Ah, March has arrived and with it the clear, unmistakable signs of Spring: the birds singing, the lawn and trees starting to turn green, as are television producers awaiting the decision on the fate of their respective shows. As the days march forward, the nervous tension must become killer for these folks who await the call or email letting them know if they still have a show or not.

This year, the list of shows in the science-fiction genre on the broadcast networks is a short one, and frankly, is in serious danger of getting a lot shorter as these decisions are made and announced. As the day of decision nears, let's take a look at some of them and what the future may hold in the next few days.

On ABC, the fate of “No Ordinary Family" does not look good as its ratings are in the cellar with little hope of any kind of recovery. However, the visitors on “V” are holding on to hope that they will get a third season, especially after their last episode of the season which caused a jump in their ratings. The trouble is that the jump was nowhere near what is really needed to get them a third attempt at building an audience. While series star Morena Baccarin is hopeful for another season, I fear the hopes will be dashed.

Over at CBS, while they don't have any genre shows on at this time, there are two shows with ties to science-fiction that can't be overlooked. “$#*! My Dad Says, which stars William Shatner has not been the run away hit that many expected it to be.

However, despite the opinions of some other folks on the Internet, I think there is a chance that this show will be given a second season, and hopefully a time slot where it doesn't run into the freight train known as “American Idol.” The other show with ties to science-fiction with three of the four stars being from that genre (Alex O'Loughlin, Grace Park, and Daniel Dae Kim) has been strong all season and should get a much deserved renewal before long.

Over on the CW, “Vampire Diaries” and “Supernatural” are looking like sure things for renewal. Meanwhile, over on NBC, the non-event show, “The Event,” looks like its days are very short if not over already, while “The Cape” has been sent to the cleaners for all practical purposes.

Now, at Fox, there are two shows that are facing possible cancellation. The first one is “Human Target,” which cancellation of would be an act of mercy. I'm sorry, but the second season of the show absolutely laid an egg, and hit the ground so hard that is left a crater. This is a very big disappointment as the show started off as a good action show.

The other show in trouble at Fox is, of course, “Fringe.” The ratings have fallen and frankly, I fear that the show has fallen so bad, and the plot lines so convoluted that even a return by a coming out of retirement Leonard Nimoy will not be enough to save it. While it pains me to say it, I fear that this show has clearly jumped the shark and needs to be laid to rest.

I end today with a cancellation that is not connected to television, but is to the genre. It was announced on Tuesday that the recent attempt to remake “Dune” for the big screen has come to the end of the road, at least for now. Paramount's option to make the movie has expired and the studio has decided to kill the project. There is a chance that another studio will pick it up, especially in this remake crazed atmosphere that Hollywood is in of late. We'll have to wait and see.

So, that's the status of the death watch for science-fiction shows and those with ties to the genre on the broadcast networks. As their fates are finally decided, I'll be sure and update you.

(Ratings information from TVByTheNumbers.com)