You may have noticed a recent glut of television news coverage here at Collider---that's because  upfront week is nearly upon us.  Each year(give or take a writer's strike) ABC, CBS, The CW, FOX, and NBC order dozens of pilot episodes from the scripts they have in development.  If a pilot wows the network, they will pick it up for either the fall schedule or midseason the following year, in which case said pilot often serves as the series premiere.  This week, the networks will announce their schedules at their respective upfront to press and advertising buyers. The announcements detail the pilots they've picked up and the final word on renewal/cancellation for current series; FOX and NBC are on May 17, with ABC on May 18, CBS on May 19, and The CW on May 20.

Upfront week is basically the equivalent of a sports draft mixed with the trade deadline for TV geeks.  In the vein of the mock drafts that sports news outlets post during draft week, I thought it would be fun to put together a "mock fall schedule", which you can find after the jump.

Here's the basic gameplan.  I'll identify the shows which have already been (or are certain to be) renewed, those which have officially been cancelled, and the remaining bubble shows for each network.  Likewise, I'll list the pilots the pilots that have already been picked up, and the pilots I think will be picked up in the coming week.  Pulling it all together, I'll make a guess at how the fall lineup will look for each network, as well as the shows that will be held for midseason.  New shows are bolded, and current shows with new times are italicized.

I’m no whiz kid, to be sure, but hopefully I stumble upon a correct supposition or two.  I encourage you to plan your own lineups in the comments.  Without further ado . . .

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NBC will hold their upfront on May 17, but they will announce their schedule on May 16.

Renewed/Renewal Imminent

30 Rock

Community

Friday Night Lights

The Office

Parenthood

Parks & Recreation

Chuck

Law & Order: SVU

Cancelled/Cancellation Imminent

Heroes

Law & Order

Mercy

Trauma

New Shows

Undercovers

The Cape

Outlaw

Law & Order: Los Angeles

Kindreds

Chase

The Event

Friends With Benefits

Perfect Couples

Outsourced

Love Bites

Reminder: this is a mock schedule. We'll update when it is officially announced.

nbc_mock_fall_schedule

Midseason: Chuck, Friday Night Lights, Celebrity Apprentice, Law & Order: LA, The Event, Friends With Benefits, Next, The Cape

Analysis: Though not at the level of Fox’s Animation Domination on Sunday or CBS’s Monday comedy block, NBC gets some mileage out of their two hours of sitcoms on Thursday.  Wednesdays 8:00-9:00 have plenty of comedies, but none are immensely successful, so NBC may be able to steal some thunder there from CBS and ABC.  Their major launch of the fall will be Undercovers, and if all goes to plan, it will be the great savior of NBC in 2010.  Keep plenty of material in the can for midseason when football is done and three hours open up on Sunday, and replace whatever new launches (or the second season of Parenthood) didn’t work in the fall.

Fox-logo

Fox will hold their upfront on May 17.

Renewed/Renewal Imminent

American Dad

Bones

The Cleveland Show

Family Guy

Fringe

Glee

The Simpsons

House

Human Target

Lie to Me

Cancelled/Cancellation Imminent

24

Brothers

Dollhouse

Past Life

Sons of Tucson

'Til Death

New Shows

Ridealong

Lone Star

Running Wilde

Traffic Light

Keep Hope Alive

Reminder: this is a mock schedule.

fox_mock_fall_schedule

Midseason: American Idol, Terra Nova, Ride-Along, Running Wilde

Analysis: It seems like is Lone Star is destined to be a noble failure that I adore, but not at the fault of Fox; they’ll give it the best lead-in they can with House on Monday nights.  Fox really wants a live-action comedy block somewhere, and they may be able to get something going on Tuesdays with some combination of Keep Hope Alive, Traffic Light, and Running Wilde.  If it’s failing miserably, you can always replace it with Idol at midseason.  In fact, with really solid midseason material (which Fox always has), it’ll be interesting to see how that unfolds.  Maybe the two lowest-rated dramas that escape cancellation head to Fridays.

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ABC will hold their upfront May 18.

Renewed/Renewal Imminent

Brothers & Sisters

Castle

Cougar Town

The Middle

Modern Family

Desperate Housewives

Grey’s Anatomy

Private Practice

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V

Cancelled/Cancellation Imminent

Eastwick

The Forgotten

Hank

Scrubs

Ugly Betty

Better Off Ted

FlashForward

Romantically Challenged

The Deep End

Happy Town

New Shows

Off the Map

Body of Proof

The Whole Truth

My Generation

Detroit 187

No Ordinary Family

Mr. Sunshine

Happy Endings

Better Together

Reminder: this is a mock schedule.

abc_mock_fall_schedule

Midseason: V, Mr. Sunshine, Better Together, Detroit 187, Body of Proof

Analysis: It’s possible that ABC orders another hour or two.  Wright Vs. Wrong has a shot, and supposedly ABC is looking to scoop up New Adventures of Old Christine if CBS cancels it---if that happens, I’d slot it in the Wednesday 8:00 slot in place of Happy Endings.  Putting another medical drama produced by Grey’s/Practice creator Shonda Rhimes, might be a bit too on the nose, but ABC went the other way last year with that slot (the sci-fi FlashForward), and that didn’t work too well for them.  No Ordinary Family seems to have the hottest buzz, so I think it will get that fall promotional push, but other than that I’m not entirely sure which pilots will debut in the fall and which will be held for midseason; this is kind of an arbitrary guess.  V should be grateful for a renewal, so I’m thinking a short midseason order is in store.

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CBS will hold their upfront May 19.

Renewed/Renewal Imminent

The Big Bang Theory

The Good Wife

How I Met Your Mother

NCIS: Los Angeles

Two and a Half Men

Criminal Minds

CSI

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CSI: Miami

CSI: NY

The Mentalist

NCIS

Cancelled/Cancellation Imminent

Three Rivers

Miami Medical

New Shows

Mike & Molly

On the Bubble

Accidentally on Purpose

Cold Case

Gary Unmarried

Ghost Whisperer

Medium

The New Adventures of Old Christine

Numb3rs

Rules of Engagement

Reminder: this is a mock schedule.

cbs_mock_fall_schedule

Midseason: Gary Unmarried, Rules of Engagement, Mad Love, Criminal Minds Spinoff

Analysis: CBS is the most fun, because they’ve officially picked up only one series, officially cancelled only one series, and are really the only network that actually has a slew of legitimate bubble shows: there’s a lot to be determined.  I think Mike & Molly gets the cushier Monday slot while Team Spitz and Bleep My Dad Says try to target males to counteract the female-friendly ABC comedy block on Wednesday from 8:00-9:00.  I could see them trying to establish a comedy block on Sunday at midseason if their new comedies are firing all cylinders, but for the fall I envision a Sunday night of mostly new dramas.  The Good Wife should go to Fridays once Numb3rs is cancelled, where I trust Julianna Marguiles can draw the same audience that Jennifer Love-Hewitt and Patricia Arquette do each Friday.  The Criminal Minds spinoff may need some fine tuning, so expect a midseason premiere (if any) to give it time.  I think CBS will save three or four comedies for midseason to plug holes or try their hand at that Sunday comedy block.

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The CW will hold their upfront May 20.

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Renewed/Renewal Imminent

Gossip Girl

Smallville

Supernatural

The Vampire Diaries

Cancelled/Cancellation Imminent

The Beautiful Life: TBL

On the Bubble

Life Unexpected

One Tree Hill

Reminder: this is a mock schedule.

cw_mock_fall_schedule

Midseason: Nomads

Analysis: There has been talk of a split order between One Tree Hill and Life Unexpected for 12-13 episodes, but that just doesn’t fit with the CW business model.  The success of The Vampire Diaries has given the network room to be a little risky, so I think they try out new shows Monday-Wednesday with their established shows as lead-ins.  Like last year, hold one scripted drama for midseason (Nomads!), and try (but probably fail) to get some reality fare going.

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri
8:00 Sunday Night Football Parenthood The Biggest Loser Community Outsourced Who Do You Think You Are?
8:30 Perfect Couples Parks & Recreation
9:00 Kindreds Under-covers The Office Marriage Ref
9:30 30 Rock
10:00 Law & Order Love Bites Law & Order: SVU Rockford Files Dateline
10:30