TNT renews 'Southland' for season 5
Cop drama will return next February with 10 new episodes
Shawn Hatosy and Ben McKenzie in "Southland," which TNT just renewed.
TNT has ordered a fifth season of "Southland."
The John Wells-produced cop drama will return in February of 2013 with a 10-episode season. Wells had reportedly been seeking a 13-episode order for the show, which has been a rare example of a canceled show being picked up by another network. "Southland" debuted on NBC in the spring of 2009, and was renewed for the following season despite low ratings. Then NBC executives decided they didn't agree with Wells' vision for the show and pulled the plug after six episodes had been shot, but before any had aired. TNT picked up those six as a low-cost flyer, and have kept the show going ever since on a reduced budget that's eliminated all but four regular castmembers: Michael Cudlitz, Regina King, Shaw Hatosy and Ben McKenzie.
I've by and large enjoyed the two TNT-produced seasons much more than the NBC version of the show. It's an instance where cutting costs actually helped the series by forcing Wells and company to tighten their focus. Of course, many of the best moments in the fourth season came courtesy of Cudlitz and recurring guest star Lucy Liu, who's gone on to star in CBS' contemporary Sherlock Holmes pilot "Elementary," which seems a good bet to be on the fall schedule. (And her character was already written out at the end of season 4.)
Good news that the show gets to keep going, though.
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Login or create a HitFix account Login Signupryanschwartz
May 4, 2012 at 1:08PM EST Reply to CommentI remember downloading the pilot for free from iTunes a couple of years ago and thoroughly enjoying it. Perhaps I'll catch up this summer given how much critics have been raving about it since its move to TNT. It's not like there are that many episodes to catch up on!
Jobin
May 4, 2012 at 1:25PM EST Reply to CommentI'd check it out, its definitely a really solid cop show. Cudlitz and whoever is in the patrol car with them, are the best parts of the show every year.
Great news that its been renewed.
Hopefully Cuditz gets a shot in a more high profile show because he's been fantastic on Southland.
guest
May 4, 2012 at 1:33PM EST Reply to CommentUm, Regina King.
sepinwall Yes. Thank you.
May 4, 2012 at 3:29PM ESTTom3345
May 4, 2012 at 1:46PM EST Reply to CommentShould I catch up on this show this summer? If I have the time, it's probably going to be either this or The Good Wife, and I think I will enjoy this a lot more than TGW. It also has half as many episodes.
Meghan That's tough. They're both awesome. And completely different in tone, plot, and characters. It's like choosing between pizza and sushi for dinner.
May 4, 2012 at 4:22PM ESTSareeta I'd recommend Southland. It's more than just a cop show; it's more about the cops than case(s) of the week. Also, the way it is filmed it feels very realistic, like you're right there with the action.
May 4, 2012 at 6:09PM ESTOh, and I didn't like The Good Wife at all. I find the performances of Julianne Marguiles and Archie Punjabi very wooden and the cases are ridiculous in a bad way.
mcspinelli
May 4, 2012 at 4:57PM EST Reply to CommentThis show is hands-down the best cop drama on tv. Ben McKenzie really showed his range last season. Regina King is always good. Michael Cudlitz and Shawn Hatosy take this show to the next level in terms of their performances. Even the recurring characters like Dewey (C. Thomas Howell) are great. Also, it bypasses the cheesy writing most shows like this are guilty for. The plots don't always workout rosy for the characters, which makes this show's storylines spectacular and feel real.
Danny I'm usually very good at spotting an actor many years past their heyday, so I'm flabbergasted that I didn't recognize C. Thomas Howell as Dewey. I really enjoyed him as a teen actor in everything from a bit in ET, an ensemble like The Outsiders, to starring roles in Secret Admirer and other flicks. He'd fallen off my radar since the early 90's though.
May 7, 2012 at 12:22PM ESTJonG
May 5, 2012 at 3:56AM EST Reply to Commentshouldn't NBC rebuild through 12-16 episode dramas? it seems that this, Life, Prime Suspect and more would have been more successful.
Erika Herzog
May 5, 2012 at 11:13PM EST Reply to Commenti'm grateful SOUTHLAND is going to come back but that's not a very big order. it's a bit of a mixed bag, this news.... hopefully people will continue to watch and they will be asked to do more than 10 episodes. any chance of that happening or is this going to be it.
i feel such allegiance to this show, the way it is shot, the talent both in front of and behind the camera. i think it's so original and yet the characters are people i care about -- even ben mckenzie going off the rails and regina king stuck in that box they put her in.....
i don't get a lot of the shows that are so popular nowadays. but i get SOUTHLAND. i hope other people will show up for it next season.
RSG
May 6, 2012 at 8:25AM EST Reply to CommentHappy dance! A truly enjoyable, quality show.
RSG
May 6, 2012 at 8:25AM EST Reply to CommentHappy dance!! Quality and enjoyable show.
David
May 9, 2012 at 12:34AM EST Reply to CommentWrite a comment...Awesome best cop show on tv, very realistic too. My best friend growing up is lapd and he says while its still made for tv its very realistic in a lot of places.
Bluebleeder
November 25, 2012 at 12:28PM EST Reply to Comment10 Episodes!?!?! THAT'S IT!!!???!!!!
Bluebleeder
November 25, 2012 at 12:29PM EST Reply to Comment10 Episodes???? THAT'S IT?????? This show is awesome and deserves more than 10 episodes!