Will NBC's "Studio 60", "Crossing Jordan" And Donald Trump's "Apprentice" Get Canceled?

Things are not looking very bright for the trio of NBC's prime-time shows and recent developments seem to indicate they may not necessarily be back next season.

We all know Donald Trump would get down to catfighting with Martha Stewart, bitchslapping with Rosie O'Donnell or even shaving his hair off Britney-style in a wrestling bet all to keep the Apprentice buzz going.

But the recent Nielsen performance of the reality series which has been hitting a new series low week after week has forced the network to push the series out of the way of ABC's blockbuster "Desperate Housewives" and into the new 10pm timeslot.

The move gives the network an all-reality line-up on Sunday nights as it is also shifting the Wednesday night edition of "Deal Or No Deal" to Sundays at 9pm while moving the drama "Crossing Jordan" to Wednesdays at 9pm.

"The Apprentice" which averaged over 20 million viewers in its first red-hot season has lost its way with the most recent episode attracting a very disappointing 6 million viewers.

If the reality contest does not improve the ratings performance of its sixth cycle in the new timeslot pronto, not only will Donald Trump be forced to stop bragging about "The Apprentice" being the #1 show on TV (good Lord!), but he may himself be hearing those infamous words he has been saying for three years to others with gusto.

As for "Crossing Jordan", does the drama that has performed badly in the 18-49 demo despite being a minor hit in overall viewers have any chance against FOX's "American Idol" and CBS' "Criminal Minds"? The answer is clear.

Finally, it saddens me to say the return of "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" for a second season seems highly unlikely at this point. NBC has stuck with the drama throughout February sweeps giving it the final chance to strike a chord with viewers.

Aaron Sorkin-penned series however seems to have gone downhill since its exceptional yet also low-rated Christmas episode.

The focus has shifted from TV business to romantic relationships of the characters. That may not necessarily have been the best choice as many of them lack chemistry and give viewers plenty of reasons to fall sleep or switch the channel.

This is also reflected in the ratings - the drama premiered to over 13 million total viewers in September and kept bleeding week after week, before it leveled off in November to just under 8 million.

Since then, however, "Studio 60" lost another million or so viewers and the viewer erosion in the second half hour is significant. That means many of the viewers who do give "Studio 60" a shot at 10pm end up not seeing the episode all the way through.

Also, the lack of promotion of the drama on NBC, practical unavailability of spoilers and very little if no buzz around the series also indicate the viewer interest has been minimal.

This is why the drama is off the schedule and will be replaced next Monday by the new midseason series "The Balck Donnellys". If and when "Studio 60" returns will depend on how well the new show does in the timeslot.

Unfortunately, it seems the loyal "Studio 60" fans will be happy if they even get to see the remaining 6 episodes of the drama burned off on NBC later this spring.

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