REVIEW: SOUTHLAND on TNT

SOUTHLAND, the gritty drama series from Warner Bros. Television and Emmy-winning producer John Wells debuts tonight on TNT. The show first aired in NBC last spring to much critical acclaim. With NBC giving up the 10 o'clock hour for the now failed Jay Leno experiment, SOUTHLAND became expendable to the network. Big mistake. NBC's loss is TNT's gain. TNT will air seven previously-aired episodes, as well as six all-new episodes beginning March 2.

SOUTHLAND is a raw, authentic look at police work in Los Angeles that takes viewers into the lives of cops, criminals, victims and their families. In keeping with the creators' original vision, TNT's presentation of SOUTHLAND will restore some of the language that had previously been omitted.

The series' fantastic ensemble cast includes Ben McKenzie (THE O.C) as rookie cop Ben Sherman, who is partnered with non-nonsense cop John Cooper (Michael Cudlitz). Sherman quickly learns that working the beat is a little tougher than training at the Academy. The dynamic Regina King plays a sharp detective who has transferred to the homicide division after two years in a gang unit. Michael McCrady as Sal, who oversees a gang unit and a group of detectives, also shines.

If you are thinking of waiting until March 2 for the new episodes, keep in mind that tonight's premiere will be commercial free and feature six new minutes of SOUTHLAND that were never aired before. We Love Soaps screened the premiere and it was even better than the original so don't miss it. This is a show that draws you in instantly and makes you care about following the characters lives. SOUTHLAND will air tonight and every Tuesday on TNT at 10 p.m. ET/PT.