It took a few weeks to get it done, but at least all of the produced episodes of Southland have a home now. The show developed a little bit of buzz with its first seven episodes last season. Then it developed a lot of buzz this year when NBC pulled the plug on it before its second season had even begun, leaving six episodes created and in limbo.
Apparently, its darker tone didn't fit in with the network's plans anymore. After all, the 10 p.m. slot, where most of your more sophisticated shows used to live on NBC, is the home of Leno now. Immediately word came out that various cable networks were looking to pick up the series, but no one knew exactly what that meant. There were theories, of course, and TNT emerged as the front-runner.
Now we know, and it looks like everyone was right. TNT has secured the rights to Southland; primarily the right to broadcast the 13 episodes produced so far.
The network has given the greenlight to a pilot for a new drama that will feature a magician who solves crimes. It will be produced and directed by Jon Amiel and written by NCIS' Dan Fesman. No title yet, but I bet NBC will lean towards something like The Magician (hey, it's sorta like The Mentalist!) instead of something lame like Hocus Pocus or Now You See It or something other magic cliche.
Of course, NBC already had a show called The Magician that was about... a crime-solving magician! I loved this show. It starred Bill Bixby, pre-Hulk. It's the show Mulder was watching when Samantha was kidnapped.
When NBC canceled Southland before the second season even had a chance to debut, online fans went into "Save Southland" mode. They went on Twitter, wrote letters to NBC and Warner Brothers, and tried to get the network to reconsider their decision, Jericho-style. Well, NBC is still not going to air the show, but Nikki Finke is reporting that TNT is going to pick up the show and start airing the first season as early as next week.
But she says that the deal isn't set yet because TNT and NBC can't come to terms on money (of course). In fact, an insider tells Finke that the "behavior from NBC has been unbelievable and amazingly f***ed up - even for them - which is saying something."
Of course, there's no word yet on whether TNT will simply buy the first season's worth of episodes and whatever they filmed for the second season or if TNT will actually produce more new episodes.
Just when I'd added Southland to my list of shows to spotlight in upcoming editions of "Gone Too Soon," now there are glimmers of hope for its future. After NBC unceremoniously dumped it before it premiered this season, in favor of more Dateline, fans and television pundits were stunned.
Executive producer John Wells has reportedly been in contact with the cast to tell them he has at least two cable networks interested in picking up Southland. The good news comes in two ways. One, the series gets to come back. And two, a cable network is a lot less likely to tamper with the storytelling style Southland was developing in its first season. NBC already had them de-emphasizing the larger cast and the serialized nature of their storytelling in the episodes they were filming for the new season.
OK NBC, I give. I have no clue what an "Executive Producer of Transformation" is. Is that like when they call a restaurant dishwasher a "utensil sanitation engineer?"
Tim Peek is the NBC guy with the new title (he's been with the network since 1996). The description that the network gives for the job is that he will "oversee the incorporation of emerging technologies into the daily practices of the news division." That probably means that more people at NBC News are going to start using Twitter and iPods.
Week two of the revival of TV Squad's APB podcast has arrived! In this episode, Bob Sassone and Danny Gallagher join me to talk about TV's doings this week:
The cancellation of Southland and the role of The Jay Leno Show in that cancellation,
Here's how you know that Leno isn't very funny: he puts himself into his sketches.
Now, this sketch below, which parodies cop/doctor/lawyer shows, isn't that funny to begin with. It's one of those ideas that's funnier on paper than actually executed. But it's made more unfunny by Leno putting himself in the sketch -- in not one but two different roles. It takes you right out of the sketch.
Oh, and I'm sure fans of TV drama won't be laughing at all, since Leno takes up the time slot in which a lot of NBC dramas could be airing.
Do you think they're afraid of Dollhouse? Probably not. But they probably are a little afraid of what would happen if their new show's premiere got bested by Medium'spremiere over on CBS. How embarrassing would it be to get beat by a show you just canceled only to have it revived on a rival network.
NBC says they're pushing back the premiere of Southland to give it some marketing support during the crowded fall, but I'm sure someone up in the studio thought of the potential media fun such a scenario would engender. Still, they do raise a good point, and it's a discussion that's been ongoing for a few years now. Why do we still have premiere week?
With most shows only giving us 22 to 24 new episodes per year, they're having to stretch them out like crazy to fill all that time between September and May, and we've seen that destroy momentum. Maybe this will help Southland, and maybe if it does, the other networks will consider spreading these premieres out a bit more.
We just got done with the NBC executive session, where primetime entertainment head Angela Bromstad and alternative programming (read: reality) chief Paul Telegdy took the reporters questions.
Of course, many of the questions had to do with The Jay Leno Show and Ben Silverman's departure. What the gathered reporters got out of the two executives was evasiveness, referrals to other executives, and a general sense that the two of them either don't know or don't want to provide answers about their own network.
When the question of Leno and CBS's Nina Tassler's assertion that NBC would declare victory no matter what numbers they got, Bromstad tried to pass us to the session for Leno's show later in the day. Telegdy did the same. But we wouldn't let them off the hook. An example exchange, for instance, went like this:
It's always great to hear the fall premiere dates for shows. It reminds you that, yes, eventually the summer is going to end and the fall will be here. Here are the dates when the new seasons of your favorite old NBC shows (and new ones) will launch (more dates to come).
Sunday, September 13: Football Night in America and Sunday Night Football Monday, September 14:The Jay Leno Show Tuesday, September 15: The Biggest Loser Thursday, September 17:SNL Weekend Update Thursday, Parks and Recreation, The Office, and Community Monday, September 21:Heroes Wednesday, September 23:Parenthood and Law and Order: SVU Friday, September 25: Law and Order and Southland Saturday, September 26:Saturday Night Live Monday, September 28:Trauma Thursday, October 15:30 Rock
This was only the seventh episode of Southland but it was also the season finale, due to it starting after ER ended its run.
I'm still of two minds about this show. While it's obvious it's a "quality" show, I want more Adam-12 and less ensemble cast dramatics. Did you catch the scene with the lady with the chicken nuggets? That actually happened in real life a few months ago. (Yes, I mentioned chicken nuggets before the big shooting at the end!)
The show is coming back this fall but will move to Friday nights at 9 (thanks Jay). That's probably not a good thing.
At 8, ABC has a new Ugly Betty, followed by the two-hour season finale of Grey's Anatomy.
CBS has a new Survivor at 8, then a new episode of CSI and the season finale of CSI: NY.
NBC has the season finale of My Name Is Earl at 8, followed by a new Parks and Recreation, the season finales of The Office and 30 Rock, and a new Southland.
FOX has the season finale of Bones at 8, then the season finale of Hell's Kitchen.
The CW has the season finales of Smallville and Supernatural.
At 9, TLC has a new American Chopper.
Spike has a new TNA Wrestling at 9.
At 10, Bravo has a new episode of The Fashion Show.
Current has a new infoMania at 10, followed by a new Rotten Tomatoes.
It took a few weeks to get it done, but at least all of the produced episodes of Southland have a home now. The show developed a little bit of buzz with its first seven episodes last season. Then it developed a lot of buzz this year when NBC pulled the plug on it before its second season had even begun, leaving six episodes created and in limbo.
Just when I'd added Southland to my list of shows to spotlight in upcoming editions of "Gone Too Soon," now there are glimmers of hope for its future. After NBC unceremoniously dumped it before it premiered this season, in favor of more Dateline, fans and television pundits were stunned.
OK NBC, I give. I have no clue what an "Executive Producer of Transformation" is. Is that like when they call a restaurant dishwasher a "utensil sanitation engineer?"
Week two of the revival of TV Squad's APB podcast has arrived! In this episode, 
Do you think they're afraid of 
We just got done with the NBC executive session, where primetime entertainment head Angela Bromstad and alternative programming (read: reality) chief Paul Telegdy took the reporters questions. 
This was only the seventh episode of Southland but it was also the season finale, due to it starting after ER ended its run.
ESPN has Basketball Playoffs all night.
There weren't a lot of surprises at 
Gone Too Soon: Invasion
Scrubs season nine -- An early look
The TV Squad Podcast: Vik Sahay of Chuck, Oprah talk, brutal timeslots, and more!
