The Southland PR machine is working overtime again as Variety wonders if the show will "come back to haunt NBC" when new episodes air on TNT beginning tomorrow, March 2. I'm wondering if instead TNT will be the one that gets spooked.
For those not keeping track at home, Southland was canceled last fall by NBC just before it was to premiere on Fridays at 9pm, claiming it was "too dark" for the hour.
I judged that to be PR speak for "The show was a ratings dog (finishing with just a 2.0 adults 18-49 rating) and a Ben Silverman (now ousted) project, so while it's hilariously late in the process, we're just doing now what we should have done last spring".
The Southland PR machine cried "Blame Jay Leno!" and looked for another network for the show.
Produced by Warner Brothers, the show found a new home on TNT (also owned by Warner Brothers corporate parent Time Warner), where it has re-aired the episodes that appeared on NBC last season. Now on March 2, the new episodes, produced for NBC for this season but later acquired by TNT, will begin airing. TNT has made no commitment, as yet, to produce new episodes.
After the "re-premiere" episode in January, the primary Southland airings on TNT have averaged about 1.3 million viewers and a 0.4 adults 18-49 rating. Not good, but hey, they're repeats.
To add a little internecine warfare angle, NBCU has both USA's White Collar, and NBC's Parenthood (which has the "golden hope for NBC's spring" PR buzz about it) facing off with Southland Tuesday's at 10pm.
How are you feeling about Southland as unaired originals begin this week?
This is one of the tougher projects we've ever done, because there's really not an experience in a playbook. It was difficult to wrap our arms around it. It's not an original that we've been seeding and launching, and it's also not an acquired show like a Mentalist or Law & Order that has a track record. So, I'm cautiously optimistic, but with a big capital C in "cautious" because I just don't know; I don't have a feel for it. I hope it works.
Wow. If you've read as many PR massaged TV network exec sound bites as I have, that translates roughly into "Don't blame me when this show tanks (the corporate overlords shoved it down our throats)".
And it's interesting that he would call Southland a show without a track record and compare it to The Mentalist. The Mentalist had a one season (and a month) track record when TNT announced the syndication deal. Southland had a 7 episode (1/3 of a year) track record before its TNT deal. Maybe what he really meant to say was that The Mentalist had a good track record.
My take
I doubt that its new episode ratings on TNT will make NBC regret canceling Southland. I doubt it will do better than White Collar, and while no one in their right mind could expect it to do better than Parenthood, I doubt it will even be in the ballpark. The real measure of "success" for the show will come if TNT orders new episodes. I hope they're not easily scared.
What ratings does Southland need in new episodes to "haunt" NBC or spook TNT? How do you think it will do?
Anything around 2-3 million viewers should get it renewed. Hell, Dark Blue got renewed with far less.
Anything around 2-3 million viewers should get it renewed. Hell, Dark Blue got renewed with far less.
Seinfeld was a “ratings dog” for two seasons after it premiered. Cheers was a “ratings dog” for its first season, finishing last for the year. If either of those shows began airing today with the same Nielsen rankings, we would no doubt be inundated with articles here telling us what “losers” the shows are, and how they will never be able to do any better.
The point is, Southland could’ve become NBC’s next quality drama….but they didn’t give it a chance beyond the first 7 episodes. Whether or not they ever regret it, they SHOULD.
Seinfeld was a “ratings dog” for two seasons after it premiered. Cheers was a “ratings dog” for its first season, finishing last for the year. If either of those shows began airing today with the same Nielsen rankings, we would no doubt be inundated with articles here telling us what “losers” the shows are, and how they will never be able to do any better.
The point is, Southland could’ve become NBC’s next quality drama….but they didn’t give it a chance beyond the first 7 episodes. Whether or not they ever regret it, they SHOULD.
Jen, convenient to argue the permanently unknown future (“could’ve become NBC’s next quality drama”). Can’t be proven wrong!
And Cheers & Seinfeld were from a completely different era. The TV business doesn’t work that way anymore.
Jen, convenient to argue the permanently unknown future (“could’ve become NBC’s next quality drama”). Can’t be proven wrong!
And Cheers & Seinfeld were from a completely different era. The TV business doesn’t work that way anymore.
You’re right, I can’t be proven wrong. But I can prove that your pronouncement that shows that get poor ratings when they first air can never expect to be successful is patently false. They can. History shows this.
You’re right, I can’t be proven wrong. But I can prove that your pronouncement that shows that get poor ratings when they first air can never expect to be successful is patently false. They can. History shows this.
BTW, unlike you, Bill, I used the word “could’ve,” not “would’ve.” I don’t make blanket pronouncements that come back to haunt me, lol. (See Jay Leno).
BTW, unlike you, Bill, I used the word “could’ve,” not “would’ve.” I don’t make blanket pronouncements that come back to haunt me, lol. (See Jay Leno).
Fans are going to hate me for this…
I don’t think NBC is going to regret their decision to ax Southland mostly because it wasn’t really a bad decision. It ended its original 7 episode run with bad ratings and was very likely to fail on Friday. Viewers did tune in initially and the show got a good sampling, it just couldn’t hold its viewers.
I also don’t think the ratings for the new episodes are going to be significantly higher than the old ones. It will probably get a small bump, but not much.
Fans are going to hate me for this…
I don’t think NBC is going to regret their decision to ax Southland mostly because it wasn’t really a bad decision. It ended its original 7 episode run with bad ratings and was very likely to fail on Friday. Viewers did tune in initially and the show got a good sampling, it just couldn’t hold its viewers.
I also don’t think the ratings for the new episodes are going to be significantly higher than the old ones. It will probably get a small bump, but not much.
I think it’s need to pull in somewhere near White Collar’s demo – maybe half or whatnot. And does a 2.5HH rating mean its worth coming back? TNT will have to use it’s big marketing to make those numbers anywhere near the 4-5 it hopes to get.
I think it’s need to pull in somewhere near White Collar’s demo – maybe half or whatnot. And does a 2.5HH rating mean its worth coming back? TNT will have to use it’s big marketing to make those numbers anywhere near the 4-5 it hopes to get.
I have a feeling that Parenthood will debut to huge ratings. Why? 3 reasons. 1. The Olympics promotion. 2. Biggest Loser is the lead in. 3. Pilot has positive buzz from the critics.
I have a feeling that Parenthood will debut to huge ratings. Why? 3 reasons. 1. The Olympics promotion. 2. Biggest Loser is the lead in. 3. Pilot has positive buzz from the critics.
Bad timeslot for SouthLAnd. You’ve got Parenthood and I believe a new Good Wife to go against. Either way its going to take sometime for SouthLAnd to really develop its audience over there but it will be renewed as long as ratings stay between 2-3 million viewers and the budget stays low.
Bad timeslot for SouthLAnd. You’ve got Parenthood and I believe a new Good Wife to go against. Either way its going to take sometime for SouthLAnd to really develop its audience over there but it will be renewed as long as ratings stay between 2-3 million viewers and the budget stays low.
I suspect Holly’s right on this one. And judging by that impressively equivocal Koonin quote, TNT thinks so, too. But hey, when it doesn’t pull renew-worthy numbers this time, fans won’t be able to blame a lack of promotion. (Though they’ll still have almost 5 full bingo cards to work through.)
I suspect Holly’s right on this one. And judging by that impressively equivocal Koonin quote, TNT thinks so, too. But hey, when it doesn’t pull renew-worthy numbers this time, fans won’t be able to blame a lack of promotion. (Though they’ll still have almost 5 full bingo cards to work through.)