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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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Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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Im sure the show is good but The Shield was better. The Shield raised the bar. Everybody talks about Regina King, might have to check it out.
“thank God not everyone on this show is white, young and modelesque…”
I know, even real white cops don’t look like that. When we Hollywood learn that that formula no longer works. The audience wants realism and not reality TV.
southland is solid but wonder if it’s original enough to have staying power. parks is horrific. just sign up amy poehler for a new show that’s not painful to watch…
Poor ratings by network standards but for NBC, which is now a cable channel, anything north of “Quarterlife” can reasonably be considered a hit. Agree on Amy Poehler.
Diverse cast? There are six white guys standing on the steps. Other than Regina this show lacks so much diversity it’s not funny.
Hey, is that picture from the 1950s or from Salt Lake City’s police dept? Or both?
As of 2008 there are more Latino LAPD officers than white. Blacks are over 12% of the force, Asians just under 10%. Only about 30% of LAPD are white males, yet Hollywood’s reverse affirmative action ensures they are overrepresented and front-and-center in casting and story focus.
Even in so-called post-racial America, Hollywood longs for (and prolongs) the days where our heroes, leaders, protagonists and idealized images are almost exclusively white males. This practice isn’t just happenstance. It’s intentional and deliberate; it’s consistent, pervasive and strongly defended.
Hollywood might as well join the GOP in being stubborn to change despite declining popularity and dwindling support, all while not adapting to changing US demographics.
Look at the publicity photo for “Southland” at the top of this article. 8 people. 6 of them are male. 7 of them are white.
This sure isn’t the LA I know!
what does this mean for chuck?
its genuinely naive to reduce tv programming decisions to whether or not the show is a “hit” in its first 3 weeks.
But WHERE is Chuck? I know they’re delaying their decision, but if they pick up these two, not picking up Chuck is just stupid.
Southland is one of the few network shows I watch. Outstanding show, great acting, wonderfully shot and edited. I gave up on most network shows years ago, but Southland is a keeper.
I cannot believe all the compliments on this series I’m seeing on here. Are you people sure we’re watching the same show???
Southland blows more than Paris Hilton. The writing is juvenile and the cliches are laugh-out-loud frickin’ funny as all get out. I was waiting for Steve Martin to emerge as Inspector Clouseau and say in a thick fake french accent…Ahahhahahaha I tricked you my fellow suckers.
Drama? Try watching Life or the cancelled before its time Boomtown. Or Friday Night Lights which transcended Berg’s 2004 film inside of a single hour of television.
I pray for the industry of tomorrow. Somebody here will probably suggest rebooting CAVEMEN which was cancelled after two episodes a couple years ago.
GO TEAM A.D.D.!
so let me get this straight, southland and park & recreations are low rated and have been renewed, while CHUCK is hight rated with a harder time slot is on the bubble ???? NBC what are you doing ?????
Southland is a hacky version of The Shield with delision of Hill Street Wells once a true original has fallen prey to the ease of thievery. This piece of crap will soon be a joke on Family Guy
Even though I’m friends with a couple of actors on the show and am happy they’re working–which is and by itself a pretty good trick these days–I still sorta annoyed by the straight rip off of Joseph Wambaugh (If you’ve ever seen his films/series–The New Centurians, The Blue Knight, Police Story–you’d know the scenes I’m talking about. John Wells owes Wambaugh an apology and a few dollars since not only is Wells riping off Wambaugh badly he’s even recycling his words.
This show needs to replace the gr in gritty with a sh. Unbelievable.
NBC = Nothing But Crap
Amy has that Boston, Davis look so she’s still cool. But the show may not make it past week three next year. I’ve seen the show a couple times. It’s okay, but it is like the office. The boss is very funny, with his dead pan, Regan hair etc. But it’s too much like the office. The over the shoulder camera, close-ups etc. The TV set must be next door to the Office set and rotated each day. Let Amy rip, I mean falling in a hole, was an episode. Drinking from a wine basket and the video going on the Internet. Lame. The humor is too subtle, let her be a baby mama, a Lucy something over the top that the boss has to bring back from the brink each episode. It’s like she’s stuck in 30 rock mode the pun of every joke, but not the instigator. An administrative hearing, Yikes. Hire me to punch it up I only want 150k per episode.
Just A Guy,
As you probably know it wouldn’t be the first time Wells plagiarized or, as Lincoln said, wrested his bread from the sweat of another man’s brow. He got caught redhanded ripping off the book Homicide for his short-lived show Polish Hill. Under threat of a lawsuit from David Simon and Barry Levinson, CBS made Wells rewrite the pilot of Polish Hill. In short, Wells is a hack, so it’s no surprise he’s ripping off Wambaugh, Colors and other LAPD-themed works for this dull-as-a-cop’s-donut show.
Southland’s solid. It’ll find an audience.
Southland is pretty good. Suffers with all the usual other John Wells writing problems including the ‘hip’ song at the end of all the episodes. Regina is great. Ben is great. Socially, there needs to be a more racial diverse lead cast-one black woman-all white cops. Duh. After a while it’s hard to watch the same old white guys interviewing a mom crying about the gangs. Flip the script and get away from the cliches and this show could last.
You know what I find funny about this show is that promote that they have a gay character and that’s so unique and edgy. THE SHIELD had a black male gay character. THE WIRE had a black female gay character and HOMICIDE had a bisexual character and it was just part of their shows it didn’t hit you over the head with it. Do your homework hacks. Really. We watch TV, you have to too.
MLE — I’m with you. Even The Shield had more diversity. Remember when Homicide had Yafet Kodo and Andre Braugher and that other black guy. This show really feels like it’s for Lifetime and is only airing in Kansas. It’s like a network decided to do a show right after Colors came out. When was that twenty years ago.
NBC is so lost. They could do a promo for feces on and call it a hit. Just put Leno on your whole schedule. You are guys are LOST.
Southloser!!
Of course NBC is picking up those shows. They have to. If they cancelled every shit-rated show, they’d have nothing on their schedule.
Fantasy:
All of the Upright Citizen Brigade team up on Parks and Recreation. Tina can drop by with Dratch to say hi. Hell, make it a huge Chicago reunion show and film it in, just to piss off Daley.