‘Southland’ Decision Further Frays NBC’s Creative Ties
by Brian LowryThe creative community is still smarting over NBC’s decision to strip “The Jay Leno Show” at 10 p.m. Canceling the gritty John Wells-produced cop drama “Southland” before the show can begin its second season only exacerbates the sense that the network is in full-on cost-containment-over-quality mode.
Southland This is a series that not only opened to strong reviews (here’s mine from last April) but carried an elite producer pedigree, with former “ER” exec producer and newly elected Writers Guild of America West President Wells at the helm, and Ann Biderman as its principal writer. Although some elements of the large cast worked better than others, Michael Cudlitz and Ben McKenzie were simply outstanding as the tough older cop nurturing the fresh-faced younger one.
By acting to in essence cut its losses, NBC has sent a chilling message to drama producers and production companies, indicating that concepts that are moderately demanding have little future there. And while it’s understandable that the network would worry about the prospects for such a dark series — the proposed Friday timeslot was a bad idea from the get-go — bailing out now amounts to not only a slap to the show’s audience but a double whammy for writers disappointed that the former home of “L.A. Law” and “Hill Street Blues” abandoned 10 o’clock dramas. (See my earlier column on that topic.)
Newly installed NBC overseer Jeff Gaspin clearly has his work cut out for him, but the “Southland” move — almost certainly a bitter pill to swallow for Warner Bros. Television, which produces the program — won’t make the inevitable “We love you, bring us your best stuff” pitch from Gaspin and scripted chief Angela Bromstad any easier.
Then again, “Southland” was notable for its realism, and in what looks like its last act the show’s fictional cops have mirrored the lot of real ones: Despite admirably doing their jobs, they’re faced with bean-counting cutbacks.
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