Talked to Death

John Wells' Southland has been canceled. Not because of weak ratings. The second season hasn't even started yet.

It was reported that Wells' was told by NBC that the show was canceled because when compared with a news program like Dateline, the show cost too much. More importantly, NBC couldn't air it.

Last season NBC aired the show at 9 p.m. but given its "dark" subject matter -- the lives of uniformed LAPD officers patrolling the city's mean streets -- the show more properly belonged at 10 p.m., a time slot Wells' knew well from his stewardship of the award-winning ER.

Programming The Jay Leno Show in all the weekday 10:00 p.m. slots means that shows like Southland have no place to go.

It's not worth moaning and groaning about NBC's programming failures that led it to abdicate the 10 p.m. slot. Nor is it worth mentioning that many of NBC's past successes started in that hour.

We are in a new age when magazines, newspapers and prime time television are challenged by a transformed media environment. When Jeff Zucker gave Leno the nod, he did what he's supposed to do. He innovated.

The important point is that with declining revenue and unpopular shows, NBC responded to the challenge by thinking outside the box. In those terms, the demise of Southland is simply a consequence of that innovation.

Since he premiered, Jay Leno's ratings have slipped, but that doesn't yet mean NBC made a mistake. The financial advantage of programming a non-scripted show over one like Southland is apparent. In the long run, though, will a major network continue to survive if it fails to grab a meaningful segment of the viewing audience?

Does the Peacock still stand as proud if its numbers look more like the USA Network, it's corporate sibling? And will the financial health of NBC still look as great when they aren't clawing back all the syndication wealth that made ER so important to it's bottom line?

Jay Leno killed Southland but whether NBC is the better for that remains to be seen.

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Comments

[JScott]

I thought Southland was being shopped to other networks. I watch neither show. I've seen Southland before as countless police dramas in LA on past TV shows seems to me it didn't really break any new ground......the show is as usual with TV shows lazy with locales and such for those of us that live here, in real life a police stationed at the Van Nuys police station (in the show) would not be responding to incidents in South Central or San Pedro Harbor as in the series.

[JimR]

I'm not sure throwing in the towel qualifies as "thinking outside the box."

[lilyflower8604]

Too many late night talk shows using the same formula, a different time slot, new name and new set don't change anything. I'll save my evenings for scripted shows. Hopefully NBC gets their comeuppance, lol, I'm still angry about Kings.

[coolchange]

What about the series Life?

It was excellent.

[Octoberluna]

I have to say I believe this may be the worst mistake NBC ever made. Putting Leno on at 10 and moving the 10pm crime dramas to 9 has made it impossible to watch NBC in prime time on the west coast. Leno was ok as long as I never had to run across him on air during regular hours!

[nonofyabusiness]

Hope USA Picks up Southland... Or FX. (Fox airs the NBC produced House, which considering it's success, is yet another major blunder or NBC)

[HalfBakedSushi]

>>>The financial advantage of programming a non-scripted show over one like Southland is apparent.

Sadly, the main motivator for major networks anymore is financial, so shows like Southland that have actual plot and character development - as opposed to reality shows that edit to create plot and define character development by how many people the players screw over - are getting canceled left and right.

... which leaves people like me - who love plot and character development, story arcs, conflict and resolution - to go to cable networks like TNT (which airs the Closer) and USA (Characters welcome) and HBO (Big Love) or Showtime (Weeds, Dexter, the United States of Tara)and even SyFy (although Battlestar Galactica is now sadly gone). I do wish that cable networks would begin picking up shows canceled by the major networks, though. There are a number of shows that have been killed by Fox that were fantastic and should have been continued elsewhere.

And, of course, there are always books.

[noaxe397]

Southland ended the season with a cliff hanger. I hope at least the 6 already produced episodes will be allowed to air.

I've pretty much given up on network TV. Basic cable has some great stuff that airs all 22-28 episodes with no "mid season" break, the time slots don't change, they are never pre-empted, rarely use reruns and the shows are great.
FX is like the HBO of basic cable.
USA is not far behind.

With offerings like Mad Men, Burn Noice and Rescue Me who needs network TV?

[grailknight]

Southland can get new life on USA.

[Paul Baack]

Hey NBC, you get what you pay for. If you don't want to make the investment in programming that will attract viewers, then you have no eyeballs to sell to your advertiser customer base. And, of course, "The Jay Leno Show" not only killed NBC's drama lineup, but it's killing the network's local affiliate's news broadcasts, and is poisoning the well for "The Tonight Show" and the now doubly-redundant "Late Night." And all to save a few bucks, and to keep a guy who can't stand NOT being on TV happy.

That's some good innovation!

[ThreeCrows]

Southland cancellation represents the state of programming at NBC. In terms of style and quality and grittiness for cop dramas, it would be on comparison to another NBC series, Homicide: Life on The Street. All of the current drama series are in a world of peril on NBC and that is because they air too early to appreciate them. Depending on where you live and work, many adults are still in route to get home or having dinner. In its history, many of the better dramas aired in the 10 eastern/9 central time period. You have to ask yourself why the decision to put Leno on five nights a week? Of course they will claim it is because of the production costs of a TV show. Well, why not have Leno on 3 times a week and at least give some of the better shows that prestigious time slot? The "Proud as A Peacock" brand is no longer valid. Their current crop of returning shows are not faring well. From what I have read, Leno is guaranteed a 2 year deal. The current data indicates that his show is not a ratings bonanza. The logic by the NBC brass is that his show is cheaper to produce and will still make money in the final end. Well, that's like saying I shot myself in the thigh but as long as it barley misses the femoral artery, I'll be fine. It's still bleeding until you stop the hemorrhaging, Jeff Zucker.

[AnnieNigma]

Thank you for your articulate post. Even though I am not a fan of law, order/police shows, I was drawn into Southland for its plot (realistic) and characters. My son, a detective in a major city police force, usually laughs at police programs. I asked him to watch Southland and he came back with, "pretty good show for television, more realistic than most."

I hope cable picks it up, gives it some publicity, and runs with it.

And Leno. . .? It's just not working.

[Milinda]

NBC has all but handed the viewing public over to CBS, PBS, ABC or anything other than what it is doing now. Moving the Law and Order franchise to family time is a bad idea. Mercy is showing promise that won't last long because of the time it is on. Southland was solid and interesting. And I don't see how Leno's show is interesting at all.

[nonofyabusiness]

Fox too, House is produced by NBC yet appears on Fox (NBC at least kept the rerun rights for USA Network)

[Lola Pierce]

Ditto to the above comment. Slipped? LMAO. Innovative? No, they screwed up. And they're screwing up again in canceling Southland without even giving it a chance. Whatever. I have no reason to watch NBC anymore except for SNL. NBC can remain in last place with their "innovation".

[GayIthacan]

Slipped?

You are, indeed, polite.

They have 'slipped' in the same way a climber has fallen from the 28,000 foot level of Mt. Everest and come to rest at Base Camp 3.