That headline seems pretty backward to me--mostly the Southland half. The police procedural has charted an operatic path over the airwaves over the past year or so. Southland premiered well enough on NBC in the spring of 2009 to earn a second season, but the network cancelled the series in the fall before any of the six new produced episodes had a chance to air. TNT came to the rescue and aired said episodes, which netted a meager 2.1 million live viewers per episode that should not reasonably meet the cable giant's standards. And yet, after the jump, you'll find a press release that promises a third season for this little show that could, as well as details on Seeker's cancellation.
Of course there is no press release that heralds the end of Legend of the Seeker, but EW brings the news that there will be no season three. The Sam Raimi-produced fantasy series averaged about 2.3 million live viewers per airing (hey, that's more than Southland!). Unfortunately, such an audience is not enough to keep up with the pace of its cheaper syndicated peers--Wheel of Fortune, Judge Judy, Family Guy reruns and the like. So it goes. ABC Studios have been shopping it around at other networks, but it seems unlikely that Seeker will ever find a new home. My advice: stop by TNT. It'd make a great companion piece with Southland, providing a night of television delightfully low on viewers.
Here's the TNT press release for the Southland renewal:
TNT Renews Acclaimed Series SOUTHLAND for Third Season
TNT has booked a third season of its critically acclaimed drama SOUTHLAND, from Warner Bros. Television and Emmy®-winning producer John Wells (ER, The West Wing). The network has ordered 10 episodes for the third season, which is slated to begin airing in January 2011.
"SOUTHLAND is a challenging, visceral show that engages viewers with its immersive style, provocative storylines and complex characters," said Michael Wright, executive vice president, head of programming, for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). "These qualities have made SOUTHLAND a favorite among critics and appointment viewing for an extremely loyal audience."
Created by Emmy® winner Ann Biderman (NYPD Blue, Public Enemies), SOUTHLAND takes a raw, authentic look at police work in Los Angeles. The series focuses on officers, detectives and members of a gang unit as they endure the triumphs and tragedies that populate their lives both on and off the job. The series is shot on location in the streets and neighborhoods of Los Angeles.
SOUTHLAND's ensemble cast includes Kevin Alejandro (Drive, Ugly Betty); Arija Bareikis (Crossing Jordan); Clifton Collins Jr. (Capote, Star Trek); Michael Cudlitz (Band of Brothers, A River Runs Through It); Shawn Hatosy (Alpha Dog); Regina King (Ray, Jerry Maguire); Michael McGrady (The Thin Red Line, Day Break); Ben McKenzie (The O.C.); and Tom Everett Scott (Boiler Room, That Thing You Do). SOUTHLAND is executive-produced by Wells, Biderman and Emmy® winner Christopher Chulack (ER, Third Watch), who also serves as a primary director of the series.
TNT picked up SOUTHLAND after the series was dropped by NBC prior to the launch of its second season. TNT presented an encore of the seven-episode first season beginning in January 2010, followed by a premiere run of the six-episode second season beginning in March 2010.
For its second season on TNT, SOUTHLAND has averaged 2.7 million viewers, with 1.4 million adults 18-49 and adults 25-54. The show enjoys great loyalty among viewers, as shown by the use of time-shifted viewing. According to the most recent Live + 7 deliveries, the second season of SOUTHLAND has grown its total audience by 50% compared to Live viewing (26% compared to Live + Same Day). Among adults 18-49, the boost is 68% vs. Live (32% vs. Live + Same Day). Among adults 25-54, the bump is 62% vs. Live (33% vs. Live + Same Day). The show's median age (47) is the lowest of any TNT original series.
Warner Bros. Television (WBTV) is one of the entertainment industry's most respected providers of original content, producing award-winning drama and comedy series for both broadcast network television and cable. WBTV is currently producing 20 primetime series, with at least one show on each of the five broadcast networks. New programs include the one-hour drama The Vampire Diaries, the #1 show on The CW; the half-hour comedy The Middle and the hour-long V for ABC; the one-hour action-drama Human Target for Fox; Miami Medical, from Jerry Bruckheimer Television, for CBS; and the upcoming Shameless, from John Wells Productions, for Showtime. Continuing programs include TV's #1 comedy among Adults 18-49 in The Big Bang Theory, TV's #1 comedy among Households and Total Viewers in Two and a Half Men, the #1 new program of 2008-2009 among Households and Total Viewers in The Mentalist, the Julia Louis-Dreyfus-starring comedy The New Adventures of Old Christine and veteran drama Cold Case for CBS; the #1 new program of 2008-2009 among Adults 18-49 in Fringe for Fox; Chuck for NBC; and Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill, Smallville and Supernatural for The CW. WBTV also produces The Closer for TNT.
TNT, one of cable's top-rated networks, is television's destination for drama and home to such original series as the acclaimed and highly popular detective drama The Closer, starring Kyra Sedgwic; Men of a Certain Age, with Ray Romano, Andre Braugher and Scott Bakula; Saving Grace, starring Holly Hunter; HawthoRNe, with Jada Pinkett Smith; Leverage, starring Timothy Hutton; and Dark Blue, starring Dylan McDermott; the upcoming Rizzoli & Isles, starring Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander; Memphis Beat, with Jason Lee; and Southland, from Emmy®-winning producer John Wells (ER). TNT also presents such powerful drama as Bones, Supernatural, Las Vegas, Law & Order, CSI: NY, Cold Case and Numb3rs; broadcast premiere movies, compelling primetime specials and championship sports.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.