This weekend FOX Broadcasting will treat us to two memorable SciFi nights: Fringe returns this Friday (March 23) with new episodes and the season finale of Alcatraz will air Saturday (March 24).  Sadly, both these shows are reportedly on the bubble for cancellation. Fringe may still have a chance, but Alcatraz is taking its last gasps. FOX’s third SciFi offering, Terra Nova, was already canceled.

I suppose we should be happy—after getting a bad reputation over the mid-season cancellation of Firefly years back, FOX seems to be working harder to give SciFi a full season before declaring it dead. Fringe has actually made it to four seasons and only a year ago we were told it was sure to go to five. Apparently, that is no longer true and creator Abrams has plans to ensure the show ends with the questions answered even if he has to wrap the show a year early. I hope the uncertainty doesn’t lead to a schizophrenic second half of the season.

The really troubling part of all this is that FOX invests heavily in these shows. They work with big talent like JJ Abrams and Steven Spielberg. And by many measures these shows are successful. Just not successful enough. Makes you think, maybe SciFi belongs on cable.

The only new SciFi on the FOX horizon is Touch. Frankly, I’m not motivated to give it a try.  I think I’ll wait for Season Two of Falling Skies – ten new episodes this summer.

What do you think?