TNT to air canceled NBC cop show "Southland"
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - TNT has rescued the acclaimed cop drama "Southland," which was recently canceled by NBC in part because of its violence.
The cable network has obtained the exclusive rights to run the six unaired episodes of "Southland" that were on NBC's fall schedule before the broadcaster unexpectedly axed the show two weeks before its premiere. The deal also includes the show's first-season run of seven episodes.
"Southland" will make its TNT debut on January 12.
TNT will then decide whether to commission additional episodes. By only committing to episodes that have already been produced, the deal minimizes TNT's financial risk and allows the cable network to evaluate the success of the show before investing in a re-start of production.
NBC reportedly canceled the drama because the new episodes were "too dark" for the network, especially with 10 p.m. weekday time slots now occupied by "The Jay Leno Show." Another factor was the show's ratings, which left NBC with little faith that the drama would survive its tough Friday time period.
But as shows like Monday night's freshman drama "Trauma" struggled, some in the industry criticized NBC for not giving the show a chance to survive, particularly given producer John Wells' long history with the network as the showrunner of "ER."
