TNT renews ‘Southland’

TNT-Southland-BETS-_143321c In a somewhat surprising move, TNT has renewed “Southland” for a third season.

The network has picked up 10 episodes of the critically acclaimed John Wells cop drama, which will air starting next January.

“Southland” has been a modest performer for the cable network, which picked up the drama after NBC canceled the series right before the start of its second season.

“’Southland’ is a challenging, visceral show that engages viewers with its immersive style, provocative storylines and complex characters,” said Michael Wright, head of programming for TNT. “These qualities have made ‘Southland’ a favorite among critics and appointment viewing for an extremely loyal audience.”

TNT points out that “Southland” gains about 50% more viewers via DVR time shifting, which is above average. In live-plus-same-day ratings, the final episodes of the show averaged about 2.2 million viewers. The show averaged 2.7 million viewers for the season once seven-day DVR gains are added.

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Scoop: TNT may expand ‘Southland’ episodes
by Michael Ausiello
Categories: News, Southland

Michael-Cudlitz_lMore good news on the Southland front: On the heels of this morning’s confirmation that TNT will run all 13 Southland episodes (including the six season 2 episodes that NBC never aired), comes word that the cable net may pad the seven season 1 eppys with never-before-seen bonus footage.

According to my go-to guy at Southland, Michael Cudlitz, “It’s my understanding that the actual episodes will have more airtime on TNT, so I believe they will be going back in and [adding] content. They’ll have the opportunity, and, in my opinion the need, to open up the [initial seven] episodes a little bit.”

Cudlitz, meanwhile, is optimistic that TNT will order additional episodes beyond those 13. “I really do feel like it’s going to do fantastic,” he says. “It may even be a bigger hit this time around.”

Until a final decision is made (likely in January), the cast will remain under contract. And what about the show’s sets? “We only had two,” Cudlitz says with a laugh. “We were always shooting on the street. And as far as I know, they’re not packing up the city of Los Angeles and putting it away, so I think we’ll be fine.

“I’m just really happy that the show gets a chance to sink or swim based on what we’ve done creatively,” he adds, “and it’s not some arbitrary business decision.”

Amen, brother.

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Official: TNT picks up ‘Southland’

Southland pair TNT has rescued NBC’s canceled sophomore drama “Southland.”

In a rare industry move, a cable network has picked up a discarded broadcast series. TNT has obtained the exclusive rights to run the six unaired episodes of “Southland” which were on NBC’s fall schedule before the broadcaster unexpectedly axed the show two weeks before its premiere.

TNT will air all 13 produced episodes of Warner Bros. drama, including its seven-episode first season when it premiered as NBC’s midseason replacement last April. TNT will then decide whether to commission additional episodes.

“Southland” will make its TNT debut on Tuesday, Jan. 12 at 10 p.m.

By only committing to episodes that have already been produced, the deal minimizes TNT’s financial risk and allows the cable network to evaluate the success of the show before investing in a re-start of production.

“This is a great win for fans of ‘Southland’ and a perfect opportunity to introduce the series to new viewers,” said Steve Koonin, president of TNT.

As first reported by THR’s Nellie Andreeva, the TNT pickup has been anticipated for weeks.

NBC purportedly canceled the drama because the new episodes were “too dark” for the network, especially with 10 p.m. weekday time slots now occupied by “The Jay Leno Show.” Another factor was the show’s ratings, which left NBC with little faith that the drama would survive its tough Friday time period.

But as shows like Monday night’s freshman drama “Trauma” struggled, some in the industry criticized NBC for not giving the show a chance to survive, particularly given Wells’ long history with the network as the showrunner of “ER.”

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Southland – Latest Details About Potential Move to TNT
Posted by The ODI on Monday, October 19, 2009
Labels: Southland
Southland – Latest Details About Potential Move to TNT

Keep up the faith, “Southland” fans.

John Wells, executive producer of the recently canceled NBC drama, called actors on the show late last week to tell them he is in talks with two networks about the cop series finding a new home.

Wells reportedly didn’t identify the networks, but TNT, corporate sibling of show producer Warner Bros. TV, has been interested in acquiring the series and is considered the most likely contender to pick it up.

Even if a deal is to be made to go to another network, there are indications that “Southland,” whose production was shut down by NBC this month, won’t resume filming anytime soon. The potential buyer would run the seven episodes from the first season and the six produced episodes from the second as a 13-episode freshman cycle.

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‘Southland’ snub signal surrender?
NBC’s decision to cut cop drama irks creatives
By JON WEISMAN

As much grief as it got for launching “The Jay Leno Show” in primetime, NBC’s recent cancellation of “Southland” seemed to wave an even bigger white flag for the Peacock’s status as a broadcast network of import.

Though decidedly unpopular with many in TV’s creative community, NBC’s bet on “Leno” could be easily chalked up as the best offense being a good defense: Leno posed a threat to NBC if he left for another network, while keeping him in a cost-efficient program freed funds for NBC to rebuild its scripted slate.

In contrast, the axing of cop drama “Southland” appears to be a more overt retreat. NBC pulled the plug on the John Wells Prods. drama amid circumstances that leave many observers scratching their heads.

For starters, “Southland” was the best-reviewed and highest-rated freshman series in 2008-09 on a network that has been starved for fresh hits.

Further, instead of keeping other networks from using an NBC-developed asset, as was the case with Leno, the axing invites rivals to take the product and run, as CBS did earlier this year with “Medium.”

The cut also potentially angers Wells, a TV powerhouse whose “ER” was a linchpin of more successful times at the Peacock net, and feeds — if not confirms — the perception that NBC is one of the last places you’d want to take a drama of note.

Perhaps what’s most shocking about “Southland” heading south is NBC’s apparent intention not to air any of the episodes it ordered just in May. The skein was in production on its sixth when NBC turned out the lights.

The ratings of “Southland” did taper off during its initial springtime run, and had NBC decided not to renew the series then, justification would have been easy and relatively painless. Same thing if the show returned this fall to even softer numbers after multiple episodes had run.

Instead, NBC pulled the show 15 days before “Southland’s” season premiere in what appears at least in part to be a bid simply to save the licensing fee the Peacock would have had to pay Warner Bros.

Some observers have said NBC realized (perhaps better late than never) that “Southland” was too darkly themed to air at 9 p.m. But it’s not a very strong argument in an era when crime, violence and death regularly populate that timeslot — particularly from a network whose “Friends” played a leading role in putting one of the final nails in the coffin of the 8 p.m. “family hour” last decade. But even if NBC were correct about “Southland” being too grim, the network still must contend with the perception of some producers who see the network as being at a nadir of creative vision. The network will still be a port in the recessionary storm for some new projects, but for creators that have their pick of outlets, NBC figures to be the port of last resort.

NBC no longer aspires to be the network of “Hill Street Blues” — that much is clear. Nor does it aspire to be an AMC, FX or TNT, networks that don’t saturate the smallscreen with original series but clearly aim high when they do greenlight such fare.

But its aspirations of late seem to be a muddle even to those who seek to do business with the Peacock. Survival simply for the sake of survival doesn’t make for much of a vision.

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Media Reaction To Southland Cancellation – Part 3
This entry was posted by Matthew Milam on Wednesday, 14 October, 2009 at

If you aren’t familiar with NBC’s gritty cop drama Southland, now is the time to introduce your eyes to it. I know cop dramas aren’t normally my thing. I got drawn to it because of Regina King, one of the finest African-American actresses our time. The show, which is centered around Los Angeles cops, recently got canned by NBC for being too dark and in the way of the great Jay Leno Juggernaut.

That’s fair enough. This show, and it’s cancelation, have exposed just how unwilling a network such as NBC is to give a new show, with a fanbase, a chance to grow.

The following below is part three of a round-up of how the media is responding to the cancelation of the series.

I am not exactly a fan of the FOX show Glee, which is a musical show of sorts, but apparently NBC didn’t like the idea of a competing network show presenting itself on the Macy Thanksgiving Day Parade and promptly took them off the float roster. Now what this has to do with NBC is very simple. In dissing a show on another network and getting bad press on the situation, the ratings for Glee will go through the roof (hopefully).

In Southland News, there are rumors that the series may go to TNT. Sadly if it does I will not be able to watch it on television given that I only have basic cable. I can always get episodes from friends if need be.

Shawn Ryan, the creator of The Shield and current show-runner for Lie To Me, has gained Twitter fame for being the first to announce the cancellation of Southland. This man, as well as other people inside the television industry, are being cited as one of the best reasons to use Twitter – to get information.

Clifton Collins Jr, who was set to be placed in Southland for it’s second season, was interviewed about the show’s future. This interview was before the cancelation.

Stay tuned for part four.

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Media Reaction To Southland Cancellation – Part 2
This entry was posted by Matthew Milam on Friday, 9 October, 2009 at

Actress Holly Robinson Peete joked that Regina King, who plays Lydia on the recently canceled Southland series, on should tweet more. That’s encouraging for fans of the series. Celebrity support is always a plus. That little tidbit aside, here is around short round-up of coverage about the show’s cancelation.

The blog Rangefirst has a nice little piece about this. The opening shot is particularly funny to me:

NBC is kinda pathetic these days. OK, they’ve managed to revitalize their Thursday comedy block for the first time since Seinfeld shut down. But other than that, they epitomise the rapid demise of broadcast TV.

Actor Michael Cudlitz, who plays John Cooper on the show, gave an interview with EW’s Michael Ausiello of The Ausiello files. Cudlitz with the news of this cancellation has been the most vocal and outspoken of the cast about the network’s poor handling of the show. A nice little highlight is here:

Are you angry?
CUDLITZ: I’m pissed. I’ve said it on my Twitter account. I’m pissed off. We had all the pre-season stuff, all the dinners and parties. They told us they loved and believed in the show. They said the [delay] would be good for us. On paper it all made sense so I was willing to believe I was being told the truth… I don’t just walk in one day and go, “Eh, I’m not going to act today. I know I told you I was going to act, but I’m not going to do my thing.” But I guess because they own the ball and the ballpark they get to do that. It’s kind of cheap.

If you are on Facebook, you can go to a group for the show. There is also a fan page.

That’s all for now. Remember, if you are on twitter to follow the @savesouthland page and use the hashtags #savesouthland and #southland.

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Media Reaction To Southland Cancellation – Part 1
This entry was posted by Matthew Milam on Friday, 9 October, 2009 at

The Southland cancellation story is one that is gaining traction. Not only is it seen as the biggest blunder by NBC, but it’s a sign that clearly more than ever Hollywood is turning it’s back on scripted television. Most people attribute the worthiness of saving a show like Southland to the show itself and whether it’s worth saving.

I think the need for it’s return is bigger than a matter of quality. I think it’s a matter of people losing jobs, money being wasted and basically aborting a show before it had a chance to gain a life. For this post (which will be part one of many parts), I will post a few links to blogs and magazines that offer commentary on the cancellation of this series.

Linda Holmes of Monkey See, a pop culture blog on NPR’s website, wrote about this show’s abrupt ending. Some of the interesting highlights for this piece that scope how terrible this looks for NBC are here:

The act of renewing a show and then canceling it without giving the episodes an opportunity to run is the kind of thing that infuriates fans and, more to the point, seems highly likely to destroy the network’s credibility in dealing with creative people. Yes, everybody understands networks want to make money; yes, it’s a very cynical industry. But there remains, remarkably, a capacity to be disappointed. The first place I saw the news about Southland was actually on the Twitter feed of Shawn Ryan, the showrunner of FX’s highly regarded The Shield, who later commented, “This is an awful story for people like me.”

It’s gotta be something when the creator of The Shield gets upset. The article goes on to suggest that the same could have happened to any one of Shawn’s shows:

When someone asked Ryan whether he thought the same thing could happen to him, he said, “They would in a heartbeat. Wells is top notch, they did it to him.” Now, that may not be specific to NBC, which is not the only network to ever cancel a show prematurely in a way that seems unfair to a respected showrunner.

Another good point brought up in the article is the fact that USA Network, which is own by NBC Universal, has been doing better than it’s parent company’s network:

A Newsweek profile in July of this year discussed the remarkable successes of the USA network under the guidance of Bonnie Hammer, who helped turn USA into a major moneymaker. What’s her strategy?

Good scripted shows, for one thing. Burn Notice, Monk, Psych, the new Royal Pains, and others. From that profile: “Of all NBCU’s properties, including the namesake broadcaster NBC and its Universal studio, USA has become the biggest earner, delivering roughly $1 billion in profits last year.” Hammer is not a snob — she has embraced USA’s relationship with professional wrestling. But her big strategy is good shows people like, and she’s making money. NBC Universal owns this network — how is its broadcast network making worse shows than, and making less money than, one of its cable properties? They’re all in Rockefeller Center — they’re in the building. Go ask them how they’re doing it.

The New York Magazine also covered this story recently and makes light of the fact that John Wells has a bigger beef with NBC. The fact that NBC loves Leno:

In a somewhat ironic twist, Wells — who also happens to be the president of the Writers Guild of America, West — was complaining about NBC’s decision to cede five hours of programming to Jay Leno in August. He told the Los Angeles Times that “We lost five hours’ worth of time periods that have been known throughout the history of the network for putting some really terrific shows on. I wish NBC and Jay Leno well; personally, he’s a very nice guy, but I hope he falls flat on his face and we get five dramas back.” Sadly for Wells and fans of quality television, NBC’s decision that Southland is “too dark and gritty for 9 p.m.” means that, unfortunately, Jay Leno gets the last laugh in this situation. We’re betting it’s the only laugh he’ll get tonight.

As the days go on, I will post more and more reports. This story isn’t going to die anytime soon and it’s something worth fighting for in my view.

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‘Southland’ may move to TNT
by Jennifer Armstrong
Categories:

Southland may find a place on TNT’s schedule after NBC’s surprise cancellation before the gritty cop drama could even start its sophomore season, according to The Hollywood Reporter. TNT and the series’ studio, Warner Bros. TV, share a corporate parent, which could make the switch even easier. The critically lauded show, starring Benjamin McKenzie as a rookie police officer, had shot six episodes for the new season before NBC shut it down last week before airing any of them.

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Question: Damn NBC and Leno!!! I really enjoyed Southland and have been eagerly awaiting its return. Any news on how likely it is Southland will be picked up by a cable network?—Liz

Matt Roush: With six episodes already in the can, I’d bet they’ll be seen somewhere. If not on NBC, then on a network that isn’t afraid to put adult content on the air (or that has 10/9c time periods available), which is why cable seems such a likely alternative. It’s a bit early for a deal this complicated to be worked out just yet, but John Wells seems determined to find a home for it. TNT seems the most likely option to many, given that Southland is a Warner Bros production and this would keep it in the corporate family, plus it fits the “We Know Drama” brand. And to be honest, the numbers for Southland this spring were so problematic that the only way it’s likely to look like a hit would be for it to air on a cable network. NBC’s renewal of this show was in some ways as puzzling and surprising as Fox’s pickup of Dollhouse, so keep that in mind and give Fox credit for at least giving that strange little fantasy a home for as long as it lasts.

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