Benjamin McKenzie - News and Articles #15: New show means a lot more news! - Page 2

**LoveBEN** · 04-18-2009, 01:48 PM

Today's news:

'Southland' maintains debut promise; 'Parks' slips--The Live Feed

'Southland' maintains debut promise; 'Parks' slips

"Clearly, both shows are delivering," said NBC co-chair Ben Silverman about last night's numbers. "We’re really pleased that Southland’s performance is awesome and clearly dominating 10 p.m and is a show that everyone is talking about. And Parks and Recreation delivered its highest rating a show has done out of Earl in years."
Asked how he felt about Southland's chances next week when ABC returns to originals, Silverman said he's confident of the show's continued performance.
"It’s somehting you can analysize in every way and feel good about," he said. "And it's nice to enter our infronts with two shows that have momentum."
Ratings Chart Attack! - NBC’s ‘Office’ Wins Night as ‘Southland’ Holds Steady - TVWeek - Blogs

NBC’s ‘Office’ Wins Night as ‘Southland’ Holds Steady

NBC’s “Southland” remained steady compared with its debut last week, while the network’s “Parks and Recreation” and CBS’ “Harper’s Island” dipped in their second week.
Southland
“Southland” on NBC scored a 3.1 rating/9 share and 9.6 million viewers, according to preliminary Nielsen figures. Last night’s episode was down only 3% from last week and won the 10 p.m. hour. “Southland” also remained flat from first half-hour to second.
Best. Gay. Week. Ever. (April 17, 2009) | AfterElton.com

SOUTHLAND A solid pilot episode featuring a completely non-stereotypical gay character make this NBC cop drama the new series to watch. Also, having cutie pie Ben McKenzie on hand doesn't hurt. I've been a fan of his ever since that entirely believable country bumpkin turn in Junebug. Although I must say this of his Southland character: No Los Angeles cop has hair quite that perfect.
Southland wins its hour in all key categories…
^
more about the ratings
The O.C. Cast: Where Are They Now? - Film.com

The O.C. Cast: Where Are They Now?

You remember what Ryan Atwood liked about rich people?

Nothing.

The boy from Chino landed in fat wallet city when he was taken in by the wealthy Cohen family on The O.C., and almost every week he came out swinging. Now, actor Ben McKenzie's showing the flip side of that character as rich boy Ben who trades in his designer shoes for cop patent leathers -- and promptly pukes on them after discovering a dead body -- in the series premiere of Southland at 10 p.m., Thursday on NBC.

When his sarcastic and caustic training officer John (Michael Cudlitz) mocks him, Ben almost goes after him like John was standing between him and a Krispy Kreme. The rookie wants to shuck his privileged lifestyle and just be on the side of right. This quick-cut, fast-paced keeper from ER producers John Wells and Christopher Chulack grabs you right from the start and doesn't let go until the final credits roll.

Puke. Fights. Class struggle. Heck, it's almost like we're back chillin' in the O.C. Which makes us wonder, what's going on with the rest of the cast?

Adam Brody: Seth Cohen, the only child of Kirsten and Sandy, who loved having Ryan as his bro and BFF. Looked like Adam was set to be the breakout star of the bunch, but his film career fizzled. His next movie, Jennifer's Body, is from Diablo Cody (Juno) and set for a September release. It features a nude Megan Fox, so Adam might be overshadowed.

Mischa Barton: Marissa, the obnoxious true love of Ryan's, who dies in his arms. Now she's playing a model in the upcoming CW series The Beautiful Life, created by Ashton Kutcher, about a group of models living in New York. Doesn't sound like she'll be pulling any acting muscles.

Rachel Bilson: She's got a movie that's coming out soon, Waiting for Forever, but Rachel's been in the news most recently because of her engagement to Anakin Skywalker -- Hayden Christensen. Guess she's moved on from Adam, who was her boyfriend both on and off screen for a couple of years.

Tate Donovan: Marissa's dad sailed off for a happier life, and now plays attorney Tom Shayes in the Glenn Close cable series Damages

Alan Dale: He was Kirsten's nasty rich dad Caleb Nichol, who played the nasty, rich dad Bradford Meade on Ugly Betty who now plays Penny's nasty, rich dad and overall bad guy Charles Widmore on Lost. Hard to tell where Caleb ends and Charles begins.

Willa Holland: Marissa's conniving little sister Kaitlin went from a brief mention in the first season (her pony China suffered from alopecia!) to become a main character by season four. Willa also appeared in a multi-arch storyline on O.C. creator Josh Schwartz's Gossip Girl as a wild child frienemy of Jenny Humphrey.

Olivia Wilde: Ah, Alex, the bisexual character who had affairs with both Seth and Marissa. Now she's Thirteen on House, playing a bisexual character involved with fellow doc Foreman. We sense a typecasting theme here.

Amanda Righetti: Kirsten's bad-girl little sister Hailey. Now she's the repressed good cop Grace on CBS breakout hit The Mentalist.

Navi Rawat: Theresa was Ryan's childhood friend, and on-and-off girlfriend. Still think there's a possibility that Ry's her baby daddy, not Eddie. But we digress. Now, Navi's Charlie's girlfriend and noted professor Amita Ramanujan on CBS' Numb3rs

Eric Mabius: Big bad Jack Hess, the Dean of Discipline, who had both Marissa and Ryan expelled, and had an affair with student Taylor. He got the boot, but actor Eric landed softly in a starring role as Daniel Meade on Ugly Betty.

Nikki Reed: Nikki played Sadie Campbell, Ryan's girlfriend and the cousin of poor, doomed Johnny who loved Marissa. Nikki, who first hit big with her screenplay and starring role in Thirteen, has shot up the actor food chain, now starring in the Twilight movies as beautiful vampire Rosalie. Jackson Rathbone, who plays troubled vamp Jasper in Twilight also had a limited gig on The O.C. as Justin in 2006.

Chris Brown: The forgettable Will Tutt role. Not big or long-lasting, but how can you not mention tabloid fodder boy after he pounded on girlfriend Rihanna?

Quote:

Originally Posted by callieUK (View Post)

Thanks for all the updates. The PEOPLE stuff about Oscar is so cute.

I hope we can get a scan of it, I want to post it on benjamin-mckenzie.org

Ryan-Marissa<3 · 04-18-2009, 05:34 PM

Thanks for those new articles! I still love reading "Then & Now" type of stuff.
Lot's of the extras on the show who became regulars who got kicked off again went quite far well kind of. It's so funny that both adam&rachel are still stuck in a rut career-wise. I miss adam though

**swedish_girl80** · 04-19-2009, 02:20 AM

Even more

But I love it

More:
New promo from NBC Thursday nights shows, Southland in the end.

------

callieUK · 04-19-2009, 08:46 AM

Thanks for that list about the cast. I wonder why Autumn got left out? Mind you, she's done so much since The OC that it would probably have taken up the entire article.

And thanks for the info about #6. Sounds interesting from Ben's POV.

**LoveBEN** · 04-19-2009, 01:11 PM

Ben attending NBC Press Day April 24

MEDIA ADVISORY

MEDIA ADVISORY 2009 NBC Universal Summer Press Day

What: Press Event

Where: The Langham Huntington Hotel &
Spa (Formerly The Ritz Carlton)
1401 S. Oak Knoll Ave., Pasadena, California

When: Friday, April 24, 2009
Day begins at 9:00 a.m.

Who: NBC's Simon Cowell, David Hasselhoff, Piers Morgan, Sharon Osbourne and Nick Cannon ("America's Got Talent"); Ben McKenzie, Regina King, Michael Cudlitz, Tom Everett Scott, Kevin Alejandro, Shawn Hatosy, Arija Bareikis and Michael McGrady ("Southland"); David James Elliott and Treat Williams ("The Storm); Marla Sokoloff and Michael Rooker ("Meteor"); Anthony Head ("Merlin"); Craig Olejnik ("The Listener"); and the TBA cast of "I'm a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!"

Oxygen's Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott ("Tori And Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood"); Mayte Garcia, Danny Teeson, Marissa Jaret Winokur and Lisa Ann Walter ("Dance Your Ass Off")

USA's Jeff Goldblum and Vincent D'Onofrio ("L & O: CI"); Tony Shalhoub and Traylor Howard ("Monk"); Cristian De La Fuente ("In Plain Sight"); James Roday and Dule Hill ("Psych"); Mark Feuerstein ("Royal Pains"); Sharon Gless ("Burn Notice"); Colin Ferguson and Salli Richardson-Whitfield ("Eureka")

SCI FI's Joanne Kelly and Eddie McClintock ("Warehouse 13")

Bravo's Kelly Choi, Hubert Keller and James Oseland ("Top Chef Masters"); Isaac Mizrahi, Kelly Rowland and Fern Mallis ("The Fashion Show")

R.S.V.P.: jeanette.eliot@nbcuni.com (818/777-2980)
VOLUME 349 Couch Potato Chronicles

SOUTHLAND (2 SPUDS) (THURSDAYS @ 10:00)
John Wells is a Hollywood writer producer got his start on TV way back in the day on a show called China Beach. He then moved quickly up the food chain to megahit shows like Third Watch, The West Wing, ER, and the outstanding, but shortlived series Smith from a couple of years ago. This guy is a heavy hitter in the industry and this show could be destined to be another John Wells Classic. It’s very good. IN A NUTSHELL: It’s a police drama that follows several different characters both detectives and uniforms through the streets of hardcore gangbanger territory in LA. One of the uniformed cops is Ben MacKenzie (no relation to Bob and Doug, eh) from the OC, a Beverly Hills brat who nobody believes will make it on the mean streets. The writing on this show is edgy and there were even a few bleeps, which led me to believe that Wells created this show for cable, where freedom of speech is guaranteed, as opposed to network where the pickle is far up the ass. Whatever. It did not detract from the power of this show. On the flip side, this show is dark and full of nasty stuff. Lots of blood and guts. But the characters are all extremely interesting, even Ben, who I never thought was much of an actor in The OC, has dialed it up a notch. FEARLESS FORECAST: This is high quality TV entertainment all the way. It was put into the ER timeslot and those are big shoes to fill, especially up against The Eleventh Hour, which is run by another master of the media Jerry Bruckheimer. This show is way to good to die, but it might be too good for the networks.

ollen · 04-19-2009, 06:17 PM

Thanks for all the news

**LoveBEN** · 04-19-2009, 10:59 PM

^You welcome, I hope we'll get pics from that NBC event.

Another review of the Southland pilot:

Screens: TV Eye - The Austin Chronicle

The long overdue demise of ER makes space for a new series that is just as good as – and potentially better than – what came before. In this case, it's Southland, which is taking ER's coveted berth Thursday nights on NBC. Yes, it's another police drama, but this one is surprising, refreshing, and superb. It marks the return of Austin-born Benjamin McKenzie (The OC) to the small screen as a rookie police officer in the Los Angeles Police Department system. I've only seen one episode, and what intrigues me about this series (also from ER's John Wells) is what is missing. While ER trafficked in sudden, high action, those crazy camera shots careening through the emergency room, blood and guts and melodrama dripping everywhere, Southland (at least the pilot episode) is remarkably still. What shocks is the absence of sound and action, as if you are caught inside the chest of the person (in many cases, McKenzie's Ben Sherman) as they try to make sense of what has happened and what might be coming next. The series also stars Michael Cudlitz (A River Runs Through It) as John Cooper, the cop assigned to break in rookies. Cooper is a cop's cop – but with a secret that could dismantle the respect he's earned over the years. And it is a big thrill to see Regina King (Jerry Maguire) among the ensemble cast, staring at Detective Lydia Adams, looming large in her understated, effortless way.
Well, what do you know – there is life after ER.
Southland premieres tonight (4/9) and airs Thursdays at 9pm on NBC.

2 article about Southland chances to get a second season:

Crunch time for bubble series

Crunch time for bubble series

Dozen or so network series are anxiously awaiting fate

Along with Fox's sci-fi duo, the most discussed bubble show online is NBC's "Chuck," which finally showed a ratings uptick this past week but is still performing marginally despite a strong fan base. The dramedy's chances also have been hurt by the promising start of NBC's police drama "Southland," as the network will have only few hourlong slots in the fall when Jay Leno takes over the 10 p.m. hour every night.

Another NBC Monday series, the modestly rated but reliable procedural "Medium," is said to have slightly better odds to return than "Chuck," while the quirky cop drama "Life" is expected to join "Kath & Kim" on cancellation row.
Networks to burst bubbles after dreadful season

"Southland," NBC. Going out on a limb here, this might be the most unforeseen success story late in the season - and it will probably shock people with a renewal notice.

callieUK · 04-20-2009, 02:20 AM

Thanks for the updates. I am hoping it's a good sign for the show's future that the cast are all attending that NBC press event.

fifimom · 04-20-2009, 02:45 AM

Thanks for new. I worry about people not watching Southland for fear it will hurt Chuck. I love both shows but they are extremely different and I really don't think the fate of one effects the other. I feel the network will want to keep Chuck but can let go of some other lesser programing to make way for Southland. I honestly think more people will be turning to Network TV for economic reasons and if NBC cnd just hold on they will be ok but this whole Leno thing is a mess.

krisz · 04-20-2009, 04:32 AM

Thanks for all of the information.

I enjoyed reading about The OC Where Are They Now? I am surprised too they left Autumn out. She has had the largest resume since The OC. Autumn and Ben seem to be the only ones doing a lot since the show ended. I didn't realize that was Justin in Twilight. So 3 former OC cast members were in Twilight.

**swedish_girl80** · 04-20-2009, 11:12 AM

Thanks Michal

**LoveBEN** · 04-20-2009, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by callieUK (View Post)

Thanks for the updates. I am hoping it's a good sign for the show's future that the cast are all attending that NBC press event.

Yeah, that was my first thought too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fifimom (View Post)

Thanks for new. I worry about people not watching Southland for fear it will hurt Chuck. I love both shows but they are extremely different and I really don't think the fate of one effects the other. I feel the network will want to keep Chuck but can let go of some other lesser programing to make way for Southland. I honestly think more people will be turning to Network TV for economic reasons and if NBC cnd just hold on they will be ok but this whole Leno thing is a mess.

Are there that many Chuck fans that also watch Southland? I don’t think there are

I think that most of Chuck fans are people that are into light fluffy comedies and the Southland fans seems like people that like gritty dramas.

Quote:

Originally Posted by krisz (View Post)

Thanks for all of the information.

I enjoyed reading about The OC Where Are They Now? I am surprised too they left Autumn out. She has had the largest resume since The OC. Autumn and Ben seem to be the only ones doing a lot since the show ended. I didn't realize that was Justin in Twilight. So 3 former OC cast members were in Twilight.

I have no idea why they left Autumn out, they also left Cam out and he was also in Twilight as well as in other movies this year and they didn’t even mention Peter, Kelly and Melinda who were regulars on the show.

Ratings for the rerun of Southland

a rerun of Southland garnered higher ratings than an original episode of Kings.

Saturday 4/18/09 - Topic Powered by Eve For Enterprise

And NBC had absolutely nothing of note with its line-up of banished Kings (Viewers: #4, 2.41 million; A18-49: #4, 0.6/ 2), a repeat of Law & Order: SVU (Viewers: #3, 2.45 million; A18-49: #4, 0.9/ 3) and a repeat of Southland (Viewers: #3, 3.51 million; A18-49: #3, 0.7/ 2).

Ratings Thread (Part III) - Topic Powered by Eve For Enterprise

FOX
NASCAR - 5.17 million viewers, 1.6/6

CBS
CSI: NY (R) - 4.68 million viewers, 0.9/3
48 Hours Mystery - 6.27 million viewers, 1.4/5

ABC
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (R) - 3.58 million viewers, 1.1/4

NBC
Kings - 2.41 million viewers, 0.6/2
Law & Order: SVU (R) - 2.45 million viewers, 0.9/3
Southland (R) - 3.51 million viewers, 0.7/2

"Southland's" Ratings Go North

TV's newest his is NBC's "Southland," and the Peacock Network is dancing in the streets.

That's because the network has been desperate for a hit since, oh, "Frasier" and "Friends" left the scene. OK, "The Office" has done pretty well.

Anyway, "Southland," the police drama about a group of Los Angeles street cops, beat the competition on Thursday nights in the 9 p.m. time slot, beating CBS' "Harpers Island" and a repeat of ABC's "Private Practice."

In the second week, "Southland" only lost about 6 percent of its audience.

Meanwhile, NBC's other new midseason show, "Parks and Recreation," is holding its own despite the fact it was in third place in its second espisode. Chances are still good it will retain its place on the lineup in the fall.

The question now is where will "Southland" go on the schedule when Jay Leno takes over the Monday-through-Friday 9 p.m. slot for his new talk show?

The very adult "Southland" really can't run before that time, so it looks like a Saturday or Sunday night slot is the only alternative.

Tribune Blogs -- The Village Vidiot: TV with Vince Horiuchi

'Southland' ratings to be tested

NBC cop drama retains premiere-week aud

Cop drama “Southland” is off to a solid start for NBC on Thursday nights, but now the net will look for answers to a couple of pressing questions.
First, how will it hold up this week when ABC’s formidable “Private Practice” returns to the timeslot, airing behind “Grey’s Anatomy”? And if “Southland” continues to perform well, where might the net sked the decidedly adult show in the fall now that Jay Leno has gobbled up all the 10 p.m. slots?
As the Peacock is thinking about fall, it also has reason to believe Amy Poehler’s “Parks and Recreation” will be a part of its plans. It had a pretty good second-week showing, soundly defeating its comedy competish on ABC -- “Samantha Who?” -- and holding onto a good chunk of its premiere-week aud despite a much lower-rated lead-in this time around.
“The shows now have such a critical base of viewers,” NBC Entertainment/Universal Media Studios co-chair Ben Silverman said. “The fact that ‘Southland’ is driving such critical interest and buzz and holding its audience and growing at the half-hour mark is exciting. And ‘Parks and Recreation’ performed the best out of ‘My Name Is Earl’ in two years.”
Looking at the numbers, “Southland” won at 10 p.m. for NBC (3.0 rating/9 share in 18-49, 9.61 million viewers overall), losing just 6% of its premiere-week 18-49 audience. In the same hour, CBS’ “Harper’s Island” (2.2/6 in 18-49, 7.82m) declined by a bigger 15% in its second outing, while ABC’s “Private Practice” was its usual limp self when it’s in repeat (third-place 1.3/4, 4.23m).
The 9 share for “Southland” is much stronger than that for a recent episode of any of the other new dramas to premiere on the nets in 2009. The Eye’s “Harper’s Island” posted a 6; ABC’s “Castle,” “Cupid” and “The Unusuals” all settled for a 5 share; and Fox’s “Dollhouse” earned a mere 4 share.
This week’s matchup against “Private Practice” should provide the best indicator of “Southland’s” strength. While NBC has a solid but incompatible lead-in from “30 Rock,” “Private Practice” enjoys a big advantage by airing behind its thematically similar progenitor, “Grey’s Anatomy.”
As for the skedding in the fall, NBC might have wanted to move a show like “Law and Order: SVU” to 9 p.m. to provide a compatible lead-in for “Southland,” but that idea isn’t possible under the net’s stated plans of airing Leno’s new show weeknights at 10.
That leaves pretty much 9 p.m. slots for the bleep-heavy skein unless it were to air on Saturday, which is very unlikely, or on Sundays at 10 after the Peacock’s football package wraps.

'Southland' ratings to be tested - Entertainment News, TV News, Media - Variety

ollen · 04-20-2009, 07:49 PM

Thanks for all the news.

callieUK · 04-21-2009, 01:46 AM

Thanks for the news and ratings info. I'm glad Southland had a fairly strong showing on repeat, although I hope NBC don't put it into a Saturday slot next season.

**swedish_girl80** · 04-21-2009, 02:40 AM

They could have put Autumn there instead of Chris Brown

Thanks for the rest

More:

NBC has put up a twitter account for Southland
Southland (SouthlandNBC) on Twitter

Highlights from the Variety article:

Cynthia Littleton On The Air on Variety.com

The most jarring aspect of her research was coming to grips with the depth of the criminal and societal problems caused by gang activity in Southern California. One of the story threads in the pilot of "Southland" was inspired by her experience of sitting alone in a hospital room with the body of a teenage boy who was a victim of a raging black-versus-Latino gang war. (In the pilot, the boy survives the shooting.)

But the heart of "Southland" is clearly the rookie-veteran relationship between patrol cops Sherman and Cooper, played with cool understatement by Ben McKenzie and Michael Cudlitz.

"Southland" took the Thursday 10 p.m. baton from "ER" after the latter's series finale earlier this month. After two airings with very respectable numbers, the show looks to be a cinch for renewal. Biderman's not worried about the prospect of her show playing at 9 p.m. rather than 10 p.m. next season once Jay Leno begins his 10 p.m. weeknight residency in the fall. The exec producers are mindful of the thin blue line between heavy drama and gratuitous violence or sexual material, Biderman assures. It's all about the characters -- which include the City of Angels, warts and all.
"I'm not interested in the-case-of-the-week mentality," Biderman says. "These characters are so terrific; our cast is so good. I'm just trying to write the best show for them that I can."

Film location for Southland so if you are in that area report to us

Filming Locations for 4.20.09 | On Location Vacations

Quote:

Filming Locations for 4.20.09

Southland is filming on Constitution Ave in L.A. (Sorry, tipster didn’t leave a cross street)

Southland premiere was NBC's highest rated primetime show for the week of April 6-12

Top NBC Primetime Shows, April 6-12, 2009

Quote:

The verité cop show SouthLAnd is the anti-Entourage, showing the seemier sides of Los Angeles, which are many. But last week's episode occasioned two backdrops of the WOW building: it's historic façade and the colorful back alley

World of Wonder Building on Southland

Ben will be attending an event on Saturday, April 25 for the child soldiers in Uganda.

More details in here:
Death Cab On Ice

Someone asked about Southland to TvGuide:
TV Guide Magazine | Ask Matt | Ask Matt: Say It Ain’t So, Tony!

Quote:

Question: Just wondering about Southland's chances for a 2nd season. It debuted OK, but it’s definitely a 10 pm/ET show and with no 10 pm timeslots available next fall (except Sunday nights after football) thanks to Jay Leno, if NBC wanted to keep it, where would they put it?—Steve

Matt Roush: A good question, but the reality is that NBC’s going to have to look at its schedule the same way Fox does, as if it’s only programming two original hours a night most nights. Which means harder-edged dramas that traditionally would be seen at 10/9c, such as the surviving Law & Order series and something like Southland, would now air an hour earlier. It’s still early, but NBC seems encouraged by the early response to Southland, so I’d be surprised if it’s not on the fall schedule somewhere. I’m curious what night it will air, because while it seems to work on Thursdays, I’d think NBC would keep that an all-comedy night, with a two-hour sitcom block leading into Leno. Otherwise, The Office and 30 Rock (the only viable comedies currently on the lineup) would be airing at 8/7c, which seems awfully early. Hard at this point to predict just what NBC is going to do with its new reduced schedule.

Last but not least a new promo:

Southland - Don't Blink TV - Video - NBC.com