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UPDATES Wasn't NBC Boasting About These Shows?
Exec producer John Wells said in a statement about Southland's cancellation:
“I’m disappointed that NBC no longer has the time periods available to support the kind of critically acclaimed series that was for so many years a hallmark of their success. We remain extremely proud of Southland, and are actively looking for another home for the series.”
Comments On Deadline Hollywood are monitored. So don't go off topic, don't impersonate anyone, don't get your facts wrong, and don't bore me.
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Yeah, but at least Leno is doing so well – makes it easier to say NO to a show like Southland.
Fucking awesome. Good for Wells; I hope he finds someplace for the show.
Fuck John Wells. Really.
Is Well’s also “actively looking” for a way to crack down on producers that blackmail WGA members if they don’t do free rewrites?
I’ve literally stopped watching NBC as they have nothing good on and the good shows they did have, they didn’t bring back. I think NBC wants to fail.
The dumbing down of America continues apace. We’ve reached an era when quality drama is no longer of value as mainstream network fare. Games, gossip, contests and voyeurism are the bight shiny objects of interest now. Sad. By the way, what’s the latest with Jon and Kate?
The “dumbing down of America” starts at the top!
But, ironically, the more they program crap, the more people will look elsewhere for entertainment. It is a vicious cycle of doom. Very short sighted.
This show was so poorly written, it may be the smartest move NBC made to cut its losses. Wells go back to doing good programs, this wasn’t one of them. Wake up.
Give us a list of what you consider well-written shows so that we can know what you mean. For the record, the show was, I thought, a well written, if imperfect, show. It was just starting to find its legs in the last 2 episodes. As for the NBC decision, it does not sound like your motivation was their motivation. They got rid of it to make room for a show that is doing poorly in the ratings and contains no real writing of quality at all. Therefore, doubly indicating that this was not about quality. It was about a poor business decision to give Leno, whom I like, but not this much, too much air time.
Give us a list of what you consider well-written shows so that we can know what you mean. For the record, the show was, I thought, a well written, if imperfect, show. It was just starting to find its legs in the last 2 episodes. As for the NBC decision, it does not sound like your motivation was their motivation. They got rid of it to make room for a show that is doing poorly in the ratings and contains no real writing of quality at all. Therefore, doubly indicating that this was not about quality. It was about a poor business decision to give Leno, whom I like, but not this much, too much air time.
I’m glad Southland was canceled, but I’m disappointed Leno was moved to the 10 PM slot and took away 5 slots for new shows.
Amen to that. I enjoyed Leno on the Tonight Show, but I was saddened that NBC chose to “waste” (for lack of a better word) five full hours each week of “drama” television time for more of the same. I am not seeing anything different on Leno now than when he was on at 11:30. Was this some ploy by NBC to promote Conan while letting Leno continue as he already was….WHY? I am NOT a Conan fan and no longer watch either–Conan or Leno! NBC was once the leader in television for viewing choices….and creativity in shows; what the hell happened?
I liked Southland, however…..and wish it was one of the hour dramas that can n longer find a home.
I can think of a better word Melissa than “waste” how about “fuck over” 30,000 plus entertainment professionals out of jobs. That’s what it amounts to not having regular SCRIPTED programming in those slots. But Boy! The money NBC saved, and how their rating have improved. Pllllllease.
Q:”NBC was once the leader in television for viewing choices….and creativity in shows; what the hell happened?”
A: Immelt. Zucker. Silverman. ‘Nuff said?
NBC = Nothing But Crap
Ha! Love it!
hear hear!
To TED and WHO WOULD BUY THIS?: You need to clean out your crack pipes. Southland was an excellent show.
well, my sarcasm didn’t translate and I apologize.
The LENO Show SUCKS… I hope that’s direct enough for people.
Southland was a terrible show. A fundamentally flawed product.
That is why it was on NBC in the first place. No one else wants this POS show.
I get the feeling that NBC will try to do anything it can to sabotage Southland moving to another network. Why? Because I think the last thing they want is to see someone else succeed with something they dropped for ultimately weak reasons.
I wish Wells luck, he’s going to need it.
Are you serious? Southland’s ratings are enough to keep other networks away;unless we are talking basic cable.
What I love is how NBC canceled the show for being too dark… gee did you really need to shoot and edit 6 episodes to realize that – it wasn’t like season 1 was rainbows and unicorns.
Who were the execs assigned to the show. Did anyone actually read the shooting scripts, view rushes, attend rough cut screenings?
Wouldn’t it have made sense to tone down the content of the show before you actually finish 6 episodes and spend millions of dollars.
i know! was thinking the same thing
Did they run promos for it during football?
‘cuz… that’s the only thing I watch on there anymore.
To the comment by “Who” that this show was poorly written??? You’re a total idiot. This show was and is absolutely brilliant. You couldn’t be more off base.
Now go back to watching your “Jon & Kate Plus 8″ marathon…
Is this the whole story? Maybe NBC fired John Wells but offered to rehire him next season at his old rate.
I watched a couple eps of Leno. I couldn’t care less. It’s like a product placement party. I would rather watch Southland than Leno. Too many talk shows.
I did not watch Southland (I’m more of a comedy girl myself), but can appreciate that there is an audience for this type of show. This cannot bode well for NBC if they are tossing what looks like a great show for its audience in favor of low -rated “variety”.
I may be able to undersatnd if Leno was pulling big numbers, but this just seems ridiculous…
if you didn’t watch the show then really not the forum to offer up your opinion. the show was decent, but was never going to be a major earner and was already showing signs of slipping.
just because john wells is proud of it doesn’t mean that he can compare it to the good ‘ol days of solid ER / law & order, which is what he is (not so) subtly doing.
tv today is struggling with reality shows but there are a few good ones popping up this year. i don’t despise the show or john wells, but southland seemed relatively expensive and you can’t give a show like that multiple years to catch on.
nobody was watching this show, and it was not NBC’s lack of promo. What, another cop show with a cast that looks like it walked off The OC? Come on? Hill Street Blues it was not!
Huh? I don’t think you were watching the show either because there is nothing in your comment that remotely describes that cast. Having just watched some episodes of Hill Street Blues last night out of frustration and anger over Southland’s cancellation, I found way more similarities between the two shows as well as some aspects where Southland exceeded. I can’t imagine that Hill Street was an inexpensive venture either but NBC (then) gave it time to become the institution it is after getting poor ratings in the first season.
This was really a good show. Sort of the shield for NBC 6 years later.
They are fucking up by cancelling this show. I hope John Wells gets it on somewhere else.
Whoever’s knocking the writing above…. wrong song donkey kong. Disagree. Its solid.
while southland hasn’t yet reached its potential – its best writer is ann biderman – it deserves to find a home as one of the more potentially interesting ten pm dramas. like friday night lights, there is enough there to create a worthwhile series…
nbc, shame on you for not giving it time…
It’s very simple, John. Lower your costs and put it on TNT or USA. They would take it, just don’t pay yourselves so much.
Someone SHOULD pick that show up. It actually is a good cop show, and they’re really hard to come by. CBS doesn’t need it, though it would fit. ABC probably could use it. I mean, my gawd can’t NBC even keep that show around if not just to save face and keep their relationship with Wells intact. Idiots.
Southland was too gritty and heavy for the 9 o’clock hour. Duh, that’s what the 10 o’clock slot was for….well, blame it on Leno! I always like Leno as a person, but did his huge ego and greed completely obscure the fact of what having his show on every night in that hour would do to otherwise precious and presently few-and-far between, jobs in this town. How many jobs have been lost (or not created) because he’s taking up FIVE nights of prime-time programming with a crappy show talk show that nobody is watching or cares about. I love that the TV actors are boycotting the show (albeit silently) by not appearing.
What’s a show like Southland to do….go to another network, or more likely cable. Because sincerely cable is the only place really entertaining ballsy and compelling shows have a home these days…. excecept for Fox network and their produced shows – Fringe, the Sunday night animation hour and Better off Ted are hard to beat entertainment and smarts-wise.
Hey Jay Leno – take the money and run….or trim down to just one night. Give the rest of Hollywood a little room to breath and survive in.
Do you actually think Leno is responsible for this programming decision? Does the name Jeff Zucker ring a bell?
Jeff Zucker should have stayed at today – any idiot knows you don’t put a 10pm show at 7pm – no one will watch it. NBC is amazingly astute at putting dramas at times that no one will watch them. Also, why cancel a show like ER to replace it with Trauma??????
It is hard to believe this show came from the guy who made “ER”, “West Wing” or “Third Watch”…. This show looks gritty but the writing was nowhere near his other shows. People need to sit down with Wells and be honest with him. The whole town knows grit was not “Southland’s” problem.
Note to John: They can’t all be winners…
Any predictions on who will pick up? FX Networks?
Can’t we just be real and all agree that this show was sub-par and move on…I love his tenacity, but really, this one wasn’t a winner, John.
Wells needs to move so far away from this turd.
When will this industry realize critics don’t pay the bills. Try creating a scripted show that makes the audience care, because right now about 300 million Americans viewers don’t. That’s the problem.
I wonder if this has anything to do with Wells getting elected pres of WGA?
Interesting… It would be a nice little FU, laying down the law now to say, “We won’t be bullied.” Curious no one else has proposed this theory…
If it were, how (again) short sighted is that to try and punish a writer/creator and those he represents when the network appears to be in need of content?
I think, however, all of this cancelling and the excuses made for it are part of a greater plan by NBC to downsize the network and morph it into a different product. A sort of 24/7 Today show, with infomercials and pre-packaged taped reruns of magazine shows filling off hours — like what MSNBC does. It will be a sort of MSNBC hybrid channel — worked for MSNBC, why not NBC? A few comedies, Leno, Conan, game shows, cheap and dumb reality shows, and lots of news and hybrids of news like Dateline. Today show was a variety show — NBC’s hours will be filled with that template. That’s the Zucker-man’s idea. Leno himself said a few weeks ago that for whatever reason NBC doesn’t want to do dramas anymore. It’s Zucker at the helm and his minions that make those decisions.
Disappointing. “Southland” was at least interesting. Hope it finds a new home.
Southland was absolute garbage. It was as if Wells & co. made a series out of Colors. Loved seeing the pilot episode and that liquor store robbery… they consider that the hood? That liquor store was a 3 minute walk from Beachwood Cyn.
EPIC FAILURE.
awesome show, bring it back soon
You need to rent some cop shows. “The Shield”, “The Wire”, “Hill Street.” You clearly don’t know good writing. This show made CSI look like Madmen.
Never mind Hill Street Blues, Southland was no “Third Watch.” No one will notice that show doesn’t come back.
NBC HAS BIGGER PROBLEMS!
Southland was quality television, and quality writing. You guys bashing it are on crack.
Wake up and smell the coffee people, this is all paving the way for the Comcast buyout to get NBC. Continue putting cheap programming on the air to make the bottom-line look good.
Southland was getting a 2.0/6.5MM audience. Leno’s getting a 1.7/5.7MM audience. If people want to complain about the show getting cancelled, talk to people who didn’t watch it, not NBC
It was a terrfic show, arguably the best drama NBC had on its schedule. In the end, it’s probably a good thing it’s been cancelled now, because NBC would have killed it slowly on Fridays/9P anyway. ABC has some holes opening up soon (Eastwick and The Forgotten). Hopefully McPherson steps up and rescues a fine hour of entertainment.
This program has very solid writing and characters with a cast that can pull it off. Where else can you see a strong gay character who does not follow the comical stereotype that television shows are so fond of portraying? This is the only network show that does not make me feel like my IQ is going down as I watch it. I hope that Mr. Wells makes a sincere effort to find it a new home on another network where it can flourish. Typcially I do not get this worked up about a television program but that is how strongly I feel about it.
i agree, southland was interesting.i guess i’ll look forward to seeing it on bravo, right behind another fave,law & order criminal intent{didn’t that start out on nbc also…} or maybe on usa with l&o svu… or in plain sight…either way, dumb move{yet again} by nbc
If I had a network, Wells could run “Southland” 24/7 if he liked.
Doesn’t really matter if it was well written. It was a rehashed idea in a different location.
Try something interesting and new, Wells. Breaking Bad, Sons of Anarchy, Burn Notice, Mad Men, the list goes on and on.
But, yeah, another “Cops on the beat” show.
Boring.
But at least now you can spend more time focusing on how to destroy the Guild and writer’s futures.
Maybe Jay Leno can do two hours a night for NBC.
You would have to be a person who didn’t get cop shows to think this was good one. GO RENT THE WIRE. You guys are clueless.
I have been “getting” cop shows since I was a twelve year old watching Hill Street Blues. The Wire was a great show but that doesn’t preclude Southland from being a great show as well that focuses on different perspectives. They are not in mutually exclusive categories, other than one had the financial backing and freedom of a cable network and the other had no network support and the restraints of the FCC.
Who watches network tv?
Millions of people, idiot.
Please don’t cancel Eastwick that show is getting so good.
The reason the show could not crack the 7 million barrier (which btw is low) is that the show was written for Hollywood insiders. Too PC, too patronizing, too much “noble White guy saving non-Whites” aka “White Man’s burden” with derivative aspects of Hill Street Blues, the Shield, and Crash (the movie). Or, for those with shorter memories, Boomtown.
By way of comparison, CSI and Grey’s Anatomy pulled around 17 million viewers (down from around 22 million for last seasons CSI premier). Both at the 9 pm slots.
Wells is a talented guy, I can think of no one better to reach both West Hollywood AND Santa Monica audiences. But NBC’s problem is that they have no one on staff capable of developing a broadly appealing show that reach a LOT of people and are instead trapped in “Brandon Tartikoff mode.” West Wing was a profitable show in the go-go 1990’s and early 2000’s, the upscale audience with premiums paid for reaching them by advertisers just isn’t there. What works is either cheap stuff that can eke out a bare profit or broad stuff.
Which NBC execs and guys like Wells simply cannot create. Broad audiences as opposed to wealthy West Siders don’t want a PC lecture at every turn — they want entertainment. To paraphrase Sam Goldwyn, if you want to send a message use e-mail.
I don’t like Leno sucking up air time in the 10 pm slot anymore than anyone else here. But NBC and most of the networks just cannot produce broadly appealing shows.
If ABC or CBS doesn’t want it, the logical place for it may very well be on AMC.
The show really didn’t fit in with the network’s low-quality, low-cost philosophy. The Zucker Doctrine seems to be to bury your failures underneath bigger failures.
When I saw the SOUTHLAND pilot I felt that it was laying the foundation for some very smart, very intriguing television and immediately felt because it was smart and intriguing that it wouldnt have a prayer.
Especially with the idea of inviting the hoi polloi to the Leno product placement show in its timeslot.
These shows take time to unfold and cook, with the full breadth of characters only revealed after a season. We dont have time for that now apparently on network.
Seems to work ok for MADMEN.
I think of Sorkin’s SPORTS NIGHT the same way. The first season was kind of a disaster (for many reasons really) but mostly because the characters needed time to be realized (which they so expertly were) and the dividends returned in the following 2 seasons were just magical.
Naturally, that show was too smart and no one watched it and there you go. There are a ton of examples and i can go on and on…
SOUTHLAND was the ONE network television drama I gave a damn about and was DYING to return. My hope is that it moves to FX.
But seriously what the hell do I know.
ps BETTER OF TED rules. Its so good I expect it to be canceled any second.
After watching THE SHIELD, there are no more good cop dramas.
Agreed.
Didn’t watch “Southland” but this is a perfect example of why the Jay Leno Show is a total debacle. Besides Jay’s pitiful ratings in the 10pm hour, I am among those that barely watch NBC at all anymore. By the time I start looking for “Law & Order” it’s too late. It’s already aired, and there’s Jay’s ugly mug & bad jokes instead.
RIP NBC
It seems that Welles’ message went through several drafts. Here is, apparently, the first draft……
“I’m disappointed (and by that I mean ass-buggerdly betrayed) that NBC no longer has the time periods (and by that I mean the stones) available (they bartered the 10:00 hour for some magic fucking beans which have not grown into a comedic juggernaut) to support the kind of critically acclaimed series (and by that I mean low ratings but what the hell, anything’s better than Ben’s turds) that was for so many years a hallmark of their success (and let’s face it, even the shit often shone on NBC. Not every series was Seinfeld; “Caroline in the City”, anyone?). We remain extremely proud of Southland (Wilmer, I love you like a son….. too obscure?) and are actively looking for another home (projecting it on a wino’s bed sheet in Griffith Park would be more successful than anything playing on Zuckerland)for the series (and death to the programmers at NB…., oh sorry, that’s from the Jihad statement.)”
NBC has turned into the biggest pile of shit network and Brandon Tartikoff must be rolling in his grave. Zucker has made a mess – creatively and financially – of this one time powerhouse. It’s hard to say what the biggest mistake has been – from Silverman and his antics/sub par teammates – to the joke of putting Leno on five nights a week and eliminating countless jobs/scripted shows. To think we’ve gone from Cosby and Hill Street Blues to watching total crap like The Biggest Loser…it’s just a sad statement. Just wait till that douche Bob Harper kills someone. Perhaps someone might then rethink the entire organization. Right now, it’s like watching the deck chairs on the Titanic being rearranged.
In 2009, if you are seriously going to put on a cop show, the bar is pretty darn high. ‘The Wire’ was the best of the lot and ‘Southland’ as a concept was nowhere near that level of writing. Audiences are a great deal more sophisticated when it comes to crime shows and urban drama. I’d rather re-rent the last season of ‘The Wire’ than watch any of the episodes of ‘Southland.’
I’m kind of mystified by those who are saying “Southland” is/was poorly written. Maybe you don’t like the show, but it’s kinda fundamentally well written. To those of you who think the writing is bad, what shows do you think are well written? That’s not a rhetorical question — I’m actually interested in the answer.
HBO so a WIRED type show can be done about the police.
I’m sorry was this a cop show or a hospital show?
Oh shoot. I forgot the other category. Was it a lawyer show?
I agree with the L.A. Times reviewer who initially expressed shock and disappointment with the lack of diversity on “Southland.” Here’s a show about the Los Angeles police force, and yet the cast is virtually all white. Spare me the token black character. Drive through any part of L.A. and you will see PLENTY of black, Mexican, Korean, and Filipino officers putting it on line for all of you. And yet the cast reflects the 1980s more than 2009.
Wow. 2009 and diversity is still a problem. For THIS I took doughnuts to the writers on strike? Not again.
Can we just laugh at the Southland poster one more time? Horrendous.
Laugh all you want…that poster effectively launched the show.
Another interesting tidbit. Jeff Gaspin was instrumental in the development of “Dateline”, the show that will be airing Friday 9 pm (and has been airing at that time for a while). The decision to delay Southland’s September premiere was made after Gaspin took over from Ben Silverman. Gaspin of course had major input in the decision to cancel the show.
Southland was developed under Ben Silverman’s watch. One of the few quality programs he greenlit.
A subtle jab by Wells. A few years ago when I was working on another NBC show Leno made a joke about “Joey” being terible with low ratings. What goes around comes around. The Jay Leno Show is the “Joey” of 2009.
Let me tell you what the problem was with Southland – the commercial breaks. HBO The Wire is the tone it should have been. Plus, it only showed you the watered down version of the real gritty streets of LA… the Building & Safety and the dirty works of the LAPD and Sheriffs… Have you kill a black kid today? Or Latino? What, no weapon found… FUCK. Say he threw his cellphone at you real hard. That’s why I shot him 12 times in the back. Chris Jackson creator of CRASH.
Another thing, why would the producers ever cast Ben Sherman from THE O.C. on this show as a lead? He looks like a mini-me version of Russell Crowe.
You really need to watch some good television. Rent some of the best cop shows in the last ten years and you will see that this was GARBAGE.
Ok show, in a content area with a lot of similar programing and strong competition. Not even close to ER when it came out. Mr. Wells has had a great run, and has been responsbile for many careers. On to the next. Look forward to seeing the new John Wells pilot.
NBC did not get rid of the show because of the show’s quality. They got rid of it because they made a poor business decision. This is what is wrong with this country right now. You can certainly have you opinion about this or that, but you should be able to recognize when your opinion is not the actuality behind what something occurred. I could write “Well, they got rid of Southland because the show starred space aliens,” but that is no more based in reality than these comments over the quality of the show. I think too many use their opinions to be lazy about what happening. Here, we are witnessing a network choosing to focus on non-scripted programming. That’s the point. Not the nature of the scripted programming. It is not like Law and Order is a realistic police and law drama either.
It’s so easy to pick out the pissed off writers…………….. Go write something other than a blog response. Southland was almost amazing. It was flawed and finding it’s legs. I cannot wait until it finds another network and spreads it wings. Such a talented cast. I wait and hope. the rest of you …………………. can “fuck off” .
Had Southland not lost so many viewers each week it would still be on. It’s unfortunate the audience turned it off and now the network did. Hopefully Starz or someone will pick it up.
It takes more than writers to point out a forgettable show. The audience ignored it, the Academy ignored it and America ignored it. They’ve seen it many times before and better.
No one will pick up this show. No matter how many people on a blog flaunt their “intelligence” for watching this show. Intelligent people usually don’t go around broadcasting intelligent they are and how intelligent their choices are. Nor would they still be watching NBC dramas anyway.
Will someone point out where exactly NBC expected Jay Leno to get good ratings or be a “juggernaut”?
It was always stated as a counterprogramming measure, an economical issue and a defensive strategy to keep Leno from leaving.
I assume posters will be going on for the next two years of its commitment about its ratings? 8-10 is not exactly setting the world on fire, either.
Pissed off writers did not cause this show to drop by 2 million a week. It premiered and everyone hoped it would be a hit but each week it lost viewers because it was not up to standards accustomed to what we tend to think a Wells show is. Blame writers but not the ones on this blog.
Hey Craigfoureyes,
Regardless of what you think about Southland, the network did not get rid of it because they wanted to put on a non-scripted show. They got rid of it because it had no ratings and now that they are tanking and they have seen the first 5 eps, they know that they will get killed on Friday. This is a business, if they thought they would score on Friday’s at 9 they would do it. Don’t believe the spin. This is business. No one said at NBC, “wow let’s cancel our genius hit.” They said we can not afford to keep expensive shows that have no numbers! We don’t care if you are Wells, Bruckheimer or Bochco. Those days are over. If they will cancel Wells they will cancel any person who puts on a show that does not deliver rating. Fine, it was brilliant, it was a masterpiece. It got beat by CBS re-runs. This is a business.
Southland had six episodes, as a replacement series. The cast was large and the characters complex. They used these episodes to introduce each character, give a little of their back-stories and set up plots for the coming season. I was looking forward to seeing where all these characters went. The Wire was similar, the first few episodes were all set up and then boom, things would fall into place.
It’s truly odd that people can say this show was on the level with Wells’ other shows. Go rent some dvds, you’ll see. John Wells is an amazing writer, please start writing again. We need your work. Your voice. You brought us over 20 years of great TV. Do it again. We can’t wait.
THE WIRE and THE SHIELD have changed the cop-show game. SOUTHLAND would have had to be up in that quality/originality neck-of-the-woods to even catch viewer interest–much less hold it.
“Can we just laugh at the Southland poster one more time? Horrendous.”
Seriously–it made this show look like an ‘09 version of BADGE OF HONOR…;).
Pulling the plug on a potentially great show like “Southland” is just more head-shaking evidence that the people that run NBC are hell-bent on running the ship aground. One day soon (one hopes in vain) their bosses will realize: “Oh my God we’re adding nothing of value to our library. We can’t syndicate shows about obese people losing weight (or getting “eliminated” for not doing it fast enough). Or people eating bugs. Or (god forbid), the insufferable Jay Leno telling 20 minutes (twenty minutes!!!!) of awful jokes with punch lines you can see coming a block away. We have no library. We can’t just sell ‘formats.’ We actually need content with a shelf life!!!” (BTW what do they do to Leno’s studio audience? They applaud after EVERY punch line. Are they threatening electrocution if they don’t?).
Too bad about “Southland.” It was just the kind of edgy, sexy and adult content NBC was once famous for. Now it’s fat people getting screamed at by fitness Nazis.
HaHa
Someone needs a hug !!!
If Southland was a third as good as its opening credits I would’ve kept watching. I want to know what precinct these cops were in that they were breaking up a domestic dispute in east Hollywood on the same day as investigating a murder in a John Lautner home above the Sunset Strip. Silliest line: “If you want to stay alive, forget everything they taught you at the Academy.”