Which TV Shows Will Be Canceled In 2020? ‘The Resident,’ ‘Emergence’ And More In Danger

May is never an easy time for TV fans. Television networks are deciding which shows need to be canceled and renewed, and some fan favorites are in danger of being canceled in 2020.

“The Resident” has been on Fox for three seasons now, but it still isn’t the hit medical drama that the network likely wanted. It’s averaging just over 4 million viewers each week with only 0.73 in the coveted 18-49 demographic. Though the numbers are OK, they’ve never been as high as competitors like “Chicago Med” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” Fans will have to wait and see if the show gets canceled or renewed for Season 4.

“Single Parents” is another on the bubble show. The ABC comedy had a prime timeslot, airing right after the final season of “Modern Family,” and the support of critics. Still, the sophomore sitcom couldn’t raise their ratings, even slipping a bit from last year’s less-than-impressive ratings. They’ll need strong streaming views, On-Demand numbers and international sales to avoid cancellation.

“For Life” is one of ABC’s lowest-rated shows, and it got the unlucky timeslot of Tuesdays at 10 p.m. (a notoriously low-rated slot on ABC). The drama launched in February to 3.15 million viewers, and despite more people being at home watching TV as the season went on, even fewer tuned in each week. The series has been averaging less than 2.2 million total viewers each week for the last month. Will ABC give the series another chance in a better time slot? Or is a cancellation the only answer?

“Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” is NBC’s high concept musical dramedy, and that description alone makes it clear that ratings aren’t going to be high. Aside from phenomena like “Glee,” musicals usually don’t pull in massive audiences. Instead, they garner critical claim, small but dedicated fan bases, and potential awards nominations (much like "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend").

Though “Zoey” only averaged 2 million viewers each week, NBC could bring back the series, especially if it does well on streaming or earns Emmy award nominations. However, a cancellation wouldn’t be too surprising either.

“Emergence” was promoted in a huge way, so the lackluster ratings are definitely an issue. The show is ABC’s third least-watched show among the 18-49 demographic (which is the group that advertisers who buy commercials care most about). It has also completely disappeared from the pop culture zeitgeist since it wrapped up, so a cancellation seems most likely for this drama.

Remember, broadcast ratings are not the only factor for any of these series. Streaming numbers and international sales, which are not public, also play a big part in any network's decision.

COVID-19 is also playing a role in this year’s cancellations and renewals. Because of isolation and social distancing, pilots were left unproduced. Some new TV shows will be ordered straight-to-series, but it also is likely that networks will be a little more likely to pick up some on the bubble shows.

Unfortunately, the health crisis has taken network upfronts off the schedule. That means networks can announce cancellations and renewals whenever they want rather than at a specific date. That means fans might be waiting a while to see which of these TV shows will be coming back or going to the TV graveyard.