In the wake of NBC's cancellation of SOUTHLAND there's not much good left to say about the network that used to reign television and is now closer to The CW then to TV's most watched shows. And then to think a few months ago I was going to do a piece about how great the peacock has become. Cancelling the raw show about LA police hasn't been the only fault this network made, let's review some of the decisions and features that differ NBC from the rest...

Southland
Though I wasn't the show's biggest fan, I was still very entertained by (Ryan Atwood) Ben McKenzie making his way through the life of a policeman in Los Angeles. The cast was very good, the storytelling was unique and almost cable-like and the season one cliffhanger certainly left enough open for further seasons. Back in spring, this show looked like it literally would be the next E.R., but now it has been cancelled, before the second season even started! It feels like fixing a marketing mistake made by renewing the show in the first place and they tried to deal with after there were already six episodes ready for the new season. So why the sudden rush? Why not air the six episodes that you already have, and if you don't like it, cancel it anyway. Is there really so much money lost by airing that you just opt to lose all the money it cost to produce the whole thing? Or do I just not know enough about television making to make sense out of it? Point is, a darn good show was canceled without any real good reasons. So anticipating the shows return this summer was a complete and utter waist. I am surprised at how inventive networks can get when it comes to bringing the news about cancelation considering the lack of originality they usually bring with the programs that replace the dearly departed. Bad, bad choice. Talking about bad choices, why do they cancel good performing shows like LAS VEGAS with a big core of fans, only to replace it with shows that don't even get time to build fans?

Friday Night, Medium Lights
I don't like the show at all, but I have to admit, the deal NBC worked out with DirectTV is worth being praised for. Speaking of someone who lost many quality shows because nobody would take them over is very, very happy to see that some shows do get a new home. And it probably wasn't a big deal for CBS, but taking over my personal on-off favorite MEDIUM earned some appreciation too. It was foolish to let either one of them go to be honest, but I honestly believe that we should thank NBC for green lighting these shows new homes.

Bringing back the main-stream shows
A while back I screamed that television needed some good main stream shows that satisfied the demand of the category they would be in. It seems like now E.R. is gone covering the medical category, NBC listened well by adding SOUTHLAND (cop), MERCY (hospital) and TRAUMA (action) to the mix. Well, they should learn not to listen to a teenager, because apparently audiences don't want GREY'S ANATOMY left-overs and shows that only have action-filled pilots and weaken afterwards. My bad.

Tips?
They used to rule the world, and now they just have Tina Fey, and apparently she's only good for critical acclaim. HEROES is not so much slipping as it is shooting downhill and there's not much that attracts the viewers for NBC, unless you're talking about a certain OFFICE. I think they should try and get a mainstream comedy with a pretty cast and really good jokes. Yes it sounds like FRIENDS, but at least that brought in the big bucks. All you need is pretty people and really funny writers, that can't be that hard to find? And how about sticking with your guns? Rome wasn't build in one night (the city or the show, you're choice), so instead of cancelling something after one season and thinking it's going to do bad, at least let it show you it's doing bad and then cancel it, like Fox is doing with DOLLHOUSE. Also, spending money isn't always the key. TRAUMA can have a action-packed pilot, but cutting the budget down for the rest of the season isn't helping anyone. Cutting budget on HEROES seemed to force the story back to the characters, which in one way is good, but it's still a blockbuster show, you can't just bust their blocks off. All I have to say is, keep up the good work with opening credits, I'm glad at least one network hasn't given up on what makes television shows really authentic.