"Southland" has been canceled.
TNT has decided not to pick up the cop drama, starring Benjamin McKenzie, Shawn Hatosy and Regina King, for a sixth season.
"TNT has made the difficult decision not to renew 'Southland' for another season," the network said in a statement. "We are enormously proud of 'Southland,' which stands as one of the best police dramas ever made ... We also want to thank the amazing cast for their impassioned, no-holds-barred performances, and the production team for their tenacity shooting on the streets of real-world Los Angeles. We wish everyone associated with 'Southland' the very best.
Hatosy and McKenzie tweeted to "Southland" fans mourning the end of the show:
A sad day for #Southland fans. Much appreciation to all the fans who supported us through 5 seasons; It's been an amazing creative journey.
— Shawn Hatosy (@ShawnHatosy) May 10, 2013
To all the fans of #Southland who followed us through the years through thick and very thin, I sincerely thank you. We are kindred spirits.
— Ben McKenzie (@ben_mckenzie) May 10, 2013
"Southland" had previously been canceled on NBC shortly before its second season was set to air, but TNT picked up the rights to the show and has been airing the LAPD-centric series ever since.
Fans started to worry about the fate of "Southland" when McKenzie and Hatosy both signed on for second-position pilots (i.e. if "Southland" didn't get renewed for a sixth season, they each had a pilot gig lined up).
McKenzie tweeted in March to pacify "Southland's" worried and vocal fanbase:
King shed some more light on the possibility of "Southland" Season 6 in an interview with TVLine soon thereafter. “Of course we want it to come back,” King said. “But there are just certain things that [make us think], ‘Are we?’ No one’s told us that we weren’t, but there are enough things that haven’t happened [like promotional support] to question, ‘Are we?’” King admitted, "It could go either way."
The Season 5 finale of "Southland" ended with quite the cliffhanger: Is John Cooper (Michael Cudlitz) dead? We may never know, but there is good news for "Southland" fans currently mourning the cancellation: TV Guide Magazine's Michael Schneider reported via Twitter that there is still the possibility of "a 2-hour wrap-up #Southland movie."
In addition to "Southland," TNT also canceled the freshman medical drama "Monday Mornings" from David E. Kelley. Sister network TBS picked up two new series: the Bill Lawrence comedy "Ground Floor" and a reality show for Cee Lo Green called "The CeeLo Life "
Pilot Pickups For 2013-2014:
NBC's new dramas and new comedies
Fox's new dramas and new comedies
CBS' new dramas and new comedies
The CW's new dramas