Okay, we’re gonna say what everybody else has been thinking in the wake of SOUTHLAND’s shocking cancellation: Jay Leno is a showkiller.

Let’s face it, so far, nobody at NBC has offered up anything even close to a rational explanation for why they would renew the brilliant-but-controversial series, pony up the cash for numerous episodes and then pull the plug before a single season-two outing could air. But it doesn’t take a genius to connect the dots and realize that upon looking at the episodes — which star Michael Cudlitz told Mike Ausiello were deemed “too dark” by the network — NBC realized they were in a no-win situation.

SOUTHLAND — with its gritty storylines and bleeped dialogue — is a 10 p.m. show.

Thanks to Leno, NBC doesn’t have a 10 p.m. timeslot available.

Ergo, SOUTHLAND is homeless.

In a way, this may be the best thing that could ever happen to SOUTHLAND, which, frankly, was too good for network television. Here’s hoping that in the next few weeks, word will come down that Showtime or HBO is picking up the series, dropping the bleeps and letting SOUTHLAND blossom into the cable hit it was always meant to be.

Meanwhile, the folks at NBC need to reconcile themselves to the fact that they’ve chosen quantity over quality by offering up the cheap-to-produce Leno in primetime. If they can live with that — along with defecting viewers, sacrificing such long-running hits as LAW & ORDER SVU (which is hemorrhaging viewers in its earlier timeslot) and having burned their bridges with John Wells, whose ER was a network staple for years — more power to them. But in the meantime, they might want to think about the vicious cycle they’ve set in motion: Viewer viewers during the 10 p.m. hour means viewer people at whom to pitch the rest of your line-up. Wise up, guys. Before it’s too late.

Good News: According to the Hollywood Reporter, multi-camera comedies are primed for a comeback. Bad News: Starting with ABC’s HANK and FOX’s BROTHERS [THR]

Good News: Now you too can sleep in the same bed as THE OFFICE star John Krasinski! Bad News: Assuming of course you’ve got a spare 1.245 million dollars lying around to purchase his West Hollywood home that was recently put on the market. [BlockShopper]

Good News: UGLY BETTY’s Michael Urie and Becki Newton are back with another season of their hilarious web-only series MODE AFTER DARK. Bad News: Web only does not a spin-off make. Seriously ABC President Stephen McPherson, we’re waiting. [EW]

If there was one downside to attending last night’s FOX Fall Eco-Casino Launch Party (see above photo of your very own TV Addict ‘gleeking’ out with a few familiar faces!) it was that I missed out on some fairly important premieres. Which is why yet again I’m turning it over to you — my far smarter and better looking readers — to put your critics hat on and post away with your thoughts on last night’s premieres of GOSSIP GIRL, ONE TREE HILL and THE JAY LENO SHOW.

COMMUNITY
For his first regular series television project, THE SOUP’s Joel McHale proves he’s no dummy… by enrolling in Community College. No, really. Rather than go down the sitcom route that has plagued so many big names prior (see: Geena Davis, Jason Alexander, Michael Richards and Bette Midler to name a few) McHale cleverly decided to surround himself with perhaps the most talented group of quirky newcomers since Dunder Mifflin opened up a branch in Scranton. Yup, thanks to Chevy Chase, Allison Brea and our prediction for this Fall’s break-out star Danny Pudi (Sorry Jack McBrayer, you’re so 2007), we finally have a reason to be excited for school. COMMUNITY premieres on Thursday September 17 at 9:30PM on NBC, CityTV in Canada

COUGAR TOWN
Heading into the fall season, there was little doubt that the Courteney Cox starring, Bill Lawrence produced comedy was going to make this list. Unfortunately, rather than offer up big laughs, COUGAR TOWN is little more than a big disappointment, relying far too much on hackneyed stereotypes (older woman + younger hottie = funny!) and an unbelievable premise (Seriously, who is divorcing Courteney Cox?). That said, when your showrunner is one of the funniest men in the business, heck on the planet (Free advice: If NBC were smart, they’d give Bill Lawrence the 10PM slot) and your show continues to employ the under appreciated gem that is ALIENS IN AMERICA survivor Dan Byrd, you get a second, third, well, as many chances as you need to make it work. COUGAR TOWN premieres on Wednesday September 23 at 9:30PM on ABC, CityTV in Canada

CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM
Just when you thought it was safe to cancel your HBO subscription (Following Sunday’s TRUE BLOOD season finale, natch!), comes the reunion you never thought would happen (Or, as Julia Louise-Dreyfus called it in Entertainment Weekly’s recent fantastic cover story “the anti-reunion.”) Yup, Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer make a welcome return to the small screen when everybody’s favorite neurotic, Larry David, hatches a plan to help win back [his estranged wife] Cheryl by scoring her a plum role as George’s ex-wife in the SEINFELD reunion. Complete with familiar sets and nonsensical plot points (George refuses to share with Larry how much he’s tipping a waiter) the gang is in fine form. So much so that you’ll be wishing NBC could replace their current slate of nothing (see: TRAUMA and MERCY) with the original show about nothing. CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM premieres on Sunday September 20 at 9PM on HBO and HBO Canada

MODERN FAMILY
From the network that gave us HOME IMPROVEMENT, ACCORDING TO JIM and FULL HOUSE comes a different kind of comedy: One that will actually have you laughing. Thanks in no small part to the aforementioned modern family comprised of future Emmy nominees Ed O’Neill (MARRIED WITH CHILDREN), Ty Burr (BACK TO YOU), Julie Bowen (ED) and Jesse Tyler Ferguson (THE CLASS), and a subject matter that everybody can relate to. Be it old, young, white, black, gay, straight, man, woman, parent or child: Crazy families are fun to watch (especially when they’re not your own!) MODERN FAMILY premieres on Wednesday September 23 at 9PM on ABC, CityTV in Canada

THE JAY LENO SHOW
Now I know what you’re thinking, clearly theTVaddict.com has lost it. But before you click off this page, erase theTVaddict.com from your rss reader, delete our bookmark, stop following us on twitter and proclaim all credibility lost — consider this. For better or for worse, THE JAY LENO SHOW may be the biggest story to come out of the fall season. And whether it succeeds or fails spectacularly, of this we are sure. Primetime television will never be the same. THE JAY LENO SHOW premieres on Monday September 14 at 10PM on NBC, CityTV in Canada

Dear James Poniewozik,

I hope you’re happy. And by that I mean, was it really necessary to ruin my holiday weekend by reminding me — on the cover of the the new issue of TIME Magazine no less — that Jay Leno is the future of television.

I mean we’re talking about NBC here. Of course Jay Leno is the future of television. This is after-all the perennial fourth place network that is so desperate for a win, they took it upon themselves to crown Conan O’Brien the new king of late night two weeks into his tenure. The network that we’re fairly confident will import any show from any country in an effort to find the next OFFICE. Heck, over a decade later, NBC President Jeff Zucker, Kevin Reilly, Ben Silverman, Andrea Bromstad is still searching for the next FRIENDS.

That, and you said it yourself, “NBC has set the bar low enough for a sleeping man to clear. If Leno can just get the ratings he did in late night, some 5 million viewers (paltry by 10 p.m. standards), his show will be more profitable than what it replaced in that time slot.”

So yeah, there is pretty much no denying it. Jay Leno is the future of television, at least where NBC is concerned. But to quote Valerie Cherish (Lisa Kudrow’s unforgettable HBO character that would never find a home on the now homogenized NBC) “I don’t need to see that!”

“If we go down in flames, at least we’ll go down laughing.” — explains Jay Leno pertaining to his new show at this afternoon’s TCA panel.

Good News: Yesterday, network president Dawn Ostroff announced that for the first time, the CW will launch original programming during the summer months. Bad News: Rather than take a page from the early days of FOX’s playbook that had the fledgling network make a name for themselves by airing original episodes of BEVERLY HILLS 90210 in the summer up against virtually zero competition, the CW will be offering up two pointless reality TV shows that nobody will watch. [Source]

Good News: In a valiant effort to differentiate his new 10PM talk show set to premiere this fall, Jay Leno has revealed that he’ll lose his trademark couch and desk. Bad News: Yet still keep the same old tired OJ jokes he’s been treading out for over a decade now. [Source]

Good News: Thursday’s ER swan song saw an 82% bump over their original-episode season average. Bad News:Yet still managed to deliver only 14% of the 1993 CHEERS finale, and 24% of the FRIENDS finale. Ouch! [Source]

Good News: According to People.com, Kevin McKidd is anxiously awaiting a McNickname of his very own. Bad News: After last week’s controversial episode, the commenters on People.com have kindly obliged with a long string of suggestions including: McAngry, McScary, McPTSD, McDangerous and McStrangler [Source]

Good News: The president of NBC guarantees that, “Jay Leno will be on in Boston at 10PM in the fall.” Bad News: Phew, good to know that the Boston market won’t miss a moment of comedy gold like this. [Source]

With the paper of record breaking the news that NBC has thrown in the towel awarded Jay Leno with a new contract that will keep him with the Peacock Network five times weekly next fall, theTVaddict.com thought we should take the fair and balanced approach by posting both the winners and losers with regards to this landmark deal.

Winner: Jay Leno
Even though this move will mark the beginning of the end for NBC (more on that later), we don’t begrudge Jay Leno one bit. Not only is he one of the hardest working men in Hollywood, by all accounts he is one of the nicest and most genuine as well. We congratulate Jay on this historic move and truly wish him the best of luck.

Loser: The Audience
10 PM on NBC used to mean something special. Yet now, rather than continue to redefine genres in the ways in which HILL STREET BLUES did for the police procedural and ER did for the hospital drama. 10PM will now be the home of Jay’s trademark segments such as “Headlines”, “Jay-walking” and Kevin Eubanks. Must See TV, not so much.

Winner: NBC
You got to hand it to NBC Universal President Jeff Zucker. From a financial and competitive standpoint, this move is a masterstroke. Not only will NBC save hundreds of millions on development and production of pricey shows that have little chance of success. Zucker more importantly gets to keep Jay from jumping ship to ABC (as rumored) and/or Sony and FOX.

Loser: The Audience (Yes, we’re really getting screwed on this one!)
Fans of quality fare such as FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, LIFE and CHUCK best be starting their “Save Our Show” campaigns in 3… 2… 1… Because with five hours less of television to produce per week (17, instead of 22), theTVaddict.com has a pretty good idea which low rated shows will be the first to get the axe.

Winner: Celebrities
Between Conan, Jimmy Fallon’s new show (which you can preview online here) and the ever-expanding gabfest that is the TODAY show, celebrities and musicians alike will now have about 21 hours of television per day to shamelessly promote their next big movie, TV show, fad diet, album and/or latest cause célèbre.

Loser: Conan O’Brien & Rosie O’Donnell
Conan O’Brien waits his entire career to step out of Jay’s shadow and get his shot at the hallowed 11:30PM spot only to be overshadowed by Jay once again. Ouch! Not to mention poor Rosie, who we can’t help but feel cost herself a shot at Jay’s 10PM deal with her trainwreck of a Variety show last month. Double Ouch!