Trouble may be afoot behind the scenes of CBS' ratings juggernaut 'NCIS.'

According to Deadline, four of its stars -- Michael Weatherly, Pauley Perrette, David McCallum and Sean Murray -- are still not signed beyond the end of this season, leaving the future of the cast in limbo.

They were probably dancing in the halls at ABC on Tuesday after getting a look at the Nielsens from Monday night. 'Dancing With the Stars' return was a ratings boon, lifting the entire Monday schedule to a big-time win in the ratings.

Typically, CBS challenges ABC for Monday night supremacy with Fox in the mix thanks to the strength of 'House.' However, this past Monday found the new installment of 'Dancing With the Stars' -- the tenth -- winning in the key 18-49 demographic and drawing nearly 24 million total viewers.

The premiere episode of FX's 'Justified' was a lot of fun to watch and apparently, I wasn't the only one who thought so.

Tuesday's episode, titled "Fire in the Hole" after the Elmore Leonard novella upon which the series is based, scored 4.2 million sets of eyeballs, the network's second highest rating since the premiere of 'The Shield.'

Naturally, the show scored more older than younger viewers, but my gut tells me that could change once word spreads about the type of show it is and the quality it can produce. Sure it's a pseudo-western, but it has a very updated and edgy feel. It's fun for the whole family, if your family is one of those weird groups that lets their kids watch anything whether it's an edgy Western drama or late night Cinemax.

Tonight, Fox is putting 'Glee' back in the line up. No, it's not a new show, but it is a chance to revisit and remind yourself that in only five week, new 'Glee' episodes will be back. That means, more music, more dancing, more Mr. Schu and ... wait for it ... more Sue Sylvester.

The folks at Fox are nearly as psyched about the show's return as the fans. When 'Glee' returns for the spring premiere on Tuesday, April 13, it will be big, reports The Futon Critic. It's so big that it's going to be going into the ten o'clock hour. Normally, Fox affiliates take over at ten with local news or syndicated programming. Not on April 13th.

This should come as no surprise to anybody who's been following the current television season. CBS has renewed The Good Wife and NCIS: LA for second seasons. Both shows are part of a solid Tuesday night lineup for CBS, amassing strong Nielsen ratings and even better numbers in total viewers, holding much of the audience from the NCIS lead in. All that adds up to a winning formula, and thus, CBS wasn't going to break up a good thing.

As for the quality of the two shows, they both deserved renewal. They've improved as the season has progressed, especially The Good Wife. What started out as a good premise has morphed into a very compelling legal drama with a lingering subplot – exactly what did Alicia's husband do to warrant the wrath of the enemies that have put him in prison? It's also a terrific set of actors and a star-turn by Julianna Margulies.

You knew it was a bad sign in November when CBS decided to flip flop Cold Case and Three Rivers to test whether it was the time slots that were dictating the sliding ratings of the Sunday night dramas.

The results were hardly conclusive, but consistently drawing less than 2.0 in the demographics has doomed Three Rivers. CBS has pulled Three Rivers off the schedule for December. Merry Christmas, Alex O'Loughlin lovers.

This is the first step to cancellation and anyone who tells you otherwise is blowing smoke. Despite a big star in the center, Three Rivers is an earnest medical drama that's just not catching on with viewers. CBS will complete the 13-episode order and then kiss the show bye-bye.

Don't blame Jay Leno. NBC's risky experiment, gutting its 10PM drama slate to air Leno's low-budget variety hour five nights a week, may not have paid off in ratings, and the move may have made NBC an easy target for scorn and ridicule. But Nielsen ratings numbers suggest that no one could have slowed the slide during the final hour of primetime.

According to the Associated Press, the 10PM hour has become the time when viewers catch up with the shows on their DVR queues. So viewership of first-run shows at 10PM is down at all of the big three broadcast networks.

Sundays have always been a good night for CBS. It's been a good day for years, thanks to the NFL. Traditionally, the football games bleed right into prime time, which commences at seven o'clock because of 60 Minutes. Even in the days when CBS broadcast Sunday night movies, the network has done well on that night of the week.

However, the advent of the NBC Football Night in America has put a dent in CBS's strength. Also the ABC lineup and Fox's animation domination are no slouches either. So, CBS is going to do something to bolster Sundays. Three Rivers and Cold Case will switch time slots.


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Earlier this week, I told you about the real reason Without A Trace was cancelled. Now, executive producer Shawn Ryan reveals the real reason The Unit was cancelled. "Listen, if the show had been owned by Paramount and Medium had been owned by 20th Century Fox, we'd be making the fifth season of The Unit now." You see, TV fans, it's comes down to money. CBS owns Paramount so it would earn more in the long run if The Unit made more episodes, went into syndication and reaped revenues for years to come. However, Fox owns The Unit. Get it?

There's good news and bad news on the CBS soap opera front. The good news is that The Young & the Restless has been renewed for two years. The bad news is that As the World Turns could be axed just like Guiding Light.

The Young & the Restless is CBS daytime's top rated soap. It's been number one in the Nielsens for nearly 20 years running. So the renewal wasn't a big surprise. However, the pick-up came with a warning to cut costs, tighten the budget and, basically, don't expect the stars to get big raises anytime soon. In the past year alone, two of the veterans -- Melody Thomas Scott and Jess Walton -- opted to take less money when the show threatened to write them out or recast. Welcome to the brave new world of daytime!

Attention, Rosie O'Donnell: Simon Cowell promised that next week's American Idol will be a ding-dong finale. Break out the Drake's Cakes! Actually, Simon wasn't referring to Rosie's favorite chocolate cake treat, he was using perhaps the strangest euphemism he could come up with to hype the finale which he anticipates -- and rightfully so -- a great showdown between two singers who could both be deservedly crowned the winner of American Idol.

Adam Lambert vs. Kris Allen might seem like a heavyweight versus a bantam weight, one guy who's already been splashed on magazine covers -- last week's Entertainment Weekly -- as the presumptive champ, while the other was nearly knocked on his butt by the judge's song choice that was so bad that Simon faulted Kara and Randy for setting him up to fail.

It looks the lighthouse may be switched off before the end of 2009. CBS is expected to determine whether or not to renew Guiding Light later this week. All things considered, I think the network is going to call it a day for the 72-year-old soap opera.

The ratings have been lagging and the way Guiding Light is situated around the country – being broadcast in different time slots instead of having a regular fixed time like the rest of the CBS soaps – it's not likely to ever challenge in the Nielsens.

If you're of the belief that actions speak louder than words, than this move by NBC is proof positive that the network has great faith in Chuck. NBC has given Chuck an early full-season pickup.

The term is called a "back-nine" order, which means that the adventures of a geek-turned-reluctant super spy, will be on NBC for all of 2008-09. The vagaries of the demographics and Nielsens notwithstanding, NBC is betting on Chuck.

The comedy-adventure is entering its sophomore season, returning on Monday, September 29, at 8 E.T. Apparently, the powers-that-be at NBC -- Ben Silverman -- have liked the shows that are currently in the can.

Assuming they're right, Chuck will pick up right where it left off last year with sharp characters, funny stories and the right blend of action and laughs. It's not an easy mix, although when it works -- like Chuck and Burn Notice -- it makes for terrific TV.

Propane rules! Fox has renewed King of the Hill for a 13th season. The down home hilarity of Hank and Peggy Hill, their son Bobby and dog Lady Bird, will continue for another year, likely remaining in Fox's strong Sunday night animation lineup that includes The Simpsons, Family Guy and American Dad -- although that's only speculation on my part.

Creators Mike Judge (the voice of Hank and Boomhauer) and Greg Daniels (The Office) will continue at the helm, and all the usual characters remain. That means more of Kathy Najimy as Peggy, Brittany Murphy as Luanne, Pamela Adlon as Bobby, Johnny Hardwick as Dale, and Stephen Root as Bill.

Is Kathie Lee Gifford coming back to daytime? Does Regis know; does he care? Well, whatever the case with Reeg, there is talk that La Kathie Lee may be ready for a new talk show gig. In the Hollywood Reporter, Today executive producer Jim Bell said Kathie Lee Gifford is on the short list as a co-host for the fourth hour of the show. "I think she's a great talent," he said of KLG, while adding that other names are in the hopper as well.