By Paula Hendrickson
Contributor

Some TV series, like FX’s The Americans, which aired its series finale last week, get to go out on a high note, while other shows end seasons leaving fans wondering if there will be another season at all.

As of press time fans of NBC’s Timeless were still waiting to learn the fate of that series. Aafter such a protracted delay in announcing the decision, I wouldn’t doubt if it is renewed, but for a final season, much as The CW announced for three of its series – Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Jane the Virgin, and iZombie.

Such indecision leaves fans on an emotional rollercoaster. Even when series are canceled, there’s always the hope that the shows will be picked up by different networks. The same day Fox announced the cancellation of the comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine, NBC picked it up. And a couple
years ago when ABC canceled Nashville, CMT snapped it up.

The same kind of uncertainty happens to unscripted series, too.

Pretty much the moment Syfy revealed that the new season of its addictive reality competition show, Face Off, would be its last, fans started an online petition to save the show. I love Face Off, so I hope the petition works (I signed it after all), but even if the petition fails, at least Syfy is letting the show go out with a bang as it brings back fan favorites from throughout the run of the show to compete in a “battle royale” of special effects makeup.

Likewise, CMT is allowing Nashville its swan song, partly because they didn’t want to put fans through the emotional wringer of pondering the fates of their favorite characters. That’s why CMT announced last fall that this would be its final season, allowing writers and producers to wrap up storylines to ensure all of the stories get told and it doesn’t end on another cliffhanger like when it was cancelled by ABC.

As much as I love that two of my favorite shows are back with new episodes this week, it’s bittersweet. I don’t want to say goodbye to Face Off or Nashville. While I’m starting to accept that Nashville will soon be over, I’m still harboring a slight hope that Face Off might live on in some way.

Meanwhile, while I’m still anxious about the fate of Timeless, it feels as if the longer NBC takes to announce its fate, the more likely it is that the Lifeboat could be back in business —for at least one more season. R.

Programming Notes:

The final season of Face Off continues Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on SyFy

The final eight episodes of Nashville return Thursday, June 7 at 8 p.m. on CMT, but for those of us who no longer get CMT in our cable packages, new episodes will be repeated at 1 a.m. the following day on TV Land, or anytime on Hulu.