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It’s getting down to the wire for “Smallville,” “Community” and a slew of other network series stuck in Nielsen purgatory — with just weeks left to go before final verdicts on their fates are handed down.

For shows “on the bubble,” these are the times that try showrunners’ souls. Every week of ratings data between now and May, when fall schedules are revealed, brings glimmers of hope or new evidence suggesting damnation is near.

“Being on the bubble is incredibly stressful,” says “Chuck” co-creator Josh Schwartz, whose NBC series rallied back from the brink after fans rallied behind it.

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(CNN) — Magnanimous in defeat, which could turn into victory, Conan O’Brien bequeathed “The Tonight Show” back to Jay Leno Friday after first thanking NBC for at least putting him on the map.

“This company has been my home for most of my adult life,” he told viewers. “I am enormously proud of the work we’ve done together. I want to thank NBC for making it all possible. I really do.”

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(CNN) — James Mitchell, the stage actor and dancer who was best known for portraying wealthy patriarch Palmer Cortlandt on the soap opera “All My Children” for nearly 30 years, died Friday at age 89.

Mitchell died of pneumonia contracted after a years-long battle with pulmonary disease, according to a statement released by ABC.

His final appearance was January 5 for the show’s 40th anniversary episode.

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PEOPLE.com) — After an ugly shakeup at NBC over the late-night lineup, Conan O’Brien hosted the “Tonight Show” for the last time Friday.

“We’ve a had a lot of fun being here these last seven months, but like everything in life, the fun has to come to an end a decade too early,” the comedian joked during his opening monologue. “As I set off for exciting new career opportunities, I just want to make one thing clear to everyone listening out there: I will do nudity.”

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NEW YORK – NBC said Thursday it has reached a $45 million deal with Conan O’Brien for his exit from the “Tonight Show,” allowing Jay Leno to return to the late-night program he hosted for 17 years.

Under the deal, which came less than eight months after O’Brien took the reins from Leno, O’Brien will get more than $33 million, NBC said. The rest will go to his 200-strong staff in severance.

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PASADENA, Calif. – NBC said Sunday it decided to pull the plug on the Jay Leno experiment when some affiliate stations considered dropping the nightly prime-time show, and the network is waiting to hear if Leno and “Tonight” host Conan O’Brien accept its new late-night TV plans.

NBC Universal Television Entertainment Chairman Jeff Gaspin said that “The Jay Leno Show” at 10 p.m. EST will end with the Feb. 12 beginning of the Winter Olympics,

Full Story at CBS News.com

(AP) Simon Cowell’s brother says the next season of “American Idol” will be the judge’s last.

Tony Cowell said in his weekly podcast, “The Cowell Factor,” that a statement was being prepared that would certify that the acerbic British judge was leaving the popular Fox signing competition at the end of 2010.

Simon Cowell will concentrate on bringing his popular U.K. talent show “The X Factor” to the U.S. next year, his brother said on the Saturday podcast, which has since been removed.

Photos: “American Idol” Season Eight
Photos: The “Idol” Finale
Photos: Simon Cowell

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CNN) — There was more laughter than tears on Friday as “Good Morning America” bid farewell to the anchor who has helmed the morning news show’s desk for the past ten years.

Within the span of that decade, Diane Sawyer covered Hurricane Katrina, Mideast disruptions and interviewed Washington political figures including first lady Nancy Reagan and President George H.W. Bush.

Sawyer is leaving “Good Morning America” to anchor “World News Tonight” beginning December 21. Charles Gibson retired from the position.

As the “Golden Girls” theme song “Thank You For Being A Friend” played in the background, the entire “GMA” crew replaced the audience. Many teared up as Sawyer reminisced with the other members of the “GMA” team, Robin Roberts, Sam Champion and Chris Cuomo, who also is leaving the morning show to anchor ABC’s “20/20.”

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(CNN) — Jon and Kate Gosselin closed out their “Plus Eight” series Monday night with more of a whimper than a bang and plenty of whining, bitterness and blame.

The series finale opened with a shot of a sign posted on the couple’s property declaring, “No film crew or production staff from TLC is permitted on this property under penalty of Trespass,” signed by Jon.

Jon had called an end to the tapings through a cease and desist order against the show, for what he said was the benefit of his children.

“This is a very bittersweet goodbye for me because the kids are already missing it,” Kate Gosselin said. “Our show has provided opportunities that we wouldn’t have otherwise had.

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(CNN) — There will be no more car giveaways, no more tearful interviews and Tom Cruise will have to find someone else’s couch to jump on.

Friends and fans alike are mourning the impending loss of Oprah Winfrey’s syndicated talk show in 2011, sharing the sentiment that it will be very difficult to fill the Queen of Media’s high heels.

Fellow talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, who appeared on the cover of O, The Oprah Magazine’s December issue with Winfrey, broke the news to her in-studio audience at the taping of Thursday’s show that she had received a personal phone call from Winfrey about the announcement. DeGeneres told her audience that she could not have achieved her own personal success if Winfrey hadn’t been such a trailblazer before her.