Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Southland
This is a police procedural with a large ensemble cast of actors some of whom have been around for decades on and off the big screen.
Shawn Hatosy Alpha Dog, Borstal Boy
C. Thomas Howell E.T., The Outsiders
Tom Everett Scot That Thing You Do,
Michael McGrady The Thin Red Line
Michael Cudlitz Band of Brothers--Bull Randleman
Ben McKenzie The pouty kid from the OC
It repeats the now successful formula of combining police work with scenes from the officers’ private lives. Once again we are shown the ropes by the device of having a rookie, here McKenzie paired with an experienced Officer, Cudlitz.
These officers manage to get their jobs done despite their personal problems, foibles, and demons. The story-lines serve to put a human face on law enforcement with an emphasis on police service; as when the vice squad officer tells the perp with a baby in the rear seat to get out of there rather than make the arrest or the detective who goes that extra mile behind the scenes to ensure a questionable mother gets to keep her one-year-old.
Set in Los Angeles our rookie friend was born with a silver spoon in his mouth in Beverley Hills and has a high profile lawyer father who abandoned his family. Rookie and trainer exchange child abuse stories. We get treated to the usual number of car and foot chase scenes and a certain amount of gunfire including a memorable pilot episode event in which Ben demonstrates his shooting prowess and a later one in which he applies a sleeper hold.
What sets this show apart from the many others of its genre I could name is its emphasis on the people who commit crime and the people who combat it. Legalize and investigative process is kept to a minimum. We spend little time with lawyers and no time in court nor is there much emphasis put on punishment. What we do get is a sense of the frustrations facing officers due to budget restraints. The 20-year back up of DNA tests, the difficulty getting someone into a witness protection program, the inequalities in the service provided high-end neighbourhoods versus slums.
Shawn Hatosy Alpha Dog, Borstal Boy
C. Thomas Howell E.T., The Outsiders
Tom Everett Scot That Thing You Do,
Michael McGrady The Thin Red Line
Michael Cudlitz Band of Brothers--Bull Randleman
Ben McKenzie The pouty kid from the OC
It repeats the now successful formula of combining police work with scenes from the officers’ private lives. Once again we are shown the ropes by the device of having a rookie, here McKenzie paired with an experienced Officer, Cudlitz.
These officers manage to get their jobs done despite their personal problems, foibles, and demons. The story-lines serve to put a human face on law enforcement with an emphasis on police service; as when the vice squad officer tells the perp with a baby in the rear seat to get out of there rather than make the arrest or the detective who goes that extra mile behind the scenes to ensure a questionable mother gets to keep her one-year-old.
Set in Los Angeles our rookie friend was born with a silver spoon in his mouth in Beverley Hills and has a high profile lawyer father who abandoned his family. Rookie and trainer exchange child abuse stories. We get treated to the usual number of car and foot chase scenes and a certain amount of gunfire including a memorable pilot episode event in which Ben demonstrates his shooting prowess and a later one in which he applies a sleeper hold.
What sets this show apart from the many others of its genre I could name is its emphasis on the people who commit crime and the people who combat it. Legalize and investigative process is kept to a minimum. We spend little time with lawyers and no time in court nor is there much emphasis put on punishment. What we do get is a sense of the frustrations facing officers due to budget restraints. The 20-year back up of DNA tests, the difficulty getting someone into a witness protection program, the inequalities in the service provided high-end neighbourhoods versus slums.
# posted by garthmailman@gmail.com @ 5:43 pm 
