Big names couldn’t save these 7 shows from cancellation

With the 2016 fall TV schedule startin♛g to take shape, it’s do-or-die time for veteran and rookie shows alike as networks make room for the new by pushing out the old.

The past few days have brought some surprise cancellations — even to big-name franchises and actor vehicles — leaving fans reeling with the prospect of a🥀 cliffhanger ending or life without their favorite long-running series.

Here’s a look at several shows with familiar🐈 stars that won’t be returning — and which shows could have a second life left in them yet.

“Castle” (ABC)

All that fan outcry about star Stana Katic not returning for Season 9 turned out to be for naught — ABC went ahead and scrapped the whole show. Kat💛ic and co-star Nathan Fဣillion, who portrayed the detective/novelist couple at the center of the drama, made their last appearance in the series finale that aired Monday.

“CSI: Cyber” (CBS)

Since debuting in 2000, the “CSI” franchise spawned three spinoffs, nearly 200 international broadcasts and the so-called “CSI effect” of juries having unrealistic expectations of forensic evidence. The fl🥀agship series bid adieu last September, and CBS opted to cancel its “Cyber” spinoff starring Patri𝄹cia Arquette after two seasons. So now we’re looking at a “CSI”-free TV season — for the first time in 16 years.

“Grandfathered” (Fox)

John Stamos’ star appeal — and time-resistant good looks — were not enough to keep this family comedy, about an aging lothario who discovers he’s a dad, afloat for more than one season. Does this mean more of Uncle Jesse on “Fuller House”?

“The Grinder” (Fox)

Despite good critical reviews, “The Grinder” ended up being a case of life imitating art. Rob Lowe, who played an actor who returns home to work at his family’s law firm after his legal drama is canceled, now finds himself out of a job as well. One can only hope this mean🌳s Lowe will now try his hand at law school.

“The Muppets” (ABC)

The Muppet name can only take you so far, as Kermit & Co. found out when ABC killed this show after one low-rated (and retooled) season. The much-anticipated return of the Jim Henson puppets to ಞprime time turned out to be a dud, with steadily decꦇlining viewership and creative missteps. In early March, it quietly aired its season finale — which turned out to be its last episode.

“The Mysteries of Laura” (NBC)

NBC solved the mystery of why this ho-hum show — starrin🐬g Debra Messing as a New York cop/mom — was still on the air by giving “Laura” the ax after two seasons. On the bright side, Messing isn’t gone from your TV just yet: She’s next starring as Marjorie Houseman in ABC’s movie remake of “Dirty Dancing.”

“Nashville” (ABC)

Being a bubble show for all of its four seasons finally caught up with this drama, which, like a sad country song, was told by ABC to hit the road. The drama — which stars Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere — airs it finale on May 25, and is set to end on a major cliffhanger. But is it really the end? One major studio, Lionsgate, said last week that it’s shopping around a fifth season of “Nashville” to other outlets.
Maybe there’s one last tune left in this broadcast du🉐🗹d.