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UPDATE: 
I’m told the network will make these announcements probably Monday. That NBC considers the John Wells/Warner Bros-produced cop show Southland enough of a hit to pickup for 13 episodes demonstrates how hard-up the network is. And NBC Universal doesn’t even own the series and instead is paying through the nose for it. On Thursday, Southland scored only a households 4.4 rating/7 share, and in the key demographic of adults 18-49, just a 2.1 rating. Same thing with Parks And Recreation which unfortunately isn’t worthy of Amy Poehler’s immense talent. The sitcom from Universal Media Studios registered a households 3.3 rating/5 share, and among adults 18-49, a 2.3 rating.
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Hit Shmit, at least it’s a great quality show. One of the best new dramas in years.
Go Regina King and Ben Mckenzie!
There’s a reason audiences have run away from this show — Southland is a predictable, by-the-numbers Third Watch rehash. At least this time John Wells is plagiarizing from himself. Maybe this 13-ep pick-up was the cost of getting those extra ER episodes, because there is sure as shit no logical reason on earth why NBC would pick up this show after its performance these last two weeks — by the way, this thursday it was up against a REPEAT of Criminal Minds and it still dropped 2 tenths of a rating point at the half hour.
i enjoy the show but can’t stand nbc, knowing them it will be gone in a year.
It’s one of the few NBC shows worth watching, and I hope it catches on, because I like it’s “day in the life” format. But I’m starting to doubt if NBC knows how to sell shows anymore.
So uh… what time slot is NBC going to stick this show in? 10 pm is ruled out, thanks to Leno… at least on weeknights.
This is a great show but there are way too many characters — I wish it centered more on Ben McKenzie’s rookie cop character, who should be able to nab a best actor nod. Now that Harper’s Island has been shifted to Sat and CBS put a new Criminal Minds and Private Practice back — maybe it should shift to another night as planned since Jay is coming along.
The best new show on TV right now is ABC’s Castle on Mondays at 10 — if you are not watching it, you are missing great tv. Even USA today’s save our shows poll had Castle at #4 — which was shocking to them but not to us viewers of this great comedy mystery show.
Hmmm. Not even NBC Universal, huh. How is that programming for the margins working out, Jeff? Really pulling in the profits on this one, eh. I guess this is an attempt to make Leno look good.
That snark aside, congratulations to those working on Southland for the extra episodes. I’m always happy to see people on an hour long drama get more work. May we all continue to be employed.
It got it’s ass kicked by a Criminal Minds repeat. Silverman is an idiot. This week it will drop below a 2 watch. Then what Ben?
how many other network (or even premium cable shows) deal with the lack of rape kits in the city. hopefully the audience will find this gem.
It’s a great show, but I think the ratings would get some help if it wouldn’t air entire episodes without the two main characters with no explanation whatsoever…
Best show I have seen in a long long long time
btw what happened to kings ?
I’m surprised it got picked up. The show has some of the worst Wells writing in years. Not sure if it could get anymore cliche. Watching it, I was like ‘this isn’t my city…’ they made LA look like frickin’ Somalia as far as a constant ‘civil war zone’.
Channeling the classic film COLORS which featured Penn and Duvall, this show is a massive failure in my mind. Inept at its Finest is what it should be called.
Say what you want about NBC Nikki. I have much to say myself but at least this is the network that’s finding ways to keep good shows like Southland and Friday Night Lights on the air. I am sure these are business decisions as well but the bottom line is that by the time the season after next rolls around, I will have had my Dillon Panthers around for five seasons. That’s a lot more than many of my favorite and excellent TV dramas have gotten over the years (I’m talking to you ABC)
On Thursday it came in third place behind a rerun of “Criminal Minds” on CBS (7.3) and the season finale of “Private Practice” on ABC (6.3). Its rating of 4.5 was just a shade above that of “The Office” (4.4), and continued a pattern of losing its audience for the third week it has been on the air. NBC overall was down 19 percent for the night compared to the same Thursday last year. And for all that, the network thinks it deserves a 13-episode pickup, in a time slot that will be lost to Leno come this fall.
I don’t know what Zucker and Silverman have on other NBCU officials, but it’s gotta be something good to have programming nonsense like this occur when you are the fourth-place network.
One of the few dramas I can actually watch. Well done. Hopefully the numbers come together cause it would be a shame for this one to go away.
NBC should be applauded for supporting this show.
It’s tough-minded, gritty and shows an L.A. that
people rarely explore. Most of all – it has a great
diverse, ensemble cast…. thank God not everyone
on this show is white, young and modelesque…
Regina King is exceptional… Just wish these people
had a little more of a sense of humor… a little more
gallows humor please…
Regina King is magnificent in this. A strong, non-barbie doll black woman in a powerful Series Reg role? On primetime network? MIRACLE.
NIKKI (my dear friend) Stop…you hate NBC…got it. Southland is in fact one of the best dramas to emerge from development in years. It needs to trim the cast and find it’s overall tone. It is down, but the reality is quality often takes time. You may have heard of few of these shows: Cagney and Lacey, Hill Street Blues, St Elsewhere…etc. You are on the wrong side of history on this. Stop it already and just do Ben already!!!
Good show but I also liked Kings. I don’t get tv.
It’s a terrific show. They should cut 3-4 characters and focus more on Ben McKenzie and Regina King, and they’ll have something special.
Did anybody else think it was weird that the star of the show, Ben Mackenzie, wasn’t seen at all in Thursday night’s episode? Wassup with that?
Im glad as I think Southland is a really good program with alot of potential(at least creatively). Networks are going to have to get used to programs with 7 million viewers a week because that’s were the majority of TV shows have gone. Certainly under 10 million. There’s so many channels and so many programs. There not all going to pull in 15 million viewers a week. There just NOT!
chuck
we need more great characters who are chicks!
I can’t believe John Wells did this show. The writing is horrendous. Is he even involved? Clearly these people have never watched The Wire, The Shield, NYPD Blue, Hill Street…. It’s hard to believe these people did ER, West Wing or even Third Watch. Wow. Shocked.