"Southland" (2009) TV series

User Rating:

8.5/10   

Creator:

Ann Biderman

Seasons:

1 | 2

Release Date:

9 April 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Plot Keywords:

Lapd | Los Angeles California | Police Officer | Police | Police Detective

Cast

Kevin Alejandro	...	Detective Nate Moretta (8 episodes, 2009)
Arija Bareikis	...	Officer Chickie Brown (8 episodes, 2009)
Michael Cudlitz	...	Officer John Cooper (8 episodes, 2009)
Shawn Hatosy	...	Detective Sammy Bryant (8 episodes, 2009)
Regina King	...	Detective Lydia Adams (8 episodes, 2009)
Michael McGrady	...	Detective Daniel Salinger (8 episodes, 2009)
Ben McKenzie	...	Officer Ben Sherman (8 episodes, 2009)
Tom Everett Scott	...	Detective Russell Clarke (8 episodes, 2009)
Emily Bergl	...	Tammi Bryant (7 episodes, 2009)
Roxana Brusso	...	Detective Alicia Fernandez (6 episodes, 2009)
Patrick Fischler	...	Detective Kenny 'No-Gun' (5 episodes, 2009)
Lex Medlin	...	Detective Andy Williams (5 episodes, 2009)
Emily Swallow	...	Dina Clarke (5 episodes, 2009)
C. Thomas Howell	...	Officer Billy Dewey (4 episodes, 2009)
Carla Jeffery	...	Janila (4 episodes, 2009)

Also Known As:

LAPD (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

USA:60 min (including commercials)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (HD)

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Filming Locations:

Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

John Wells Productions

Trivia:

Bystanders at shooting locations thought that Ben McKenzie had changed careers from acting to law enforcement.

Soundtrack:

Canção do Mar (Song of the Sea)

Very well-acted, superbly crafted, suspenseful drama with a point of view

At first this looked to be a kind of watered-down version of "The Shield" but the first-rate production work and the quality of the acting kept me interested. As the characters interacted and events unfolded I detected an intention to present a realistic -- if condensed -- version of life on the streets for LAPD. More importantly, I could sense that, unlike so many of today's TV dramas, this program seems to have something to say. Generally speaking, only TV producers Dick Wolf and David E. Kelley can be counted on to deliver on that score -- at least for the first ten years or so! For me, the jury is still out on "Southland". So far, so good ... Just watched the second episode -- better than the first -- solid! This really IS turning out to be a cop version of "ER" ... grounded in realistic detail ... focused on the minute by minute challenges of realistically portrayed characters. This one could be a keeper!