What's HOT & What's NOT: The state of Prime-Time television.

I'm sure it has got me into trouble more then once but I've never been afraid to share my opinion....

We've once again entered that time of year when television network executives breakout their sharpies and start "stroking off" their lists, I'm of course referring to their list of series that won't be returning in the fall. And in a world that seems to be dominated by reality television, once again this year two of the shows that I've found myself firmly attached to will not be coming back.

Lucifer is the one that I think has really upset me, it's true that season three seemed to fall off the rails a little with the whole Sinner-man story-arc, but generally speaking the series was a well-written & performed diversion to an otherwise stagnant Monday night lineup. 

The news that they would not be picked up for a fourth season seemed to take the cast and crew off-guard as well, with the hashtags #SaveLucifer and #PickupLucifer going viral on social media within a matter of hours. 

And without ruining the series finale for anyone who has yet to see it, showrunner Joe Henderson recently told Deadline that "His team created a huge cliffhanger" that's going to "Frustrate the hell out of fans so that there was no way Fox could cancel us".

Unfortunately Henderson was only 50% right, his team created a huge cliffhanger, but Fox pulled the plug and unless another network steps in to save them, fans will truly be frustrated with the unexpected series finale.

Last week when ABC decided to cancel Designated Survivor it was less then surprising.

The series which stars Kiefer Sutherland has suffered multiple turnovers as a number of cast and crew have gone through a revolving door during its two years on television. And although this series started off strong - telling the story of a man thrust into unexpected power after a horrible terrorist attack, anyone can see that it has lost its way during the course of the second season.

What made this series so compelling during season one has ultimately harmed it during season two, the lack of a conspiracy and a true villain. In my personal opinion, had the writers not introduced Terry Serpico's character, Patrick Lloyd as a rich industrialist then the second season could have been about discovering who funded the man behind the attack on Washington D.C

Having said that, The Hollywood Reporter has recently suggested that talks are underway with Netflix to revive the series for a third season with its fifth showrunner in two years. They may also want to consider talking to some new writers or their run on the video streaming service might be a short lived one. 

On the plus side, Gotham has been confirmed for its Fifth and final season. The series which has taken a unique approach to the DC Batman story, focusing on a young Bruce Wayne prior to dawning the cape and cowl, was one of many shows that Fox was rumored to be cutting.

However Variety has confirmed that the Warner Brothers produced show will be given the green-light for one final run so that fans can witness Young Master Wayne finally suit up and seize his future legacy.

And with The CW renewing both Supernatural and it's entire DC lineup of shows, my options for series to continue binge watching has never been better.... Now if The CW would only pick up Lucifer that would be perfect!

Outside of a few shows where a decision has yet to be made you can click here to see a complete list of what will and will not be returning in the fall. Let us know in the comments below what cuts have truly disappointed you and remember to join in on the conversation on the CanGeek Community Page.

Thanks for reading.

Can we really blame Ben Affleck for being disenchanted with the DC Extended Universe if fans feel the same way?

At some point in each persons life they can't help but wonder what it would be like to be the Batman?  Unlike the rest of us Ben Affleck can actually say he knows.

Four years ago Affleck was riding high with both a string of successful films behind him & the dark knights cape and cowl in front of him.  Although many fans voiced their concerns and displeasure via social media it was a done deal, Ben Affleck would be the next Batman. 

Warner Brothers and DC where looking to actively compete with Disney owned Marvel Comics for that all important box office revenue by jump starting the DC Extended Universe, and the Warner Brothers plan began with the 2013 release Man Of Steel.

Man Of Steel would tell the story of a much different Clark Kent, someone who had no desire to be a hero, someone who would be forced into the light when a vengeful General Zod threatened to destroy the Earth.

Fast forward three years to the 2016 release of Zack Snyder's Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice and we would be introduced to Ben Affleck as a xenophobic and resentful Bruce Wayne.

Having witnessed first hand the destructive power Superman was capable of, Wayne would make it his mission to end the Kryptonian before humanity was forced to pay the ultimate price.  In turn Clark Kent, who had now accepted his role as humanities hero, would make it his mission to bring the Gotham City vigilante to justice once and for all.

With the inclusion of Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg, and The Flash as filler, the climax of the film would be a more or less one-sided battle designed as a lead in to a yet to be released Justice League film and spin off titles for each individual character.

Warner Brothers had big plans however as the numbers came in it would be obvious that fans did not respond kindly to Batman V Superman.

Affleck's second outing as The Dark Knight would be a cameo five months later in the Suicide Squad, however not before Warner Brothers ordered a selection of re-shoots to address what they viewed as the missed opportunities of Snyder's Batman V Superman.

Unfortunately the numbers would once again reflect that fans had receive Suicide Squad with mixed reviews.

With both the Wonder Woman and Justice League films on the horizon things weren't looking good, however the decision was made to produce a stand alone Batman film with Affleck once again in the lead as both the star and the director.

However it was recently announced that Matt Reeves would take over the directors chair amid rumors that Affleck neither wanted to direct nor star in the film. 

Honestly who can blame him?  In a genre that has seen Marvel virtually unopposed since the release of Iron Man in 2008 its sadly conceivable that the creation of the DC Extended Universe came far to late and will be a difficult pill for consumers to swallow.

What we often forget is that in the public eye an actor is only as valuable as their most recent success, and with two failed outings in the cape and cowl already under his utility belt can we really blame this Oscar winner for potentially wanting out?

Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and remember to follow us at CanGeek.com .