Southland

Southland strips the glamour off television policing and sets the camera on the streets of Los Angeles, showing the messy, often painful work that officers do and how it touches everyone around them. The series concentrates on several LAPD officers at different points in their careers: John Cooper, a veteran trying to reassert himself after surgery; Ben Sherman, a rookie still finding his footing; Lydia Adams, a detective whose caseload carries personal weight; and Sammy Bryant, who returned to uniform work after losing his partner. Episodes move between patrol shifts, detective work, and home life, so the show balances procedural incidents with the emotional costs that come with the job.

Created by Ann Biderman, Southland premiered in 2009 on NBC before moving to TNT, and features Ben McKenzie, Michael Cudlitz, Regina King, Shawn Hatosy, and C. Thomas Howell among its leads.

Critics responded well to the series' unvarnished approach, and viewers have rated it near an 8 out of 10 based on available votes. Reviewers highlighted the ensemble performances and the series' willingness to show moral ambiguity rather than tidy resolutions. Recurring themes include trauma, accountability, the strain between duty and family, and how routine encounters can escalate into life changing moments.

The show left a mark by popularizing a grittier, single-camera, on-location style for contemporary police drama, influencing later series that aimed for realism over spectacle. Southland's handheld cinematography and focus on small, character-driven moments helped shift expectations about how policing and Los Angeles itself could be portrayed on TV. It also served as an early showcase for several cast members who went on to steady, high-profile careers, and it remains a reference point for viewers looking for a darker, more human take on law enforcement stories.