Streaming is good for a lot of things but one of the best is that it can resurrect a TV show and make it a star years after it goes off the air. The latest series to benefit from that second chance is Southland, the police drama that ended far too soon and is now headed to Netflix. Thirteen years after its finale, Southland will officially begin streaming on Netflix on January 16, opening the door for a whole new wave of viewers to discover one of the most grounded and unflinching cop shows of the modern TV era. While Netflix may now dominate the television landscape, its library remains one of the best places to uncover overlooked gems — and Southland fits that bill perfectly.
Created by Ann Biderman (Ray Donovan), Southland premiered on NBC in April 2009 before finding a new home on TNT, where it ran for four additional seasons. Set in Los Angeles, the series follows the day-to-day lives of LAPD officers and detectives as they navigate the chaos, danger, and moral gray areas of urban policing. At the center of the show is veteran cop John Cooper, played by Michael Cudlitz, who’s tasked with training rookie officer Ben Sherman (Ben McKenzie).
Despite its authenticity and ambition, Southland struggled to break through at the time. The series aired during an absolutely stacked era of television, going up against cultural juggernauts like Breaking Bad, Mad Men, The Walking Dead, Community, Parks and Recreation, and Modern Family. By the time it wrapped in 2013, Netflix was just beginning its original programming run with House of Cards, and Southland quietly slipped into the background.
Is ‘Southland’ Worth Watching?
Across its five-season run, Southland holds an impressive 90% critics score and an almost unheard-of 98% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. While Season 1 earned a still-respectable 77% from critics, later seasons only improved, with Seasons 2 through 4 earning perfect audience scores and near-universal critical praise. Season 5 capped things off with a 97% audience rating, solidifying the show’s reputation as one of the most consistent crime dramas of its era.
Even Steven Spielberg was a fan, calling the series “genius” in 2009. “I watch the new show Southland that John Wells does, which I think is genius,” he said at the time — high praise that unfortunately still wasn’t enough to save the series from cancellation.
Southland begins streaming on Netflix on January 16.
Release Date
2009 – 2013-00-00
Directors
Christopher Chulack, Nelson McCormick, Félix Enríquez Alcalá, Allison Anders
Writers
Ann Biderman, Dee Johnson, Mitchell Burgess, Robin Green, Diana Son, Angela Amato Velez
