Shopping 'Southland'

So the folks behind the recently canceled "Southland" are working the phones today, hitting up every cable network they can think of that might be interested in the cop drama. 

First on everyone's list for taking the departed NBC drama is TNT. For starters, "Southland" is produced by Warner Bros., which like TNT is owned by Time Warner, so there is a family connection. Second, while "The Closer" is still going gangbusters for TNT, the network recently lost "Saving Grace," and its other dramas, including "Dark Blue," have not been setting the world on fire.

While "Southland" certainly would be a good fit on TNT, it remains to be seen if the network would want to buy someone else's castoff. With six episodes of "Southland" already in the can, TNT may be able to negotiate a decent price, and since Warner Bros. will already be getting paid for those shows by NBC, it might be willing to cut a slight break on the license fee. Then, if the show were a success for TNT, it could ask for more money. NBC was paying about $1.5 million per episode for the show, people close to the production say. That is not a huge fee for a cash cow like TNT.

Another likely network would be A&E. However, we're told A&E has already passed. And A&E is partially owned by NBC, so that might have been a problem politically even if it did want it. USA Network is totally owned by NBC and "Southland" is much too dark for them, so that's out.

That brings us to AMC, home of "Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad." They like to spend money there, but everyone thinks they are the new HBO, so they might not want to sully their image with a show from a (cough) broadcast network.

FX already has a ton of programming, and while "Southland" may be gritty (there's that word again) for NBC, it's "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood" for FX. 

People will say it should go on HBO or Showtime, but it's not nearly quirky enough.

So unless Food Network or The Weather Channel (whoops, that's NBC again) want to go in a completely different direction, the only real candidate out there may be TNT.

Let's see if blood is thicker than money.

-- Joe Flint

Deciphering NBC's Southland move

NBC axes `Southland'

NBC and 'Southland' producers worried about the bleeping FCC

Photo: "Southland" Credit: Richard Foreman/NBC Universal

Comments

[Jeff Brune]

Wouldn't get too excited about TNT picking this up.Their track record on "gritty" isn't very good either.Aka Saving Grace.

[Jan]

I was looking forward to the premier of this show -- it's on my calendar! Seriously, it's no wonder NBC is in the position it's in -- it's already a wonder that anyone watches anything on that station before it has at least a second season -- which rarely happens. Hoppefully TNT will show more intelligence and pick this up.

[Tiffany A.]

SOUTHLAND is well-written, superbly acted and utterly compelling. Saving SOUTHLAND is saving the dying art of scripted television. It was TOP on my list of the shows I was looking forward to this fall. Let's hope there's at least ONE TV Executive out there with the good sense to put this show back on the air where it belongs.

[Alexandra]

OMG...I cant believe they cancelled the show..im soo upset..i have been looking forward and waiting for it to return for the second season..pls pls someone pick it up...its way too good of a show to pass up...*fingers crossed*