a factor in whether a series lives another day is how binge-worthy it is. A recent report in the Los Angeles Times reveals that America is becoming a binge-watch nation.
What, exactly, is that? For the purposes of a recent "Digital Democracy Survey" by the professional services network Deloitte, binge watching was defined as viewing three or more episodes of a series in a single sitting. Digital technology -- DVRs, video on demand and streaming services -- now allows us to do that.
The Times reports that Deloitte surveyed more than 2,000 "content consumers" over the age of 14 and discovered that 68 percent had binge-watched a series at some point, with 31 percent saying they did so at least once a week.
More disconcerting to me is the survey found that 90 percent said they multitasked while watching TV. Millennials and Generation X respondents said they performed an average of three (!) other activities while watching TV, including Internet browsing and text messaging.
C'mon, young people! Put down that laptop (or smartphone or tablet) and watch the dang show.
• Reminder: Season 2 of Showtime's horror series Penny Dreadful debuts at 9 p.m. today with the promise "to journey deeper and darker with our characters as they confront truly hellish foes."
Among the returning cast members are Josh Hartnett, Eva Green and Timothy Dalton.
The TV Column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Email:
mstorey@arkansasonline.com
Style on 05/03/2015