# Southland (2009)

> Four Los Angeles cops and detectives navigate the city's crime scenes and the personal toll their work takes on them and the people around them.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/16329

## Facts

- Seasons: 5
- Episodes: 43
- Episode runtime: 42 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: crime, drama
- Created by: Ann Biderman
- Network: NBC, TNT
- Cast: Ben McKenzie, Michael Cudlitz, Regina King, Shawn Hatosy, Arija Bareikis, Kevin Alejandro, C. Thomas Howell, Michael McGrady
- TMDB rating: 8.5/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1299368/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: gritty, raw, grounded, melancholic, tense

## What critics say

Audiences broadly regard Southland as an acclaimed, gritty and authentic portrait of Los Angeles police work, strongest after its uneven first season.

## Synopsis

Southland (2009-2013) is an American NBC and TNT police procedural drama created by Ann Biderman. Ben McKenzie plays rookie patrol officer Ben Sherman, Michael Cudlitz plays the seasoned Officer John Cooper recovering from surgery and trying to prove himself again, Regina King plays Detective Lydia Adams, whose unending caseload hits closer to home, and Shawn Hatosy plays Sammy Bryant, a former detective who returns to uniform after his partner's traumatic death. Set in contemporary Los Angeles, the series moves through patrol calls, homicide scenes, and the families of victims, following the officers as they chase suspects and wrestle with the cost of the job. Each season is a five-season serialized drama with continuing character arcs and rotating cases that build toward a larger personal story. The tone is raw, handheld, and unglamorous, with a documentary-like street texture and a steady undercurrent of grief and exhaustion. Fans of The Shield, Hill Street Blues, and Homicide: Life on the Street will find the same blend of gritty realism and ensemble cop drama. The show rewards viewers who want a grounded, character-focused look at urban policing without the polish of network procedurals.

## Shows like Southland

- [The Rookie (2018)](https://ember.film/tv/68542)
- [Dragnet (1951)](https://ember.film/tv/3536)
- [Hill Street Blues (1981)](https://ember.film/tv/3642)
- [21 Jump Street (1987)](https://ember.film/tv/1402)
- [Gang Related (2014)](https://ember.film/tv/45748)
- [Law & Order: LA (2010)](https://ember.film/tv/30033)
- [On Call (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/153500)
- [The Closer (2005)](https://ember.film/tv/1366)
- [Life (2007)](https://ember.film/tv/3612)
- [The Shield (2002)](https://ember.film/tv/1330)

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