Coming Back, At Least For A Bit

NBC announced last week that "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," which premiered last fall, will in fact be returning, at least to finish off its first season. The final six episodes will air Thursdays at 10pm, starting May 24, which is around or right after the time that most shows are airing their season finales. This could be great for "Studio 60," but if a new episode has fewer viewers than a repeat of "Shark" then it might spell doom for the show. The late return is both hopeful and not: at least the show will be airing its final installments (which, in the event of NBC pulling them early, they will surely be put online), but usually a summer time slot means that the network is burning off the remaining episodes in the hopes that someone will watch them, but not expecting much. This happened to "Commander-in-Chief" last year, and FOX's "Standoff" is scheduled to return early this summer also. The thing to keep remembering here, if in fact you are pulling for the show, as I am, is that "What About Brian" premiered last spring to unenthusiastic ratings, aired a mere five episodes, and in all likelihood should have become the epitomy of a midseason show that no one really got into but that lived out its short, short life in peace without being prematurely yanked in the middle of its first season ("Jake in Progress" did do that, airing only episode of its second season before being pulled). But at the last minute, with ABC's upfront announcement, "What About Brian" was against all odds renewed, so who knows? It could happen for "Studio 60," and let's hope so.

Fall schedule predictions will be coming in the next week or so.