James Ellroy's L.A.-Based TV Series Pulled From Investigation Discovery

Bad news, crackheads, perverts, trailer trash and hippies: Investigation Discovery has temporarily yanked "James Ellroy's LA: City of Demons" off its schedule.

You may remember the bus tour narrated by Ellroy that I took last month during the TV Critics Assn. press tour. Ellroy, of course, was a hoot, and he promised an out-there look at some of Los Angeles' seediest crimes.

To give you an idea of the show's eccentric touches, "City of Demons" is narrated by both Ellroy and an animated, corrupt city police dog named Barko. (Read more about the show here.)

According to Investigation Discovery, the show was pulled due to low ratings but will hopefully be relaunched at another point: "We fully stand behind the strength and uniqueness of the show though and are hoping to find a new home for it later this year," a spokeswoman said.

Three episodes have already run, with three more still on the shelf. Rob Owen first reported news of the show's disappearance here.

Maybe we should get Barko on the case.

Investigation Discovery Explores 'LA: City of Demons' With James Ellroy

James Ellroy is bringing his take on the dark side of Los Angeles to the Investigation Discovery channel.

"James Ellroy's LA: City of Demons," which debuts Jan. 19, looks at "some of Hollywood's most nihilistically notorious crimes from the past to the present."

In the six-part series, Ellroy will be front and center, talking to witnesses, prosecutors, investigators and jurors. To add an even more surreal sheen to the show, Ellroy's work will be interrupted occasionally by an animated crime dog, "Barko." Seriously.

"Crime is a palpitatingly perennial gas – and L.A. crime is the craaaazy creme-de-la-crime," Ellroy says. "Viewers are terribly tired of the trailer trash tragedies that caustically contaminate documentary TV. They wantonly want to groove, grok, gravitate and glide toward glamorous crime – and L.A. is where all that shimmering sh…stuff…pervertedly percolates. This show will be serious, satirical and great fun."

The show will kick off with Ellroy's personal account of the unsolved 1958 murder of his mother. The show will also look at the mob's relationship with the LAPD; the 1950's tabloids; dead celebrities; and serial killers such as the "Hillside Strangler."

Ellroy, of course, has chronicled the seedy side of L.A. through his books "The Black Dahlia," "The Big Nowhere," "L.A. Confidential" and "White Jazz." Ellroy just released his most recent memoir, "The Hilliker Curse."

"James Ellroy is the preeminent crime writer in the world, today, and provides our audience with an outrageous roller-coaster ride that neither they nor ID ever wants to end," said Henry Schleiff, president and general manager, Investigation Discovery. "Indeed, while Ellroy has said that crime owns him, what is even more fascinating is how this 'Diogenes of the Dark' captivates millions of readers and our audience through his incredible storytelling."

Digital Ranch Prods. is behind the show; Rob Kirk, Rob Lihani; David Cargill and Sara Kozak are executive producers.