Thu 8 Oct 2009
NBC cancels SOUTHLAND – Wait, what?
Posted by Brad L under Brad L., NBC
[15] Comments
Yes, its true. NBC has canceled SOUTHLAND’S Season Season before it even aired!
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ieb794c2afa554541fe6995676fddc5cc
“Southland”
It’s the end of the road for drama “Southland,” which has been canceled before the launch of its sophomore season.
Production on the John Wells-produced cop series is being shut down after six episodes.
“Southland,” from Warner Bros. TV, was originally slated to debut in its new Friday 9 p.m. time slot during premiere week, but in August, NBC opted to push the start to Oct. 23 and air “Dateline NBC” in the meantime.
“Dateline NBC” will now continue to run in the Friday 9 p.m. hour.
It is not clear when the six produced new episodes of “Southland” will air.
“Southland,” created by Ann Biderman, got off to a good start when it premiered in midseason in the Thursday 10 p.m. time period, succeeding NBC’s long-running medical drama, “ER,” also exec produced by Wells.
Additionally, “Southland” garnered solid reviews, but through its initial run last spring, the series showed ratings erosion.
Then came the Jay Leno factor, with NBC forced to shift its 10 p.m. dramas to 9 p.m. to make room for “The Jay Leno Show.”
While “Southland” has enjoyed strong support among NBC brass, after screening the finished episodes from the upcoming second season, the show’s content was deemed too dark and gritty for broadcast TV, especially for 9 p.m.
There is a possibility for the series starring Ben McKenzie to be shopped to cable networks.
The cancellation of “Southland” ends (for now) a long relationship between NBC and Wells, who has been behind some of NBC’s biggest series, including “ER” and “The West Wing,” for the past 15 years.
It hasn’t been a good start for NBC’s scripted dramas this fall, with rookies “Trauma” and “Mercy” struggling along with most of the returning veterans, including “Heroes” and “Law & Order: SVU,” which is still settling into its new Wednesday 9 p.m. slot.
Wow!
I had a feeling that it wouldn’t too well, even on Fridays at 9:00, but I didn’t realize that NBC was THAT pessimistic about it.
There may be some logic in that statement but why let them film 6 episodes? It was fairly gritty last season, so no suprise that it probably wasn’t suitable for 9.
First bold move by Gaspin?
IIRC, didn’t they air Southland repeats at 8pm during the Summer?
NBC essentially paid $12+ Million on the 6, unaired episodes. WB will never make that back on the eventual ‘complete series’ DVD (if it ever gets released).
With all the candidates for cancellation on their fall schedule I have to admit that I didn’t see them going for the show that hadn’t aired yet. Does this make the others safer or less secure.
I just care about Chuck and the back 9.
Sucks for Southland fans though.
NBC already cut down DAY ONE to a mini-series.
I wonder if they will order the back 9 for Chuck. They have nothing left.
Maybe GE is trimming the fat so they can sell to comcast.
Subway put a ton of money into Chuck so I don’t think NBC can cut the show back (or cancel it). Back 9 is a totally different story.
I wonder if part of the reason that NBC did this is the cost of promotion? The cost to promote TV shows and movies is exorbant! NBC is getting decent ratings with their existing Dateline/Leno Friday combination, so I can see them questioning the value of changing that line-up & pumping $$ into promoting a show that was bleeding viewers in it’s first season. That’s just one potential factor…others include Leno taking up the ‘gritty’ 10pm hour & the fact that Ben Silverman was too quick to renew Southland to begin with. I think this is a business decision for NBC, but while it may save them dollars they’re going to lose a lot of goodwill with fans & critics.
What shocks me the most about this…is the timing? Why, oh why, would you send out this press release on the night of the big Jim/Pam Wedding episode of the Office?? This is one of the few bright spots NBC had up their sleave for the fall schedule. It just seems odd to do a rain dance on the same day you’re throwing a parade. Is there a legal reason or something that they couldn’t wait until tomorrow?
Southland should’ve been on cable to begin with. It’s just not broadcast material.
Nick, any chance it would go to USA or an other cable networks?
I think Wendy has it right with the Dateline/Leno comment. Southlands was relatively expensive for a friday night drama that was unlikely to ever pull in huge numbers while it remained in that slot.
What I’m suprised by is that it was allowed to get as far as 6 episodes, or $12 million if you want to put it in money terms.
As Brad L pointed out, they aired repeats at 8pm over the summer. The mature content spiel is just PR nonsense.
The real problem is that NBC renewed it after only seeing three (downward trending) ratings results. Dateline getting better results than this will just seals the deal.
I fully expect Trauma to have production canceled any day now as well. The only question being what NBC airs there instead. Far from being moved to Friday, Heroes could be getting the 9pm slot instead!
Southland was one of my favorite new dramas, so I’m extremely upset that its been axed. Hopefully another network (TNT or FX), will pick up the series. Also, NBC cut down Day One to a miniseries, so I hope the net is developing maybe one or two new dramas for Spring (JJ Abrams project?). Other than that, I wouldnt be surprised if Trauma gets axed — but I definitely feel its a type of show that would do better in a less crammed timeslot.
Trauma is so dead.
Here’s an article I found talking about shopping Southland to cable: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2009/10/shopping-southland.html