It is currently cancellation and renewal season for the world of broadcast television, and that means networks like ABC, CBS, and NBC are all deciding on which shows will get another chance and fill out the upcoming 2025-2026 television schedule.
The majority of broadcast shows have already been canceled or renewed, but there are a couple of "bubble" shows that could go either way. Fox has the most bubble shows at the moment with three of its scripted series facing ambiguous futures at the moment. The following list highlights the four shows we think might sadly get canceled.
Doctor Odyssey (ABC)
Unfortunately for fans of this soapy medical drama set on a luxury cruise ship, it's looking increasingly likely that the series will sail off into the sunset for good. Despite getting off to a high-profile launch with a strong initial performance, Doctor Odyssey is still one of the ABC dramas with the lowest ratings compared to the network's other shows. Still, the ratings it is pulling in aren't bad, especially in this era of television.
But according to Disney Television Group president Craig Erwich, the decision to renew Doctor Odyssey might lie firmly in the hands of super-producer Ryan Murphy, one of the show's execs and co-creators. Erwich confirmed the network is in talks with Murphy, but noted that he's extremely busy right now with the 9-1-1 universe—which is getting a new spinoff in 9-1-1: Nasvhille—his upcoming Hulu series All's Fair, and his many projects in development at FX.
Disney TV Studios Chief ERic Schrier told Deadline that the "decision ultimately lies with Ryan Murphy," while also noting that the show isn't on their current schedule and they were satisfied with the season 1 stories. There's still a chance it could get renewed, but it sounds like the Disney heads are prepping fans to say goodbye as Murphy moves on to other projects.
The Cleaning Lady (Fox)
The chances of The Cleaning Lady returning for a fifth season are looking slimmer by the day. The series is down 14% in ratings this season, per TVLine, meaning it ranks in last place out of Fox's dramas. That being said, the fourth season is still airing and won't wrap up until the two-hour finale set to debut on June 3. But the fact that Fox hasn't made any decisions yet and the last-place ranking does make us worry for the future of this particular series.
However, it should be noted that Fox Television Network president, Michael Thorn, previously said that Fox "love the teams and those shows," referring to The Cleaning Lady, The Great North, and Alert: Missing Persons Unit, and thinks "there will be more to come after they finish their current seasons."
Alert: Missing Persons Unit (Fox)
The only Fox drama that Alert: Missing Persons Unit is out-performing is The Cleaning Lady, so there is a strong likelihood that Fox will ax both shows together along with The Great North. I could also see the network renewing them for final seasons, but it's hard to say right now. The procedural kicked off in 2023 and followed detectives Jason Grant (Scott Caan) and Nikki Batista (Dania Ramirez) trying to solve various missing persons cases along with searching for their own lost son.
But Alert made a big and controversial move earlier this season by killing off one of its leads, Nikki, and may have lost some viewership because of it. There have been polarizing opinions from show watchers about her death and the show's trajectory since. For now, it seems like Fox is more likely to cancel the series due to lower ratings, but we should find out within the next few weeks when it wraps up with its season 3 finale on May 27.
The Great North (Fox)
Out of all the shows on this list, The Great North is the one in the most jeopardy. It has the smallest renewal chance at this point, as the animated series dropped off significantly in the ratings and is reportedly averaging around 532,000 viewers (via TVLine). Adding to the concern is the fact that Fox has already renewed its other popular animated series like The Simpsons, Family Guy, Bob's Burgers, and even the newer show Grimsburg.
But The Great North is currently Fox's least-watched series out of all of its scripted content, which isn't a good sign for its future. Debuting in 201, the animated sitcom follows a single father living with his four kids in a fictional Alaskan town. It features the voice acting of popular comedy stars like Nick Offerman, Jenny Slate, Will Forte, and more.