From NBC.com:

It appears to be a run-of-the-mill cop show, but at least it focuses on beat cops and not detectives, which has been done to death. If it's anything like Third Watch, I'll be satisfied. Kevin Alejandro and Tom Everett Scott are in it, so I will definitely check it out.

The show premieres April 9th at 10pm.

I've had a hard time watching cop shows since The Wire but the cast list is interesting and I loved Third Watch too so I'll check it out.

And Benjamin McKenzie is all kinds of Yum.

This show sounds like a more self-important High Incident to me. But hey, between Michael Cudlitz and Shawn Hatosy (who knew the LAPD was so Irish?), I have no choice but to hope it's decent 'cause I'll be watching, suck or not.

I was going to say it sounds a lot like that David Keith show on ABC, turns out that's the one. I can't see this doing any better.

I'm so excited for this show. It looks like there is a great cast assembled here. I'm not going to lie, Ben Mackenzie is hot. I will give this show at least 4 episodes based on Ben alone.

I enjoyed High Incident and I really like stories about LAPD patrol cops because my brother is one. I liked the Danny/Julien parts of The Shield. Throw in Ben McKenzie and Regina King and I'm in.

THE FUTON'S FIRST LOOK: "SOUTHLAND" (NBC)

The Futon Critic posted the first review for Southland. Read it here (spoilery!)

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/rant.aspx?id...90401_southland

Kristin Eonline Spoiler Chat

Suzanne in Hickory, N.C.: Any scoop on the series finale of one of the greatest shows of all time, ER?

Shane West told E! News, “I do know the punch line for the finale…and it’s something that everybody [should] tune in and watch. They end it very well.” BTW, the pilot for Southland (the time-slot successor to ER), starring Ben McKenzie, is awesome. You will definitely still have something good to watch on NBC at 10 p.m. after ER goes off the air.

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with...l_guest_in.html

Midseason TV Preview: What Should You Watch?

SOUTHLAND (NBC) - Thursday, April 9, 10 p.m.

Cast: Benjamin McKenzie, Tom Everett Scott, Regina King, Michael Cudlitz, Kevin Alejandro, Arija Bareikis

Ben Sherman (Ben McKenzie) is a rookie cop who’s being shown the ropes by his partner, John Cooper (the great Michael Cudlitz). As he learns about the streets and struggles with a cop’s life in L.A., which includes shooting a man dead on his first shift, the audience learns along with him. As McKenzie says, “This [cop's life] is a way of being. This is a tribe you are entering, and you are going to do it for the rest of your life, or [you are going to] die doing it.”

Verdict: With this cast, a John Wells gritty cop drama in ER’s old time slot is almost an unbeatable proposition.

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with...=rss_topstories

From nbc.com -- Character Profiles (spoilery!)

Ben Sherman: http://www.nbc.com/southland/video/clips/p...herman/1075797/


John Cooper: http://www.nbc.com/southland/video/clips/p...cooper/1075791/


Lydia Adams: http://www.nbc.com/southland/video/clips/p...-adams/1075795/


Ben Mckenzie on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to promote Southland


Ben will be appearing on The Ellen Show on Thursday, April 2.

From the show’s website:

BEN MCKENZIE (“Southland”): He was the dreamy one on “The O.C.”! Actually, that may not narrow it down, but I do know he’s handsome. Now he’s starring as a rookie cop on the new series “Southland”… from the creators of “ER”! And he’s such a gentleman! Last time he was here, he brought me some homemade guacamole! (I’ve got my fingers crossed that tortilla chips are next!) He also told about the abandoned pit bull named Oscar that he adopted — and I can’t wait to get an update!

http://ellen.warnerbros.com/thisweek/

First episode is up on hulu - Southland - Pilot

Hmmm...I wasn't planning on watching this show b/c I generally hate procedurals, but I decided to watch the pilot on Hulu b/c I was bored, and I'm really glad I did. Waaaay different/better than I thought it would be based on the rather annoying promos. This seems kinda like the network answer to The Wire or The Shield, and while I don't think there's any way it can measure up to either (it is on a broadcast network after all), I think I'm really gonna like this show. The cast totally clicks for me - I didn't even know Regina King was in this, and she rocks so that was a nice surprise. Same with Kevin Alejandro and Shawn Hatosy. But what really surprised me was the writing/directing. I always appreciate it when shows leave most of the melodrama at the door and don't try to manipulate me, so thanks for that, Southland. It got a little speechy/hammy there toward the end, but few pilots are perfect, so I'm definitely on board for the foreseeable future.

Oh, and I think if Ben McKenzie were playing David in Kings, I might actually like that character. He plays a very convincing and relatable rookie. After seeing how good he was in Junebug, it's nice to see him becoming more than "The Kid From The OC."

Yeah, the pilot was a lot better than I thought it would be. I appreciate the cast; it looks like they'll be going into some angsty places, but in a low-key way.

Really? I thought it was pretty dull. I mean, it was fine, I guess, and it has a great cast (Regina King and Michael Cudlitz yaaaaay!). But overall it just felt like Generic Cop Show v. 329. Pure paint-by-numbers stuff. I'll probably keep watching for now, but only because, again, the cast is strong, and because I'm interested in their plans for Cudlitz's character. But other than that, eh. The writing was good enough, but... eh. "Good enough" isn't a very high bar. Still, other shows have started generic and gotten interesting, so we'll see.



Heh, totally true, but I still called him "The Kid From The OC" throughout. Poor Ben!

(Should I spoiler-bar this for now? It's all pretty vague.)

I wonder if that will effect the ratings at all? Or are Hulucasts now actually counted?


Did they think McKenzie couldn't remember another name? He's already played a "Ryan". I HATE these "same name as the actors" things, and hope it was just a coincidence.

Given all the "heir to ER" b.s., why have they screwed up in part by NBC giving away the coveted timeslot soon to Chin-o? WAY to derail the "legacy" NBC!

I found some of it speechy/clunky/ridiculous, but I always must forgive pilots. The feel of it, at least, seems promising, and the cast is great. Also, I fucking love Ben McKenzie.

I thought this was pretty promising. Plus, Ryan arrested Oliver! However, was Tom Everett Scott supposed to give off a creep vibe? I thought the acting from all of the guest actors(the three girl witnesses, and the little sister of the boy who got shot) were great.

I read that there was a gay character, and I thought it was Shawn Hatosy. However, I'm guessing that Michael Cudlitz was at a gay bar at the end of the episode.

I don't watch many cop shows, but I really liked the pilot. But then I would watch Ben McKenzie in anything.

No need to guess. It's made pretty obvious.

As I feared from the trailers, there's a kind of heavy, portentous tone to the pilot that I wouldn't be crazy about on a weekly basis. But it worked well enough in a one-off situation, and if they dial down the Cudlitz character's preachiness, they'll be halfway there. I don't know if it was just because of the use of a digital camera, but there was a definite Michael Mann vibe to the pilot, although not quite as brooding. Aside from the Cudlitz/McKenzie pairing, I didn't get a very good sense of the relationships between the regulars, but the cast is certainly large enough to give them room to work.

Agreed. I especially loved that one girl witness with the quiet air about her.

I saw this on Hulu today, and I really liked it. Though I'm a sucker for LA based shows.

But so far, it's got my attention and I'll be tuning weekly. But, usually when I like a show starting from the pilot, it gets canceled. Hope that doesn't happen here.

I hope that kid who got shot recovers, if only to remember that "I don't bang" = Not a place.

I thought the pilot was okay, but this show seems to take itself waaay too seriously and trying too hard, especially with the detectives' personal lives and with the camaraderie between the cops. But I'm glad that Ponyboy is getting some work and that dude from Dirt as well.

I was so confused on Ben's character. Is he Ben McKenzie? Or what? They kept referring to him acting and whatnot...

Anyway, I'll watch the next episode at least. I don't think they've found their voice yet.


Gangbangers will shoot you no matter what you say.

Not sure about this show and haven't seen the pilot yet. Can't stand that guy from The O.C. (ducks!), but I think that Third Watch was one of the best things on network TV ever, and ER certainly was worthwhile viewing for many years... so I'm inclined to give John Wells the benefit of the doubt. We'll see. The McKenzie guy might be a deal-breaker, but if it's not all him all the time, I might be able to get through the first ep.

As I understand it, Ben, the series one, is a cop, but from a very privileged family in LA, so when exOliver gets arrested, he recognises him and assumes that this is some kind of a "Punked" tv show.
And why the writers couldn't change the character's name when they had got Ben Mc? There is a lot of confusion ahead.
Good review from "The New York Times" - Southland

With one glaring plot inaccuracy. The kid shot by the gangbangers doesn't die, at least not by the end of the episode. Fact checking at the Gray Lady isn't what it was. Doing less with less, no doubt.

I haven't watched the pilot because I want to watch it at 10 tonight but that is the only part of the promos that seriously turns me off. Every time it comes on, I can't help thinking, "Are the writers serious? Who talks like that?"

No kidding! Did the Cudlitz character skip police college and just watch Training Day too many times? Yeesh. Those promos aren't exactly building my confidence in the show.

The pacing could pick up a little, and there were some too obvious twists and turns, but overall I liked it. Ben McKenzie is the reason I wanted to watch, as I think he's a good actor. Most of the cast clicked well. And the use of The National's "Fake Empire" scored bonus points at the end.

Wasn't expecting to like this but I think I'm in. Got me to put down the laptop. That counts for something.

Inserting profanity just to bleep it out isn't adding to the realism, it's just *bleeping* annoying. Good show though.

I liked it enough to keep watching. I was starting to get sick of the promo, so I'm glad it finally aired. I'm gonna have to get used to it being so stylized, I guess that's the right word.


Heh. I didn't know how to describe it, but this works.

Couldn't make it past the first 15 minutes. Must not be into the cop shows anymore, I guess! Nice to see the show worked better for other foks.

I originally watched to see Ben McKenzie, but I pretty much loved the whole cast. Good show.

Asking as a Canadian, why did they keep asking Ben if he's from Canada?

When Ben didn't laugh at the "joke" about they guy who scooped his balls out with a spoon, he got branded as a "Canadian." ("What are you, from Canada or something?") Not sure when it was decided that Canadians weren't funny, but that's what all the Canada talk was about.

I'm glad that the kid who wasn't a gang banger didn't actually die, which I guess means I loved it, because I cared about his character when he was only on the screen for 5 minutes.

I was surprised by how much I liked it! The cast has a lot of potential, and Ben McK can really play the fish out of water.

Oh OK missed that line. Thanks. Well, I can't speak for all Canadians, but I think we laugh at "ball" jokes as much as anybody.

Had a definite Sheild vibe about it. Regina King was great and gives me hope along with the rest of the cast that these characters will be more prominent than a lot of procedurals where character development is often sacrificed.

Seriously! It's like "Hey we made this pilot for HBO but they turned us down." I hope they quit it. It wouldn't hurt it one bit.

I thought it was because the general American view of Canada is that it's a very peaceful place compared to Los Angeles. Therefore, he wouldn't laugh at a ball joke--he'd just find it offensive. It's a stereotype that's pretty popular in pop culture.

I really enjoyed that. For a pilot, it did a good job of establishing a lot of characters very well (Cooper's ridiculous speech notwithstanding). I found myself gasping out loud at some of the more violent moments, and had to look away when they found the dead guy being eaten by his own dogs. Ben McK and Regina King were great. Even the child actors were well-cast and affecting. And it's always good to get a complex, unstereotypical gay character in a show like this. I'm in.

However, as nicely gritty as this was, I hope John Wells remembers that what made ER great (and Third Watch, too) was the moments of humor and camaraderie among the characters, not just the unrelenting misery.

I agree.  I liked the pilot much more then I thought I would, will definitely watch next week.

I was a little startled by how white the cast was. This is Los Angeles, a major metropolitan area with a huge Asian and Latino population. How does that translate into two characters of colour? Oh, and TWO female characters? Come on.

For some reason that never crossed my mind. But if this show is going to be anything like E.R. we'll be seeing new characters in no time.

I forgot what I thought was pretty cute about this episode: when that girl that was interviewed kept asking if she would make a great cop. That was nice.

Not just white, but Irish.

Aside from the whiteness of the cast, and the over-the-top preachy bit with Cooper, I'm ready to give this a chance. True, my main reason for tuning in was Ben McK, but I want to see if it can live up to the hype it's been given. I'm hoping that with the John Wells pedigree, it will.

This show has already received excellent reviews, from Variety to The New York Times. And folks? I really, really don't want to be watching Leno at 10 every night. I can't see Southland in any other timeslot---so what will happen come the Fall?

While I thought the acting was good and the characters interesting the overall tone of the show was too grim for my taste.

It took ER a decade to add a regular East Indian doc, so since this is the same producer, we should even out the cast by season five or so, I'm guessing. This felt painfully 1993 to me--"these kids gettin' killed for wearin' the wrong color!" Cynical cops! Grieving ghetto moms! Glowering latinos with ferocious tattoos! Sadly, these problems haven't gone away in Los Angeles, but the whole vibe just felt very dated.

I believe the end of the quote was or "being the wrong color."

That storyline reminded me of the Jameel Shaw murder that happened last year, where this promising african american high school football player was gunned down just outside his house by latino gangbangers. He wasn't affiliated with any gangs and lived in the good part of town.



I guess it would be hard to make a cop show new. But it does feel a bit different than other cop show's I've seen, and it's not just because of the overexposed film they used.

It has a very ER vibe to it. It's not really about the cases and solving it, it seems to be more about the cops and getting through the day.

Anyways, on a lighter note, I cheered when I saw Kevin Alejandro in the cast. Has anyone else ever noticed that when he plays a good guy, he has hair, and when he plays a bad boy, his head is shaved?

Yeah, I thought it was about the cops getting through the day and thus a little more interesting than some of the other cop shows right now. I too like Ben McK and Regina King and want to see them develop. I liked the ending in the bar.

I thought the Canadian jokes were dumb. I got it because they do it all the time on How I Met Your Mother but I hope they drop it on this show. I guess Canada jokes might be part of pop culture but not that big a part. From Southpark and Blame Canada??? I grew up near the eastern Canadian border and while there were some Canuck jokes, it was not this kind. Is it a western thing? Just call him a rich kid and/or raw rookie.

I thought the show just pointed up that gang/ghetto problems in LA are still there rather than being dated. I also think the show will get more "color" with time.

It wasn't bad. And as a Canadian, I didn't mind the jokes as I just went through a series of them a few weeks ago when I met up with some friends who live in Connecticut and Mass....but I digress. The only thing is the entire time I was watching this I was thinking "NBC show about cops dealing with daily life in L.A. I adored the first time when it was called Boomtown and look what happened there." Ergo, I'm not getting my hopes up.

I need a little help with the ants scenes. Detective Adams and the other police officers originally searched the apartment that I believed belonged to the weird guy that mentioned how "undeveloped" the little girl was, finding only some old child (soft) porn magazines. (I'll ignore the fact that you'd never get a warrant based on one weird comment at the scene, but if you did you sure wouldn't wait hours later to serve it if you've got a missing child -- when she says she has a warrant it's light out but they serve it in the dark -- but whatever.) When they leave the apartment, she sees ants on the ground near the doorstep.

Later, she goes home to check on her mother, see ants on her counter (or her mother's) and says, "We have ants?" Her mother responds by saying something to the effect of, "They're all over. I would've used that spray but you said it's toxic." Then she gets the bright idea of checking the apartment next to the apartment originally searched? What? Why would seeing ants in her own apartment (or her mother's) suddenly lead to this conclusion? I've now watched that scene three times and makes absolutely no sense to me. But I may just be really dumb. Help?

I'm glad I'm not the only one who didn't get this. Hopefully someone can explain it because I kept thinking I missed some dialogue that made it make sense or something!

I'm willing to tune in again. Not that this show is meant to be compared to ER, but during the scene when the cops were raiding that house where the gang bangers were, I was sufficiently tense. So in that regard, like ER, they did a good job building tension. Although, every time Ben was on screen, I'd start singing "Cal-i-forn-ya...Cal-i-forn-ya...."

There was a middle bit, between the "they're all over" and the "I'd use the spray but it's toxic" statements, where she said that they had ants because there'd been a dead cockroach. And it occurred to Detective Regina King that ants often show up where there are dead things.

You know what's sad about the whiteness of this show? It's actually a lot less white than some other big-city cop shows that I watch.

I thought the pilot was really quite good. But, I'm a Michael Cudlitz whore and I'd have been happy if there had been an hour of him sitting at the bar in his black tshirt (yum!) drinking a beer. I'm simple like that. Yeah, the stuff he said to Ben seemes a bit much, about taking a bad guy off the streets permanently was "God's work", but I know a lot of cops and after a long time on the streets and seeing the evil that men do, I can't say they feel much differently, although they'd never necessarily put it that way.

I'll keep watching.

eta: I loved the line, "Welcome to the Asshole Rodeo". I just thought of it and I'm cracking up. See? Simple.