Television: Southland, another cop drama, but old-school style Options

[WolfeFPS]

Anybody watch this? I've only caught the first three episodes, and like it so far... although it does this irritating repetition of character points.

I've heard the next three episodes tank a bit. Anyone shed some light?

[RaiderDave2112]

Never seen it.

[WolfeFPS]

Never seen it.

Gee, thanks for the insight.

[RaiderDave2112]

Gee, thanks for the insight.

Hey, glad I could help.

[herbsinger42]

Anybody watch this? I've only caught the first three episodes, and like it so far... although it does this irritating repetition of character points.

I've heard the next three episodes tank a bit. Anyone shed some light?

I have seen it... and I concur... the opening is lost in rehash, however!!
One might consider it the method by which they catch folk up if they missed the first eps... due to not knowin it was startin... havin other things to watch... Or, just a cheap way to cut their 47 minute episode down to, what, 42? I haven't timed it.

I do like the casting. I think the ensemble is broad enough to do some very interesting things. I am reminded of Hill Street Blues. The complexity of "the genre" certainly makes the large ensemble more likely in RL-- so I appreciate the feel.
I have a mixed feeling for the bleeping of strong language. The difficulty is student access to the video, that they bleep it signals it is inappropriate, but that adults do use it in real life. My kids tend to think they are grown... in spite of the reality that they're middle school... Still, it makes it a much more grown -up show, and gives it the ability to compete with cable production... except they wouldn't bleep the language. Lie to Me doesn't use profanity... and that is a VERY grown up showw...

Now... from where did you hear the next eps tank???

[Rowan]

Anybody watch this? I've only caught the first three episodes, and like it so far... although it does this irritating repetition of character points.

I've heard the next three episodes tank a bit. Anyone shed some light?

I watched the first three eps as well and then missed one or two and then caught a later ep and was very confused as none of the main characters from the first episodes seem to show up and I thought I had made a mistake as to which show I wanted to watch.

[Rowan]

I have seen it... and I concur... the opening is lost in rehash, however!!
One might consider it the method by which they catch folk up if they missed the first eps... due to not knowin it was startin... havin other things to watch... Or, just a cheap way to cut their 47 minute episode down to, what, 42? I haven't timed it.

I do like the casting. I think the ensemble is broad enough to do some very interesting things. I am reminded of Hill Street Blues. The complexity of "the genre" certainly makes the large ensemble more likely in RL-- so I appreciate the feel.
I have a mixed feeling for the bleeping of strong language. The difficulty is student access to the video, that they bleep it signals it is inappropriate, but that adults do use it in real life. My kids tend to think they are grown... in spite of the reality that they're middle school... Still, it makes it a much more grown -up show, and gives it the ability to compete with cable production... except they wouldn't bleep the language. Lie to Me doesn't use profanity... and that is a VERY grown up showw...

Now... from where did you hear the next eps tank???

Hill street blues is a good comparison and I too like the cast and complexity.

[RaiderDave2112]

I know its a cop show, but thats it.

[WolfeFPS]

I have seen it... and I concur... the opening is lost in rehash, however!!
One might consider it the method by which they catch folk up if they missed the first eps... due to not knowin it was startin... havin other things to watch... Or, just a cheap way to cut their 47 minute episode down to, what, 42? I haven't timed it.

Not what I was referring to, and those intros rarely last longer than a minute anyway. I actually like 'em.

I do like the casting. I think the ensemble is broad enough to do some very interesting things. I am reminded of Hill Street Blues. The complexity of "the genre" certainly makes the large ensemble more likely in RL-- so I appreciate the feel.
I have a mixed feeling for the bleeping of strong language. The difficulty is student access to the video, that they bleep it signals it is inappropriate, but that adults do use it in real life. My kids tend to think they are grown... in spite of the reality that they're middle school... Still, it makes it a much more grown -up show, and gives it the ability to compete with cable production... except they wouldn't bleep the language. Lie to Me doesn't use profanity... and that is a VERY grown up showw...

Personally, I wish we'd follow the British and have a censorship-free timeslot. A show like Southland would be perfect for that. And I hate Lie to Me. Contrived garbage, that is.

Now... from where did you hear the next eps tank???

Can't recall, although I just watched episodes 4 through 6 and thought they were fine. Looking forward to the "season finale."

That stated, I don't see this show lasting much longer. The big cast is great, but it's also going to hurt it, I think. A similar show in the 90s (High Incident) suffered from the same problems, and it barely made it through its second season.

[WolfeFPS]

I watched the first three eps as well and then missed one or two and then caught a later ep and was very confused as none of the main characters from the first episodes seem to show up and I thought I had made a mistake as to which show I wanted to watch.

Nah... it's a revolving cast. My favorites are the two beat cops and Regina King's character, but I've been satisfied by all of the character subplots so far... and the one detective with the crazy wife hits a bit close to home.

[WolfeFPS]

I know its a cop show, but thats it.

You need to learn how to post-whore.

[herbsinger42]

Not what I was referring to, and those intros rarely last longer than a minute anyway. I actually like 'em.

CODE

Then... enlighten me... please.

Personally, I wish we'd follow the British and have a censorship-free timeslot. A show like Southland would be perfect for that. And I hate Lie to Me. Contrived garbage, that is.

CODE

Well, gosh, Wolfe, don't hold back-- Any more contrived than any other written plot??? I don't find it preachy, I like that they use pics of lots of types of folk caught making the same mistake-- And I like the cast-- so that might give me more of a wish to see it succeed...

Can't recall, although I just watched episodes 4 through 6 and thought they were fine. Looking forward to the "season finale."

That stated, I don't see this show lasting much longer. The big cast is great, but it's also going to hurt it, I think. A similar show in the 90s (High Incident) suffered from the same problems, and it barely made it through its second season.

CODE

Since they can't find it in their tiny hearts to hang on to LIFE, no, I don't see it lasting a second season. Not clever... but then I'm not running the network.

[WolfeFPS]

Then... enlighten me... please.

It's when they say something pertaining to a character's past... then say it again... and again... and again... until they finally address whatever it was a couple of episodes later. It's irritating as Hell.

Well, gosh, Wolfe, don't hold back-- Any more contrived than any other written plot??? I don't find it preachy, I like that they use pics of lots of types of folk caught making the same mistake-- And I like the cast-- so that might give me more of a wish to see it succeed...

Oh, yeah... I'd say it's far more contrived than most shows. It'd be better if they had a procedural element to it, but the way it plays out it's almost as if the main character knows what's going on the whole time, then chooses to reveal it at the end of the hour. There's no substance to it. At least in The Mentalist (another show that's quickly getting boring), the actual team does some investigative work that feels at least somewhat necessary.

And I love Tim Roth, don't get me wrong, and most of the cast is great, but the leading actress doesn't sell me.

Since they can't find it in their tiny hearts to hang on to LIFE, no, I don't see it lasting a second season. Not clever... but then I'm not running the network.

Life suffered from bad promotion, and then too much confusion following the WGA strike. Staff writers left, replaced by not-as-good writers, and the whole "did we reboot or not" deal didn't help much. But, yeah, that show will be missed.

Southland's problem is its enormous cast, I think. It doesn't have the ability that E.R. had to feasibly put every character in the same location very often, which makes some of the plots harder to follow. But, it is good TV, so maybe it'll catch on.

In general, though, I think people are just tiring of the cop genre. They need a break.

[herbsinger42]

It's when they say something pertaining to a character's past... then say it again... and again... and again... until they finally address whatever it was a couple of episodes later. It's irritating as Hell.

CODE

AAHhhhhh... yeah... I had wondered a couple of times if I'd fallen asleep. I do that, these days. It is hot, I'm doin' my radiation, and not entirely recovered from the chemo brain...  It hints at the audience not runnin' on all four cylinders. (I live small) The opening, however... West Wing... ER-- a few shows have done a "previously"... currently on Bones, they do the mid show "catch up." I understand it it theory. But the purpose is not to give one highlights from the previous eps, I thought... instead to pick up a thread that was a few seasons ago, that will be spotlighted in this ep. Apparently, I am [i]not the on[/i]e running the filming/editing...

Oh, yeah... I'd say it's far more contrived than most shows. It'd be better if they had a procedural element to it, but the way it plays out it's almost as if the main character knows what's going on the whole time, then chooses to reveal it at the end of the hour. There's no substance to it. At least in The Mentalist (another show that's quickly getting boring), the actual team does some investigative work that feels at least somewhat necessary.

And I love Tim Roth, don't get me wrong, and most of the cast is great, but the leading actress doesn't sell me.


Life suffered from bad promotion, and then too much confusion following the WGA strike. Staff writers left, replaced by not-as-good writers, and the whole "did we reboot or not" deal didn't help much. But, yeah, that show will be missed.

Southland's problem is its enormous cast, I think. It doesn't have the ability that E.R. had to feasibly put every character in the same location very often, which makes some of the plots harder to follow. But, it is good TV, so maybe it'll catch on.

In general, though, I think people are just tiring of the cop genre. They need a break.

I do think if you wanna sell a cop show, it better have some kind of delightful twist... like Dexter... or eve Castle. The POV has to change. Except that... for us oldsters, rehashing the Hil Street characters would be lame... but it could work if they re-did it for the younger generation and updated the relationships... a thing they did do with LIFE.Granted the cast wasn't as unwieldy, but the concept is there. With word of Laurell K. Hamilton's work coming to TV... that has a cast that could be as complex... great spots for some outrageous cameos... or season stars... and it is, at its heart, a cop series. I think it could fly, but the location... can't go regular network- anymore than Tru Blood, or any number of others. It is NOT PG.

[CylonNo21]

Actually . . . it kind of sucks.

[WolfeFPS]

Actually . . . it kind of sucks.

Oh, really? Our resident curmudgeon hates something on TV? Really?

[WolfeFPS]

AAHhhhhh... yeah... I had wondered a couple of times if I'd fallen asleep. I do that, these days. It is hot, I'm doin' my radiation, and not entirely recovered from the chemo brain... It hints at the audience not runnin' on all four cylinders. (I live small) The opening, however... West Wing... ER-- a few shows have done a "previously"... currently on Bones, they do the mid show "catch up." I understand it it theory. But the purpose is not to give one highlights from the previous eps, I thought... instead to pick up a thread that was a few seasons ago, that will be spotlighted in this ep. Apparently, I am not the one running the filming/editing...

I think the purpose of every "previously on" is most certainly to remind viewers of important threads and plot points. Some might do a "last week on," but I can't think of a single show that I watch that just does it for the Hell of it. I usually skip them, anyway...

And that still wasn't what I was referring to. Southland takes a scene from the end of the show, freeze-frames it, and a narrator gives a quick synopsis of what's going through a character's head. I quite like that approach.

I do think if you wanna sell a cop show, it better have some kind of delightful twist... like Dexter... or eve Castle. The POV has to change. Except that... for us oldsters, rehashing the Hil Street characters would be lame... but it could work if they re-did it for the younger generation and updated the relationships... a thing they did do with LIFE.Granted the cast wasn't as unwieldy, but the concept is there. With word of Laurell K. Hamilton's work coming to TV... that has a cast that could be as complex... great spots for some outrageous cameos... or season stars... and it is, at its heart, a cop series. I think it could fly, but the location... can't go regular network- anymore than Tru Blood, or any number of others. It is NOT PG.

I disagree. I think we wind up with a ton of crap because writers feel the need to have some "delightful twist," when all the audience wants is a good story with good characters.

I see a huge similarity between Hill Street Blues and Southland, but I see very few similarities between HSB and Life. Care to elaborate on that a bit?

PG's for PBS.

[CylonNo21]

Oh, really? Our resident curmudgeon hates something on TV? Really?

Because it sucks.

Chuck is better.

Hell, even T:SCC was better.

[WolfeFPS]

Because it sucks.

Chuck is better.

Hell, even T:SCC was better.

It's good. Chuck is better, I agree. T:TSCC most certainly was not.

Notice the past tense of the latter.

[WolfeFPS]

Say what you will, resident curmudgeons, but that finale rocked.