• The Wrap, Monday, October 12, 2009 10:30 AM

NBC's surprise decision to sack "Southland" has ticked off the Twitterverse -- including not just viewers, but cast members on the show and other shows and reporters who cover the TV industry. Only seven episodes of the series aired, but fan response to the cancellation has been harsh toward NBC. More than a few fans linked the "Southland" cancellation to NBC's 10 p.m. Jay Leno strategy.

The Hollywood community on Twitter seemed just as shattered. "Why don't GE shareholders realize Jeff Zucker's a rudderless buffoon (and) demand NBC clean house," asked Kurt Sutter, creator of FX's "Sons of Anarchy." Shawn Ryan, executive producer of Fox's "Lie to Me," began the Twitter outrage by tweeting news of the show's death when the story first broke in the mainstream media.

Linda Holmes, who writes the Monkey See blog for NPR, worried about what the "Southland" slaying meant to the network's future drama development. "It suggests that NBC's simply getting out of the drama business," she tweeted. The most succinct reaction came from Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello: "NBC cancels 'Southland'. OMGWTF?!"

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