Benjamin McKenzie - News and Articles #19: The NY Times got it right; Southlad is best-reviewed show of recent years!

**LoveBEN** · 10-08-2009, 09:20 PM

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**LoveBEN** · 10-08-2009, 09:20 PM

From the last thread:

Quote:

Originally Posted by tc_mahfood (View Post)

Is this true? 'Southland' canceled

And I mean that with all my heart!

x INFINITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoveBEN (View Post)

Well, we kind of knew it was coming. I was hoping they will give it a chance at least

I hate NBC.

---ETA----

hollywoodreporter added this to their article

From: John Wells

"I'm disappointed that NBC no longer has the time periods available to support the kind of critically-acclaimed series that was for so many years, a hallmark of their success," Wells said. "We remain extremely proud of 'Southland' and are actively looking for another home for the series."

While "Southland" enjoyed support among NBC brass last season, after screening the finished episodes from the upcoming second season, the show's content was deemed too dark and gritty for broadcast TV, especially for 9 p.m. Additionally, a high-end drama like "Southland" is certainly far more expensive than newsmagazine "Dateline" for low-trafficked Friday night.

'Southland' canceled

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoveBEN (View Post)

I think its going to be hard for them to find another network especially now when fall season already started and everyone schedule is pretty much lucked, this is why I'm pissed! If they were going to cancel them why not do it in May? now they are so screwed!

----ETA----

Lets tell NBC what we think

From Michael's twitter:

Here's one to spread around: NBC comment line 212-664-2333 Snail mail is the best but I have to dbl check names 1st.

Don't go quietly........ People need to know when they **** up this big. Saw ep 2.1 ........ Dumb ****in people.

Call NBC and ask them where the promos are........ I am serious.

Michael Cudlitz (Cudlitz) on Twitter

You guys might find those useful too:

LESLEY CERWIN (818/777-2888)
Lesley.Cerwin@nbcuni.com
"Southland"

Wendy Luckenbill, Vice President, NBC Scripted and Alternative Series, Specials and Daytime Publicity (818/777-2839)wendy.luckenbill@nbcuni.com

Wendy Luckenbill is also on twitter.

Wendy Luckenbill (luckywendy) on Twitter

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoveBEN (View Post)

I think its going to be hard for them to find another network especially now when fall season already started and everyone schedule is pretty much lucked, this is why I'm pissed! If they were going to cancel them why not do it in May? now they are so screwed!

----ETA----

Lets tell NBC what we think

From Michael's twitter:

Here's one to spread around: NBC comment line 212-664-2333 Snail mail is the best but I have to dbl check names 1st.

Don't go quietly........ People need to know when they **** up this big. Saw ep 2.1 ........ Dumb ****in people.

Call NBC and ask them where the promos are........ I am serious.

Michael Cudlitz (Cudlitz) on Twitter

You guys might find those useful too:

LESLEY CERWIN (818/777-2888)
Lesley.Cerwin@nbcuni.com
"Southland"

Wendy Luckenbill, Vice President, NBC Scripted and Alternative Series, Specials and Daytime Publicity (818/777-2839)wendy.luckenbill@nbcuni.com

Wendy Luckenbill is also on twitter.

Wendy Luckenbill (luckywendy) on Twitter

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoveBEN (View Post)

From variety:

"Southland" has been shut down before even getting its second season launch.
Warner Bros. Television was told Thursday by NBC that the John Wells Prods. skein was being canceled by the network. Neither the studio nor the Peacock would comment on for why the show was halted, but insiders say the dark nature of the cop drama was a factor.
Show had been set to bow in the Friday 9 p.m. slot on Oct. 23. "Dateline" is currently in that hour and NBC has been content with its ratings. Newsmagazine drew a 1.8 rating last week, with almost 8 million viewers.
Net figures "Southland" might not do much better than that and the license fee paid to Warner Bros. will be much more costly than continuing to air "Dateline."
NBC said it will do its best to air the six episodes that were already shot and that the quality of the show wasn't a factor in the decision.
"Southland," exec produced by Wells, Ann Biderman and Christopher Chulack, aired seven episodes the spring in the Thursday 10 p.m. slot after "ER" signed off in March. Show performed respectably at the outset but softened by the end of its run.

NBC cancels 'Southland' - Entertainment News, TV News, Media - Variety

From The LA-Times

NBC has pulled the plug on John Wells' "Southland."
The move comes just two weeks before the gritty cop drama was set to premiere in its new Friday at 9 p.m. time period. Now, in its place NBC will schedule the less expensive news magazine "Dateline NBC."
"I am disappointed that NBC no longer has the time periods available to support the kind of critically acclaimed series that was for so many years the hallmark of their success," "Southland" executive producer John Wells said in a statement.
Wells added that he will shop the show to another network.
NBC will have to cough up some cash to producer Warner Bros. Television and Wells' production company, which had already received a 13-episode order for Season 2. Producers were busy wrapping production on episode 6 when NBC canceled the show. The network was paying about $1.5 million per episode in license fees for the show, and it will eat the costs of the finished episodes as well as the cost of shutting down the production, people familiar with the situation said.
Canceling a show before any of its new episodes have even aired is highly unusual. It begs the question of why NBC renewed in the first place. Ratings for the first season started strong in the spring but quickly cooled over its short, six-episode run.
Insiders also said that once NBC execs saw the initial Season 2 episodes, they were deemed too dark for network TV.
Because NBC now programs "The Jay Leno Show" at 10 p.m. across five nights a week, it had limited options as to where to program "Southland" once it decided Friday wasn't a suitable home.
Of course, Wells may not have endeared himself to the network when in August he criticized NBC's decision to give five hours of prime time to Leno. "I wish NBC and Jay Leno well; personally, he's a very nice guy, but I hope he falls flat on his face and we get five dramas back."
Actor Michael Cudlitz, who played John Cooper on the series, didn't take the news well and via his official Twitter account encouraged viewers to contact NBC in protest. "Don't go quietly. People need to know when they ... up this big," he wrote. He also posted the number to NBC's comment line but said "snail mail is the best."

NBC axes 'Southland' before its second season premiere | Show Tracker | Los Angeles Times

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoveBEN (View Post)

DP -- but I love the

NY Times - NBC Cancels Well-Regarded ‘Southland’

Quote:

Today, NBC canceled one of the best-reviewed shows of recent years, the police drama “Southland,” before it had a chance to get on the air for its second season.

The show, which premiered in the spring and had a strong start in the ratings, though it struggled in its later episodes, had six new episodes produced for the new season. But NBC delayed its start date from mid-September until Oct. 23. NBC has been filling that hour — 9 p.m. on Fridays — with the newsmagazine show “Dateline NBC.”
Now NBC has dropped “Southland” altogether. Ratings for Friday shows have become universally low, and expensive dramas seem to be faltering especially on Fridays. “Dateline” can be produced for a fraction of the cost.
“Southland” started as a 10 p.m. show on Thursdays, and its style was consistent with others that have played there for decades. But NBC no longer has any 10 p.m. periods for drama because it has moved the new “Jay Leno Show” into that slot every weeknight. The style of “Southland” was largely distinguished by gritty police work and sometimes dark, troubled characters — not unlike previous NBC hits like “Hill Street Blues.”
That apparently became an issue for NBC: several network executives have said that they do not believe darker shows can be successful on network television right now. Oddly, NBC’s production studio, Universal Television, produces one of television’s biggest hits, the drama “House,” for the Fox network, and it has explored some of the darkest themes on television in recent years, including drug addiction and mental illness. Last year, one of the show’s main characters committed suicide. Ratings have been up for the show this season.
John Wells, the highly successful executive producer of NBC’s biggest 10 p.m. hit ever, “ER,” brought the network “Southland” last spring. He said in a statement:

“I’m disappointed that NBC no longer has the time periods available to support the kind of critically acclaimed series that was for so many years a hallmark of their success. We remain extremely proud of ‘Southland,’ and are actively looking for another home for the series.”

NBC Cancels Well-Regarded ‘Southland’ - Media Decoder Blog - NYTimes.com

Stunner: NBC cancels 'Southland' before season two debut
Report says 'dark nature' and cost of the show behind the move

Quote:

Showing financial issues are continuing to affect NBCUniversal on a day to day basis, NBC dramatically shut down production of sophomore cop series "Southland" today. Debuting this past spring, the John Wells produced show was set to have its second season premiere on Oct. 23.

Variety reports that insiders report the dark nature of the show as an issue, but that continuing airing "Dateline" in the same Friday, 9 p.m. timeslot was a much cheaper proposition.

Warner Bros. Television has already shot six episodes of the series and NBC said it will do it's best to air those episodes and that the "quality" of the program was not an issue.

"Southland" was considered a modest success when it replaced "E.R." in the Thursday, 10 p.m. timeslot. That airtime, however, became unavailable when "The Jay Leno Show" debuted this September five nights a week at 10. Rumor has it the network has contractually committed to Leno's show for two complete seasons.

Stunner: NBC cancels Southland before season two debut - HitFix.com

From Forbes -- 'Southland': Leno's First Casualty

Quote:

It's gone from bad to worse for fourth-place network NBC.
In what's being called NBC's first Jay Leno casualty, the ratings-starved network has pulled the plug on Southland, a scripted cop drama set in L.A. from ER's John Wells. The Warner Brothers-produced series, which debuted to favorable ratings and reviews in a 10 p.m. timeslot last spring, was supposed to kick off its already-delayed sophomore season later this month. Dateline NBC will continue to air in its place.
While the timing of the cancellation comes as a surprise, the show's ratings woes and off-screen challenges were well-documented. After premiering to nearly 10 million viewers in the ER timeslot last April, the midseason show quickly lost momentum, drawing only 5 million to 6 million eyeballs by the abbreviated season's end. The series was nonetheless granted a second season, this time airing an hour earlier on Friday night, care of Leno.
In August, NBC's prime-time entertainment chief, Angela Bromstad, spoke relatively candidly at the Television Critics Association's semi-annual confab about the necessary creative adjustments the show would need in its second season. "I think they tried to do too much in those six episodes," she said. "Instead of re-piloting the pilot and letting the audience get more familiar with these characters ... it became very serialized, and they were a large, large ensemble."
Early footage from the show's second season was deemed "too dark and gritty" for broadcast television, particularly during the 9 p.m. hour, according to The Hollywood Reporter. With Leno eating up the 10 p.m. timeslot, the network had no room for the show at a time at which something edgier might have been more acceptable. What's more, airing Dateline in Southland's Friday night timeslot can at once save money on licensing fees and garner a sizeable audience for the network. Last week, the newsmagazine drew nearly 8 million viewers in the slot, a respectable Leno lead-in on an otherwise little-watched night.
"I'm disappointed that NBC no longer has the time periods available to support the kind of critically acclaimed series that was for so many years, a hallmark of their success," said series producer Wells in a statement. "We remain extremely proud of Southland and are actively looking for another home for the series."
The decision comes at a challenging time for a network desperate to remove itself from the ratings basement, a position it's been mired in for half a decade. Save for Sunday night football, the news has been no brighter elsewhere on the General Electric-owned network's schedule. Newcomers Trauma and Mercy have struggled to gain traction, while one-time hit Heroes continues to lose relevance and formerly reliable Law and Order: SVU has lost viewers.
Still worse, the network's much-discussed and widely criticized decision to scrap five hours of scripted drama in favor of The Jay Leno Show has thus far proved a challenge. While it's still too early to label the nightly talk show a success or failure, it has continually shed viewers since its mid-September debut and has yet to beat its network competition since the official television season got under way.

'Southland': Leno's First Casualty - Forbes.com

tc_mahfood · 10-08-2009, 09:30 PM

Thanks for the new thread Michal.

Nice title! So true!

And ITA! I hope we hear from Ben this weekend or next week about his feelings regarding the canceling of the show.

**LoveBEN** · 10-08-2009, 09:33 PM

You welcome

I'm sure he's pissed. Cudlitz is.

tc_mahfood · 10-08-2009, 09:43 PM

Oh, I'm sure he's INFURIATED!!!!!!!!!!!!

alluxera · 10-08-2009, 10:34 PM

Damned!

I've just read all the news and I'm sad, very very sad. (But I'm in a hurry now, off to work and then away for the weekend, so I only want let you know that I'm not ignoring all this when you don't hear from me in the next days.

**LoveBEN** · 10-08-2009, 11:26 PM

^I'm very upset about this too

. Have fun on your weekend

Southland’ Ends Before It Has a Chance to Begin Again

New York Magazine’s entertainment blog Vulture reported this evening that NBC has given the ax to Southland before the second season even had a chance to premiere. According to the post, sources within NBC management thought the show featured too much adult content to be decent for network broadcast at 9 pm, the show’s timeslot in the wake of The Jay Leno Show’s hostile takeover of the 10pm weekday slot.
Needless to say, I’m incensed.
Southland was but one show I thought NBC treated really terribly last season (Chuck and Kings being the others), sticking it in a terribly competitive timeslot and debuting it randomly in the middle of the season. Watching it, though, I’m just glad they actually took a chance and put it into production; like its spiritual predecessor, NYPD Blue, the show was focused on being an intense look at the lives of beat cops, and it pulled no punches. From near nudity to bleeped profanities to subplots centering on real social issues, Southland was never easy to watch, but it was powerful, featuring exceptional performances from Regina King and Ben McKenzie in particular.
In truth, it probably wasn’t right for the 9pm timeslot, even on a Friday when no one is watching TV anyway. But it might have still survived if NBC hadn’t pulled the Leno experiment, which I think we can safely say is a failure in every sense but a financial one.
My one shred of hope for the show is a revival on one of NBC’s cable affiliates…Are you there, USA Network? It’s me, Austin!

Weekend Watchers Blog Archive ‘Southland’ Ends Before It Has a Chance to Begin Again

Southland Canceled: Is Leno Hurting NBC ?

It was announced today that NBC has canceled the police drama Southland two weeks before its scheduled Season Two premiere.
The show was well received by critics and did reasonably well in the ratings for a mid season replacement during its shortened first season earlier this year. The program was seen by many as offering a very realistic view of police work as seen through the eyes of rookie cop Ben Sherman (played by former OC star Ben McKenzie). It also featured a gay character as his partner, giving a different view of the world behind the badge.
For me the show was quite entertaining, giving a look at both the world of the police officer on the streets as well as the complex problems this profession can create in their personal lives. While many think of Mr. McKenzie as being just a pretty boy actor I found him to be quite talented and with a strong stage presence. You wanted him to succeed and felt yourself rooting for him.
His partner (played by Michael Cudlitz) presented a different angle on this theme, with his street image as an experienced ‘tough guy’ cop contrasting with his personal life as a semi-closeted gay man. Other characters gave us a look at a variety of personal and professional situations.
Having conceded to being a big fan of the show so my view is somewhat biased but I think (and others seem to agree) that this could be a sign of problems at NBC with Jay Leno holding the 10pm slot.
The issue with Southland was that it is (or was) a gritty drama with situations that might not be appropriate for the family viewing time. Since NBC can’t air any one hour show later than 9pm/8pm this becomes a problem and prevents them from keeping shows like Southland on the air.
In addition the Leno show has not been doing that well in the ratings and often loses to more traditional programming on the other networks. I am not sure what deal NBC has with Leno but if this keeps up they may need to look into changing his schedule.
Perhaps putting him in three days a week and leaving two slots open for shows like Southland.
Given the quality of the show I expect someone like USA to pick it up, but NBC may have bigger problems if they can’t air anything with serious drama.

Southland Canceled: Is Leno Hurting NBC ? | The Moderate Voice

BunnySlippers232 · 10-09-2009, 12:04 AM

I hate The Jay Leno Show! It's boring. Please get rid of it!!!

I hope Southland gets picked up by cable network. A show like that should air on FX or HBO or another cable network, anyway.

callieUK · 10-09-2009, 01:01 AM

This is unbelievable!

NBC are on the slippery slope to oblivion. They aren't a network any more, they're just farcical - and I always suspected NBC might pull something weird after John Wells made that remark about Leno a couple of months ago. Plus, ever since that TCA in the summer, NBC seems to have wanted/expected something different from the show's direction than what the producers/writers wanted/intended to do and that must have frustrated the creative team so much.

But I am taking a little comfort from the fact that the actors are still under contract for the time being, and JW says they are actively looking for a new home. If anyone can pull that off, I think he can, with his contacts and reputation, plus that of the show and the actors involved. I think also the fact that NBC hasn't already aired any episodes of S2 will make it more attractive for a pick-up elsewhere as a new network/cable station would be getting the entire S2 as a fresh thing.

It's mean, but I hope CBS buy it, promote the hell out of it and stick it up against L&O: SVU or Leno and smash their ratings. And heck, if we don't get it back for this season and it's relaunched on a different network next September that's better than not having it at all.

**swedish_girl80** · 10-09-2009, 02:34 AM

Thanks for the new thread hun

But what is I´m reading they CANCEL Southland what the ****?!?
This makes me so sad no its making me mad that the NBC didn´t see the same as we did, that it is a really good show with alot of great actors. Why did they put Jay Leno first oh well its NBC

But I really hope that Mr Wells find another network for the show.

Love the NY Times article and thnks for all rest

meganoster · 10-09-2009, 06:43 AM

OH MY GOD!!! I just read the news in the previous news thread, and I'm both stunned and furious! WTF is NBC thinking??? Cancelling one of its most successful shows of recent years, and partly because the 10 p.m. timeslot is taken by a show that is TANKING in ratings??? The people running that network are MORONS!!! You know, I suspected something was up when no ratings had surfaced and the show was just a couple of weeks away from its season premiere. I'm so angry and disappointed!!!

I'm going to call that phone number Michael listed on his Twitter account...This is just OUTRAGEOUS!

OK, I'm editing this post so that I don't DP. I just called and left messages for Leslie and Wendy at NBC, courtesy of the phone numbers Michal provided (thanks, Michal!

). However, I was unable to leave a message on the NBC comment line because the voicemail box was full...Wouldn't it be great if it was full of messages from outraged Southland fans??? Anyway, I don't know how articulate I was in my messages and I didn't leave my number, BUT I didn't yell (amazingly!

) and I feel I made my point clear. I haven't yet been able to figure out how to leave comments on anyone's Twitter page, but if I can figure out how to do so, I'll ask Michael if he knows of a different comment line or different phone number in general for fans to call.

I'm just so BUMMED, and BAFFLED!!! I could run the network better than the NBC execs! Seriously, WTF are they thinking???

callieUK · 10-09-2009, 09:46 AM

Good for you for being proactive, Megan. Have you managed to get through to a person yet, or are they all still hiding from the fans behind their voicemail?

I love this article. I am so glad the media are pretty much on Southland's side.

Quote:

Waiting for the return of NBC cop drama Southland? Well, don't hold your breath. Production has been shut down and the completed episodes canned. Why? The short answer: Jay Leno.

After seeing the first six episodes completed for the second season, the network halted production on the project because, they say, it was too dark and gritty for Friday night at 9pm. Then why not air it elsewhere? Maybe later at 10pm? Oh, right, that place on the schedule is no longer available because Jay Leno gobbled up the primetime lineup like John Travolta at an all-you-can-eat buffet.

The good-for-NBC Southland (or what passes for "critically acclaimed" on network TV these days) is produced by E.R. and The West Wing alum John Wells, did well in its original Thursday night at 10pm slot last season, where it debuted to an audience of about 10 million and won its time slot.

Wells, who has created hits for the network for years was none too pleased, as he told The Hollywood Reporter:

I'm disappointed that NBC no longer has the time periods available to support the kind of critically-acclaimed series that was for so many years, a hallmark of their success. We remain extremely proud of 'Southland' and are actively looking for another home for the series.

It was probably much more expensive to pay all those actors and writers and set designers and wardrobe people to make a decent show when you can pay Leno comparative chump change to make not-funny jokes and have people send him in headlines for free (just like the internet!).

Southland, which was set to roll out October 23, will be replaced by Dateline NBC for the foreseeable future. That's right, because news is cheap and "To Catch a Predator" is never gritty—or gripping.

Jay Leno Claims His First NBC Primetime Victim: Southland - Jay Leno - Gawker

**LoveBEN** · 10-09-2009, 11:34 AM

Here's a comment from Brook Willard, the DIT(DIgital Imaging Technician) on the Show:

We were cancelled today. It's an enormous shame - this season's episodes are very strong. It was very sad and entirely unexpected news today. We just screened the first episode on Tuesday and it was absolutely freakin' awesome. We were all joking about how we were going to renegotiate our deals for the back 9 episodes because of the great work we were doing. And then... out of nowhere... cancelled.

This article describes the situation best.

I'll keep you guys posted on what happens, either here or on my site. We're half way through the sixth episode [directed by J. Michael Muro, I might add], which we will finish next Friday.

This is a must read article from NPR

http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2009/10...ender_is_a.html

Vote in the poll below(with Michael's face)

http://www.tvguidemagazine.com/news/southl...d-out-2750.html

From Variety:

'Southland' Decision Further Frays NBC's Creative Ties

The creative community is still smarting over NBC's decision to strip "The Jay Leno Show" at 10 p.m. Canceling the gritty John Wells-produced cop drama "Southland" before the show can begin its second season only exacerbates the sense that the network is in full-on cost-containment-over-quality mode.

This is a series that not only opened to strong reviews (here's mine from last April) but carried an elite producer pedigree, with former "ER" exec producer and newly elected Writers Guild of America West President Wells at the helm, and Ann Biderman as its principal writer. Although some elements of the large cast worked better than others, Michael Cudlitz and Ben McKenzie were simply outstanding as the tough older cop nurturing the fresh-faced younger one.
By acting to in essence cut its losses, NBC has sent a chilling message to drama producers and production companies, indicating that concepts that are moderately demanding have little future there. And while it's understandable that the network would worry about the prospects for such a dark series -- the proposed Friday timeslot was a bad idea from the get-go -- bailing out now amounts to not only a slap to the show's audience but a double whammy for writers disappointed that the former home of "L.A. Law" and "Hill Street Blues" abandoned 10 o'clock dramas. (See my earlier column on that topic.)
Newly installed NBC overseer Jeff Gaspin clearly has his work cut out for him, but the "Southland" move -- almost certainly a bitter pill to swallow for Warner Bros. Television, which produces the program -- won't make the inevitable "We love you, bring us your best stuff" pitch from Gaspin and scripted chief Angela Bromstad any easier.
Then again, "Southland" was notable for its realism, and in what looks like its last act the show's fictional cops have mirrored the lot of real ones: Despite admirably doing their jobs, they're faced with bean-counting cutbacks.
Welcome to L.A.

http://weblogs.variety.com/bltv/2009/10/so...ative-ties.html

From NY magazine:

After the Cancellation of Southland, John Wells and Jay Leno Probably Won’t Be Grabbing Drinks Anytime Soon

While the news that NBC has decided to cancel its critically acclaimed drama Southland ranks as one of the biggest surprises in the world of television in recent memory, it's going to take weeks (and possibly months) to fully understand the ramifications of and fallout from this decision. However, one thing is certain: NBC has greatly damaged the relationship it had with John Wells, who has been one of the network's most successful creative partners for nearly two decades.

In addition to creating network hits like ER and Third Watch, the Southland creator also spent a three-year tour of duty as the showrunner of The West Wing. But after his newest baby was unceremoniously shown the door before it even had a chance to stretch its wings, Wells had this to say to The Hollywood Reporter: "I'm disappointed that NBC no longer has the time periods available to support the kind of critically acclaimed series that was for so many years, a hallmark of their success." Translation? A big "F You" to Jeff Gaspin and Jay Leno.

In a somewhat ironic twist, Wells — who also happens to be the president of the Writers Guild of America, West — was complaining about NBC's decision to cede five hours of programming to Jay Leno in August. He told the Los Angeles Times that "We lost five hours' worth of time periods that have been known throughout the history of the network for putting some really terrific shows on. I wish NBC and Jay Leno well; personally, he's a very nice guy, but I hope he falls flat on his face and we get five dramas back." Sadly for Wells and fans of quality television, NBC's decision that Southland is "too dark and gritty for 9 p.m." means that, unfortunately, Jay Leno gets the last laugh in this situation. We're betting it's the only laugh he'll get tonight.

After the Cancellation of Southland, John Wells and Jay Leno Probably Won’t Be Grabbing Drinks Anytime Soon -- Vulture

**loppabelle** · 10-09-2009, 11:56 AM

I'm so sorry to hear this news.

meganoster · 10-09-2009, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by callieUK (View Post)

Good for you for being proactive, Megan. Have you managed to get through to a person yet, or are they all still hiding from the fans behind their voicemail?

I love this article. I am so glad the media are pretty much on Southland's side.

Jay Leno Claims His First NBC Primetime Victim: Southland - Jay Leno - Gawker

Thanks, Callie!

I actually didn't leave my last name OR my phone number in either message. I know I may be paranoid, but earlier this week I landed a job in the public relations field, and on the very SMALL chance that I would one day be working with any of these people (I know, I know...I'm totally paranoid, HA HA! But this is my dream job)...I just don't want to risk any of them recognizing my name.

I haven't yet tried to call the opinion line again, so I have no idea if it's opened up or not. My hope is that the mailbox is full because so many Southland fans have called that line to complain.