Review of Southland

At first this looked to be a kind of watered-down version of "The Shield" but the first-rate production work and the quality of the acting kept me interested. As the characters interacted and events unfolded I detected an intention to present a realistic -- if condensed -- version of life on the streets for LAPD. More importantly, I could sense that, unlike so many of today's TV dramas, this program seems to have something to say. Generally speaking, only TV producers Dick Wolf and David E. Kelley can be counted on to deliver on that score -- at least for the first ten years or so! For me, the jury is still out on "Southland". So far, so good ... Just watched the second episode -- better than the first -- solid! This really IS turning out to be a cop version of "ER" ... grounded in realistic detail ... focused on the minute by minute challenges of realistically portrayed characters. This one could be a keeper!