Tried out watching the first three episodes of this series, and ended up watching all episodes until its Season 3 finale. I rarely like police dramas, but
Southland is exceptional, with a first-rate cast that portrays Los Angeles policemen and detectives as imperfect, yet unrelenting in their jobs. It also features a side of L.A. that tourists will not enjoy seeing.
I liked the way it was filmed, using a mix of HD handcam and multicam shots, but unlike other shows that use this technique, the shots aren't shaky and most are nicely framed. There's also no music for an entire episode until the closing credits, which just adds to the gritty realism.
Southland started life on NBC as a summer replacement series in April 2009 with an initial run of 7 episodes. The network then renewed it for a second season, which was scheduled to air on October 2009. However, NBC screwed up its schedule in the wake of Jay Leno's return to late night TV, resulting in most of its shows being aired on a much earlier timeslot.
Southland was one of the casualties, and was cancelled weeks before its Season 2 premiere, as the network deemed the drama "too dark" for its timeslot--what were they expecting, candy and sunshine?
Fortunately, cable station TNT came to its rescue, and bought the rights to the series, including the 6 unaired episodes that comprised the 2nd Season.
Southland continues to thrive on TNT, and it's been renewed for a 4th Season that will return on January 2012.