NBC cancels 'Southland'

In a surprising move, NBC has cancelled 'Southland' before its 2nd season premiere. This comes after the network renewed it after its 1st season.

Insiders are blaming the "Jay Leno factor" for the cancellation. With 'The Jay Leno Show' airing every weeknight at 10 pm, it leave a lot less room for prime time shows on NBC's schedule.

Production was already completed on 6 episodes for the upcoming season before being shut down. It is not clear when or where those 6 episodes will air. The show is going to be shopped to other broadcast and cable networks.

"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," Executive Producer John 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.

The cancellation of 'Southland' ends (for now) a long relationship between NBC and Wells, who has been behind some of NBC's biggest series, including "ER" and "The West Wing," for the past 15 years.

NBC dramas have been off to a rocky start this season. Freshman shows like 'Mercy' and 'Trauma' are struggling in the ratings. The same goes for veteran dramas like 'Heroes' and 'Law and Order: SVU.'