According to The Hollywood Reporter, the explanation is t
hat the network looked at the first six episodes and decided that they were too dark to air at 9:00. In other words, just as everyone feared and they denied, giving up the 10:00 time period had affected the network's ability and willingness to run adult dramas. And also, just as everyone feared and they denied, they wound up using the show to plug the post-ER hole and then left everybody affiliated with it holding the bag, not even letting any of the episodes air to see what would happen.
Wells did not mince words: "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."
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. ...At this point, if you come up with the next great drama -- you have the next ER in your pocket, you have the next Lost -- it seems at this moment like you would be out of your bird to do business with NBC.
16 comments:
"Cynical business" indeed. Reads like an Ionesco play, only harder to understand. Only business model looking worse is...well, pick a Canadian broadcaster or perhaps the trial against those guys from AIG.
The time slot seems important here. Southland was barely a network show with its starkness and violence and bleeped-out dialogue but there was no way it was a 9:00 show. Certainly everyone involved had to know that.
John Wells has said he's shopping it elsewhere and let's hope it finds a home, it's a terrific show.
Here's what I don't understand:in a world with TIVO, why does time slot matter? I have no idea which night and what time my favorite shows are on. They just appear on my TIVO list, and I watch them whenever I'm in the mood.
Is the Southland problem about standards and practices (i.e. what you're allowed to show while kids are awake)?
A timeslot certainly matters in gaining new viewers (and yes, of appropriate ages).
Southland's not going to show up on TiVO lists for those who haven't watched it yet ... or, for that matter, for those millions upon millions who don't use TiVO.
There is a bit of a fallacy of the internet thing going on.
I don't have the figures, but the reality is that PVR penetration is stalled around 20 percent -- less in Canada.
For all the opinions you get onlline, still, even still, the majority of people are watching TV, off air, and not skipping the commercials.
Their numbers are falling precipitously...but they're still out there.
And for those people timeslots are very, very important.
And yeah, for them, in the USA, 9 o'clock, Southland is a bit rough.
I wonder how long it will take some of the creatives in the industry to realize that by guesting on "The Jay Leno Show" and drawing viewers by their presence -- thus contributing to either its success or its continued existence --- they are, in fact, helping to further reduce the work opportunities for themselves and everyboy else in dramatic television.
My eight-year-old and I can watch Law and Order:SVU at 7 pm every weeknight. But Southland's a problem at nine? Wha???
Jim, just Google 'Leno boycott' for more details.
'Course, the biggest stars from movies and sports will keep showing up.
The problem with having Southland at 9 is that it would be 8 central time and I don't think the midwest would stand for it. I too hope Wells finds another home for it, as it is terrific writing and acting.
Also, Frankly, no offense but letting your 8 yr old watch L&O SVU is insane.
Any episode of SVU that's running at 7pm is a syndicated version. They're edited for content (and to squeeze in new commercials.)
Southland is considerably rougher than an edited for syndie SVU.
I guess I'm an outlier. Thanks for explaining.
Uhh, can someone tell Chris that "I can" is not the same as "I do." So no offense, but watch how quickly you start judging someone.
Kids, I will turn this blog around.
Frankly frankly, I take your point completely, but asking someone on the internet to judge less quickly? It's like asking Wall Street to play by the rules.
From Bartcop:
Have you heard?
Jay Leno is bankrupting NBC - BIG time.
New York's NBC affiliate was Number One - now they're fifth, coming in behind a Latino station.
How long will NBC stick with their losing Leno-Conan formula?
Since nobody watches Leno, nobody watches the NBC 11 O'Clock news, so nobody watches Conan.
Since the TVs are on set on another channel when they get turned off, nobody watches Today or Regis.
This Leno-Conan disaster is killing NBC, which isn't Leno's fault.
NBC fired winning-his-time-slot Leno so Dave could kick Conan's unfunny ass.
omg...
I avoid leno like the plague (he doesn't even merit a capital L in his name anymore...). The man is not funny. It's like watching a car wreck in slow motion over and over again, at different angles for an hour.
( i think i derailed the train here, but i had to chime in and get on board with the last post)
btw, your blog is AMAZING, and i'm coming back for another fix.
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