6 things that we just learned about the future of TV

The broadcast networks just wrapped one of the most chaotic weeks for television viewers, but also one of the most telling.

In addition to announcing which shows have met their end, the networks presented their new series for the 2016-2017 seasons this week in an annual event known as upfronts. At upfronts, the networks put on a glitzy show for advertisers and spin a web of statistics in order to entice companies to spend their commercial dollars.

At upfronts, you can see trends begin to form and a glimpse into what challenges the industry is facing.

Here are six things we learned about the TV networks from upfronts:

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Reboots, remakes, and spin-offs are still going strong.

If y0u thought last year's crop of shows was packed with reboots, remakes, and spin-offs, wait until you see this year's list. TV series based on movies, like "Lethal Weapon, " "Frequency," and "The Exorcist," are a big part of the upcoming class.

At the core of this strategy is fear. Networks are afraid to try new things. And when a title or concept was successful in another form — such as a movie, book, or comic book — businesses feel more comfortable with the decision, because they believe they arrive with built-in audiences.

It's a solid theory, but not foolproof. Looking back on this year alone, the fallen copycat shows include Fox's "Minority Report" and CBS's "Limitless" and "Rush Hour."

The bottom line is more important than ever.

This year, we saw networks cutting the cord on shows that, in the past, have had some immunity to cancellation because they were created as part of longtime or important partnerships.

We saw it over and over again at ABC. The network canceled "The Muppets," which comes from ABC's owner, Disney, and "Agent Carter," from sister company Marvel, which still has "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." at the network. It also got rid of cult show "Nashville," which comes from the network's own production studio.

Then over at CBS, we saw the network unload "Supergirl,"the expensive but solid-rated DC Comics show, on sister network CW. Arguably, "Supergirl" should have gone to the more youthful network to begin with, especially since it already had three other DC series.

What does this tell us about the state of the TV industry? First, networks have an eye on the bottom line now more than ever. And second, there must be a lot of talented show creators out there if networks are willing to get rid of some established players.

The surprising history show trend is here.

There are no fewer than six new shows that deal with time travel or are set in the past. They range from comedic takes like Fox's "Making History" to action-adventure like NBC's "Timeless" and drama like CW's remake of the movie "Frequency."

It's unclear why the networks are turning to history for show ideas, except maybe for the success of shows like FX's "The People v. O.J. Simpson" and Hulu's JFK drama "11.22.63." Or even the huge success of HBO's "Game of Thrones," which has a very medieval atmosphere.