"The Unit," "Gossip Girl" spinoff and "Without a Trace" down for the count

At various points during the past 72 hours, the prospects for all three of those shows looked to be improving. But the word from on high today is that it's RIP time.

"Without a Trace," in its prime under creator/exec producer Hank Steinberg, was a very entertaining whodunit bolstered by a strong cast. It will undoubtedly be a mainstay in syndication for years to come.

"My Name is Earl" and "Medium" may have been booted by NBC but are still kicking, as Variety's Michael Schneider reports.