J. August Richards

NBC loses ’Conviction’

Alphabet puts stop to ’Invasion’

NBC has decided to pull the plug on Dick Wolf’s "Conviction," while ABC is halting its "Invasion."

With less than 24 hours to go before the Peacock kicks off upfront week in Gotham, final decisions about the fates of bubble shows are starting to be made. And over the weekend, the word wasn’t good for a pair of skeins nets desperately wanted to bring back.

As recently as a few weeks ago, NBC brass were still hopeful that the Wolf -produced "Conviction" could be saved. Having seen Friday night ratings take a big hit following last year’s cancellation of "Law & Order: Trial By Jury," net wanted to be patient with Wolf’s latest outing, figuring the show could grow in a second season.

But another poor performance this week may have sealed the show’s fate. "Conviction" lost a big chunk of its "Las Vegas" lead-in this Friday and, worse, dipped at the half-hour.

As for "Invasion," skein was a personal favorite of ABC Entertainment prexy Steve McPherson. But despite a huge promotional push behind the show, viewers simply never warmed to the concept.