‘Hell on Wheels,’ ‘The Newsroom,’ ‘Whodunnit?’ among five shows in need of renewal

Typically, you don’t think about the fall as the time in which big decisions are made on the future of a show. That’s an “honor” typically more reserved for the months of April and May, but the world of TV is changing, and with so much good stuff coming on in the summer / early fall, it’s become necessary to really look at programming year-round to answer the key question: Is [insert your favorite TV  show here] going to be back for another season?

This article is all about the five shows right now that are really deserving of a little bit more love, mostly because they’re awesome and deserve it for a variety of reasons. If the networks cancel these shows, “ridiculous” and “idiotic” are just some of the words that will come spewing out of our mouths when we first catch the headline and type up a future article. They’re too good to lose.

“Hell on Wheels” – AMC’s Western defied the odds, airing on Saturday nights and performing better than almost anyone expected along with a lineup of Western fare. If the network denies a season 4, it’ll just be because they prefer a lineup that includes mostly zombies, ad executives, and a lawyer with some heavy baggage named Saul Goodman. It won’t be because “Hell on Wheels” didn’t set out to produce good television or retain an audience.

“The Newsroom” – Do some people believe that HBO’s news-based scripted series was crafted by the hands of the devil himself? You’d think so after hearing some of the reviews, but we personally enjoy the dedication and the gravitas of Aaron Sorkin’s series, and we like to think that the world is a better place with this show in it. Supposedly, a season 3 renewal is only waiting HBO figuring out Sorkin’s schedule, but the longer that takes, the more nervous we get that everyone will just forget about the show.

“Whodunnit?” – A gem of a summer reality show for ABC. Shows with similar ratings have already been brought back on the summer schedule, but the difference here is that this one is not produced by a Canadian network first a la “Rookie Blue,” and with the network changing reality bosses, who knows what sort of programming Lisa Berger wants to bring in? Given her background at E!, we’re just pleading the TV gods that it is nothing with “Kardashian” attached to it.

“Masters of Sex” – There’s nothing to worry about here. Showtime will probably renew the show within the next two weeks. They’re a network that has great faith in their programming, at least when it comes to giving them two kicks at the can to see what happens after a full summer of playing catch-up / binge-watching.

“Brooklyn Nine-Nine” – This is the only network show on the list here, and technically, what we’re looking at is that more scripts have been ordered, but what about a renewal? Remember that whole idea that “family” programming was going to fair better? Well viewers have barfed all over NBC for that decision, and CBS’ own new comedies tuned off people almost from the start. The biggest success for “The Millers” is that it airs after “The Big Bang Theory.”

Want to add to the list? Share what shows you want to see back below.