Just when "Fringe" fans didn't need any more bad news, they're getting it.

Sources have told The Futon Critic that the show starring Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson and John Noble, will go on hiatus for seven weeks beginning in February, and won't return until April. Instead, Fox intends to air "Past Life" in the slot, a show that has had its own struggles, focusing on a group of detectives who explore past lives of various characters.

"Past Life" was supposed to air Tuesdays following "American Idol" at mid-season, but now appears to be making the jump to Thursdays after Fox reduced its order from 13 to seven.

Getting pulled for sweeps is not good news for any series, and "Fringe" is definitely on a very large bubble that is getting ready to pop. After pulling in a respectable 6.3 ratings/10 share average in its first season, "Fringe" has fallen hard since moving from Tuesdays to Thursdays, averaging a 3.7/6 so far this season, or just 60 percent of its original audience.

Fox has acknowledged that "Fringe" is on a tough night against shows like "CSI" on CBS and "Grey's Anatomy" on ABC, according to producers of the show, but that might not be enough to save it. Fox also pulled "Dollhouse" off its schedule in time for November sweeps, and then canceled the show a short time later.

But "Fringe" will get some sweeps treatment. The show will return in April, and is expected to run uninterrupted through the May sweeps period. However, many observers say that "Fringe's" audience will have to improve rapidly (or hope that "Past Life" has similar struggles in the Thursday timeslot) if it even wants a chance at a third season.

"Fringe" airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on Fox.