Once upon a time, there was a promising young cop show called SOUTHLAND. It aired on NBC and garnered some decent ratings and positive reviews. But the ratings slipped ove the course of a half season and the network pulled the plug (The same network behind the Jay Leno Prime time disaster and the same network that is now redoing THE ROCKFORD FILES).
Enter: TNT. The cabler picked up the existing epsiodes of SOUTHLAND and is looking to order more…if the show does well.

Toninght SOUTHLAND debuts on TNT. This episode is actually longer than the one that aired on NBC. My understanding is that these episodes have been re-edited to take advantage of the creative freedoms that cable allows. I really can’t remember too much of the network broadcast so I can’t say what is different, but I can say this is a good show that deserves a look by anyone that enjoys crime drama. I found the characters interesting and ever after just one episode, I felt a connection with some of them.

Tonights episodes:

From the beaches of Malibu to the streets of East Los Angeles, this fast moving drama takes viewers inside the lives of cops, criminals, victims and their families. In the series premiere, seasoned police officer John Cooper and his rookie trainee Ben Sherman respond to a call that leaves Ben questioning whether or not he has what it takes to become a police officer. Meanwhile, homicide detectives Lydia Adams and Russell Clarke race against the clock in the search for a missing girl who may have been abducted. Gang-squad detectives Nate Moretta and Sammy Bryant hunt for a witness after an innocent victim is gunned down in a drive-by shooting. One of the witnesses, a teenage girl named Janila (guest star Carla Jeffery), seems unafraid to aid in their investigation, even though her cooperation might prove dangerous. Her information leads to a raid by burned-out police officer Dewey (guest star C. Thomas Howell) and his partner, Chickie Brown.

SOUTHLAND will air, commercial free, at 10 pm EST. Take a little time and give this deserving show a shot.