Which Shows Could Be Canceled in 2019? 'Dancing With the Stars' and More Shows at Risk

DWTS FINALE 2018
Bobby Bones (L) and Sharna Burgess are pictured in a still from "Dancing with the Stars" on Season 27 as they were announced as the winners of the Mirrorball Trophy on November 19, 2018. ABC/Eric McCandless

TV fans are prepared for the upcoming departures of beloved show's like Modern Family, The Big Bang Theory, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Game of Thrones in 2019. However, audiences may be forced to say farewell to other shows they love earlier than expected.

Some shows like The Good Place, Will & Grace, and Whose Line Is It Anyway? have been fortunate enough to score early renewals. Taking this into consideration, which shows are likely at risk for cancelation? While networks won't truly begin to renew and pull shows until mid-2019, here's a list of television series that could be at risk next year.

Dancing with the Stars | ABC

Realistically, ABC likely won't cancel Dancing with the Stars. It's proved to be a network staple since its conception in ‎June 2005, but the show suffered from a very controversial run during Season 27. Audiences saw the reality series cut most of its celebrity female contenders in early elimination rounds, keep the not-so-skilled Bachelor in Paradise alum Joe "Grocery Store Joe" Amabile, and shockingly crown radio personality Bobby Bones as the Season 27 winner. In addition to this, ABC removed DWTS from its spring lineup—which is a first for the competition show.

Lethal Weapon | FOX

Lethal Weapon, which initially had promise, has been encased in drama since its arrival on Fox. Actor Clayne Crawford was fired from the show due to his on-set behavior. Crawford was then replaced with American Pie alum Seann William Scott. Star Damon Wayans had announced his plans to exit the series in Season 3, but that soon proved to not be the case. Fox, therefore, would likely be pushed to drop Lethal Weapon due to all the drama that's surfaced from the production.

Jessica Jones | Netflix

Netflix has been in the business of pulling Marvel shows from its roster as Daredevil, Luke Cage and Iron Fist were all axed by the streaming service. Jessica Jones, as well as The Punisher, is slated to release a new season in 2019 after wrapping its shoot this past summer. While Netflix hasn't announced its future plans for either series, fans should prepare to say goodbye as the streaming giant will likely drop the series due to Disney's upcoming streaming service—Disney+—coming in late 2019.

Charmed | The CW

The CW's Charmed reboot has failed to capture the magic its predecessor formerly did. Ratings have been problematic for the revised show, which have dwindled weekly. Plus, it doesn't help that Charmed alums Shannen Doherty, Alyssa Milano, Holly Marie Combs and Rose McGowan have addressed their dissatisfaction with the reboot as well.

Dynasty | The CW

Audiences were shocked by The CW's decision to renew its Dynasty reboot. The show was instead moved from its former home on Wednesday behind network darling Riverdale to a Friday night death slot, which very few series come back from. Ugly Betty, The Bernie Mac Show and Undateable only survived one season in it's Friday evening time slot. It also doesn't help that Dynasty, a show that's faced major casting changes, has failed to draw in strong ratings in its new airtime as well.

The Alec Baldwin Show | ABC

Alec Baldwin has impressed the world with his impression of President Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live, but he's failed to impress audiences with his new ABC talk show. Reviews for the show haven't been too kind. Ratings for the show have been dismal, which is likely why ABC moved the series from Sunday to Saturday.

Fuller House | Netflix

Fuller House Season 4 hit Netflix on December 14. This run, however, comes after creator Jeff Franklin was fired from the show due to allegations of misconduct on set. Franklin later released a statement on Instagram where he claimed to be "heartbroken to be leaving Fuller House." Netflix has been very strict in regards to allegations, with Danny Masterson of The Ranch and Kevin Spacey of House of Cards as examples to this. But it's still uncertain whether Franklin—who isn't an actor—will impact the show's production as a whole.

Suits | USA

Suits was more under the radar at first, but it began to attract more attention once former star Meghan Markle was linked to Prince Harry—a man she married in May. Markle's exit, in addition to actor Patrick J. Adams's departure, brought the arrival of Katherine Heigl. In March, it was announced actress Gina Torres's character of Jessica Pearson would get her own spinoff. The show did, however, have its Season 8 fall finale air in September. With this in mind, it wouldn't be all too surprising if USA decided to pull the series altogether after Season 8 returns for its second half.

The Gifted | FOX

The Gifted had a promising start in its freshman season and strong reviews to match, but these factors mean nothing if no one is really tuning in. At this time, The Gifted ranks as one of Fox's lowest-rated dramas—and there's nothing special about that.

Uncommon Knowledge

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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

About the writer


Dory Jackson is a New York-based entertainment journalist from Maryland. She graduated from Randolph-Macon College—in May 2016—with a focus in Communication ... Read more

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