TNT premieres Southland at 10PM tonight with an extended commercial-free version of the series’ pilot episode. Season 1 will air through February and then new Season 2 episodes air on February 23.
Review by Craig Byrne
Southland, the L.A.-based cop drama from producer John Wells (ER, The West Wing), premiered on NBC late last year to some very quick critical acclaim. The realistic settings and high production values – in addition to some great cast performances – set the show apart quickly, bringing back memories of other good “cop shows” of the past such as Hill Street Blues. In essence, it seemed that John Wells was doing for police procedurals what ER did for medical shows.
Admittedly, I did not watch it the first chance I had. And despite some recommendations from friends, I never did get a chance to see it.
Southland was scheduled to have its second season on NBC, but, perhaps fearing it didn’t work as a 9PM show and sending it off to a Friday night timeslot anyway, NBC gave up. Fortunately, the TNT cable network picked up the show and now viewers get to see what they may have missed.
TNT is showing all seven episodes of Season 1, starting with an extended commercial-free version of the series pilot tonight. Season 2 episodes – never before seen – start on TNT on February 23.
So what did I think?
First, I’d have to commend the show’s power over emotion. The best TV or movies are those that can make you feel something, whether it’s sadness, terror, or joy; and Southland gives us that. Some of the performances are understated, such as what The O.C.‘s Ben McKenzie brings to the table; but it actually works for the kind of role he is playing. My feelings of “Ryan Atwood in a squad car” went away really quickly.
One character I really liked was the one played by Regina King. She played a detective character with a lot of empathy. The cop that Ben McKenzie’s rookie character is paired with is also a favorite, and his personal life offers some surprises only teased at the end of the series pilot.
I live in Los Angeles and seeing some of the scarier elements of it appealed to me and set the tone. I’m sure we’ve all driven a place that is a little scary, and that uncomfortability is taken advantage in the production of this show.
If I have any real complaint – and you’ve probably noticed this in my review – it’s that I had a lot of trouble picking up on the names of the characters. Ben McKenzie is Ben Sherman, but beyond that? Not a clue. I loved the characters, but I think I would have really gotten behind it even more if I knew exactly who they were. In fact, when comparing it to TNT’s other dark drama of the past year, Dark Blue, I have to say that this series has a lot more characters that you can get behind and rally behind. And there are some that you flat-out hate. I like that a lot.
I really hope the TNT airings of Southland do well for the network, because the selfish TV viewer in me wants more than the 20 hours that we will be presented with. It’s a show that deserves a look, and I think it’s a perfect fit for cable…. I just hope if more episodes are produced they don’t lose any of this series’ excellent cast.
Clearly, this show is not for children or even teens. But if you want a good TV drama, something that keeps you interested for the entire hour, and something that will make you feel something, Southland is highly recommended.
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