Question marks litter networks’ season lineups

If it weren't so brilliantly crafted, you'd swear "Friday Night Lights" was sleeping with its boss. There's just no other reason a series mired in 119th place should be sitting this pretty.

But as its extraordinary freshman year comes to an end (8 p.m. Wednesday, KVBC-TV, Channel 3), "Friday Night Lights" stands an excellent chance of earning a second season despite averaging a paltry 6 million viewers. (By comparison, the season's first cancellation, CBS' "Smith," attracted 10 million.)

Its road to renewal, though, goes right through Scranton, Pa.

Two years ago, Kevin Reilly, NBC's entertainment president, renewed "The Office" against the advice and wishes of nearly everyone at the network. It was such an unpopular decision, he essentially staked his job, which he'd held for all of a year, on it.

Now that "The Office" has become one of NBC's signature shows, Reilly has a bit more clout when it comes to giving a struggling series room to grow. He used it last week to renew the quirky "30 Rock," and he seems ready to use it to save "Friday Night Lights." (That "Lights" was one of six scripted series to win a Peabody Award last week should give him plenty of cover.)

Barring a complete collapse in the development of new series for next season or a startling about-face in the show's direction, it's doubtful that Reilly has the juice to save the expensive "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," even if he wanted to. (Off the air since Feb. 19, the drama is still in production, although a return date hasn't been set.)

Several of NBC's established series also are on the bubble and may not return. Surprisingly, "Law & Order" is one of them. But since moving to Fridays, viewership is down 18 percent.

The network also, reportedly, is looking to cancel either "Medium" or "Crossing Jordan." But "Crossing Jordan" still earns money for its creator, Tim Kring, who gave NBC its biggest scripted hit in years with "Heroes." And angering him makes about as much sense as, well, some episodes of "Heroes."

NBC's other big question mark is "Scrubs." But if the comedy isn't renewed, ABC has been drooling over the prospects of picking it up.

Speaking of ABC, the long national nightmare may be nearing an end: There's a very real chance that "According to Jim," the Sanjaya Malakar of sitcoms, won't be back. Oh, sure, it sounds like a ticker-tape parade should be in order. But just think of the productivity that would be lost if Americans had to spend time coming up with another buzzword for lame TV. The country could grind to a halt.

"Jim" likely will take "George Lopez" with it. And the network just canceled "Six Degrees." Other than that, ABC already renewed most of its lineup.

Likewise, CBS has few series whose fates still are up in the air. Unless the network launches a new comedy night, there probably isn't room on its schedule for "The Class." And "Jericho," which had been one of the few new series to break through this season, is on shaky ground as its audience never really returned after its three-month hiatus.

Fox also has few series whose fates are undecided, but that's largely because all but one of its new fall shows was off the air by Christmas.

Borderline series "Prison Break" and "Bones" have been renewed. And, despite lackluster ratings -- except in the few weeks it aired after "American Idol" -- Fox seems determined to stick with "'Til Death." To borrow a quote from "Studio 60," they're just going to keep writing that one until somebody laughs.

And bringing up the rear, as always, is The CW, which ends its first season as a complete mess.

Last week, "7th Heaven" was canceled for the second time in a little more than a year. "Gilmore Girls" probably won't be back. "Supernatural" isn't a sure thing. And both "Veronica Mars" and "One Tree Hill" are angling for another season by aging their characters five years in time for fall.

"America's Next Top Model" is a pretty safe bet, but the only series that's definitely coming back is "Everybody Hates Chris."

Still, The CW can't cancel everything. Especially not when one of the shows it's developing for the fall is a comedy about an apartment complex full of hot moms called "M.I.L.F. and Cookies."

Although even that probably would outdraw "Friday Night Lights."

Christopher Lawrence's Life on the Couch column appears on Mondays. E-mail him at clawrence@reviewjournal.com.