Police procedurals have been winning over viewers for over 70 years. From Dragnet and Hill Street Blues to NYPD Blue and NCIS, police-driven TV shows are extremely reliable forms of content. Many of these procedurals have found new audiences thanks to their resurgence on streaming.
Netflix is hoping to have another streaming winner in Southland, a gritty crime drama that premiered on NBC in 2009. NBC canceled the show weeks before the season 2 release date. TNT then saved the show, and the drama continued for four additional seasons. While billed as a procedural, Southland is more interested in exploring the lives of the characters than the police work.
When does Southland arrive on Netflix?
Credit: Doug Hyun/TNT
All five seasons of Southland are now streaming on Netflix. There are 43 episodes spread throughout the five seasons, which ran from 2009 to 2013. The underrated drama focuses on a group of LAPD police officers and detectives who must navigate the dangers of the job with their complicated personal lives.
Southland’s cast includes Michael Cudlitz as John Cooper, Ben McKenzie as Ben Sherman, Shawn Hatosy as Sammy Bryant, and Regina King as Lydia Adams. The show initially followed John Cooper, a veteran LAPD officer paired with newbie Ben Sherman on the latter’s first day of work. In the subsequent episodes, Sammy Bryant, a detective who later returns to patrol, and Lydia Adams, an excellent detective in the homicide unit, were added to the core ensemble alongside Cooper and Sherman.
Other notable names that appeared throughout the series include C. Thomas Howell, Tom Everett Scott, Laz Alonso, Bokeem Woodbine, Jamie McShane, Chad Michael Murray, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Lucy Liu.
Ann Biderman created Southland for NBC. Biderman previously worked on another famous procedural, NYPD Blue, and won an Emmy for writing during the show’s first season. After Southland, Biderman went on to create Showtime’s Ray Donovan, another crime drama starring Liev Schreiber.
Southland deserved a longer run on televison
Credit: NBCUniversal
Many TV fans cite Southland as a show that ended way too early. Fans were immediately disappointed upon the cancellation news because the season 5 finale ended on a cliffhanger involving the fate of a main character.
It’s one of the rare shows to get better during its run. The show has a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, including a perfect score for the final two seasons. Season 1 played more like a proof of concept — it only aired seven episodes. Season 2 expanded the universe but felt incomplete due to the six-episode limit. Southland found its footing during the final three seasons, as it transformed into an immersive examination of a profession where every day could be someone’s last.
Southland’s run may have ended, but people can now experience it for the very first time on Netflix.
- Release Date
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2009 – 2013-00-00
- Network
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NBC, TNT
- Directors
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Christopher Chulack, Nelson McCormick, Félix Enríquez Alcalá, Allison Anders
- Writers
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Ann Biderman, Dee Johnson, Mitchell Burgess, Robin Green, Diana Son, Angela Amato Velez
Besides Southland, this weekend marks the arrival of Netflix’s The Rip, which sees Matt Damon and Ben Affleck reunite in a cop drama. There are also plenty of shows to stream on Netflix this January, including Bridgerton season 4.