David Boreanaz

A few weeks ago, it seemed that one of the sure bets for programming next season on the new CW network was the high school private eye drama Veronica Mars. The show has been highly praised throughout its two-year tenure, but never drawn much of an audience; although it had done a bit better on Wednesdays prior to the return of American Idol.

But things don’t look so good for the show now in the wake of the March 23 announcement that it would return to its old 8 p.m. Tuesday slot April 11 (UPN-Ch. 30) for the remainder of its season. That puts it right back in a horrendous position, airing against CBS’ latest breakout hit The Unit and Fox’s consistent audience winner House.

Sadly, Veronica Mars may soon join Arrested Development as one of those programs that just doesn’t work in today’s commercial TV environment. Despite Kristen Bell’s wonderful portrayal in the lead role and stories that have been consistently timely and thoughtful, shows just can’t survive with audiences of less than three million weekly, unless 99 percent of that figure is between 18 and 49, and even then it’s unlikely.

UPN plans to try running repeats on Wednesdays for a couple of weeks following the move, but prospects for a third season of Veronica Mars don’t look so good right now.

Fortunately, the David Boreanaz/Emily Deschanel procedural drama Bones (Wednesdays, WZTV-Ch. 17, 7 p.m.) will be returning next season. Fox made the announcement March 24, and executive producer Hart Hanson told Zap2it.com that he was quite pleased about the news.

"We kept laughing that we could not catch a break, ever, on this show," Hanson said. "We were up against NCIS, then Survivor and Lost. But our loyal audience just keeps tuning in. I guess Fox was heartened enough by that to pick it up. That’s my guess."

That’s very polite language for saying that the show managed to survive despite constant time changes and highly questionable time slot decisions. Bones should have opened the season in its current position. While there are many folks out there who love Lost and all its mumbo-jumbo mythology, there are others who’d rather see a show with a definite beginning, middle and end, and episodes where everything isn’t encoded, encrypted or implied.

ABC (WKRN-Ch. 2) will be wreaking havoc with VCRs, DVD recorders and TiVos in May. Lost, Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy, Alias, Boston Legal, America’s Funniest Home Videos and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition are all airing extended season finales.

Grey’s Anatomy gets things started with a three-hour, two-night cliffhanger on May 14 and 15. The Boston Legal finale airs May 16, America’s Funniest Home Videos May 19, Home Edition and Desperate Housewives May 21, Alias May 22 (also the series finale), and Lost May 24.