Breaking: NBC delays 'Southland'

An NBC spokesperson is confirming what was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter: Southland‘s second season has been pushed back a month, from Sept. 25 to Oct. 23.

Dateline NBC will air Fridays at 9 pm in the interim.

A Peacock insider says moving the show away from the ultra-competitive premiere week, where it would have gone head-to-head with Dollhouse and Medium, guarantees that Southland will get the best launch possible. It will also give NBC four more weeks to promote the critical fave.

I’m usually suspicious about last-minute scheduling shifts, but this one kind of makes sense. What do you think?