JIM reviews new program of TV show “SOUTHLAND” – Southern California gets the POLICE personnel it “DESERVES” [+ Q&A with star]

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“SOUTHLAND” – Southern California gets the POLICE personnel it “DESERVES” (— more or less!) =

MY Rating: 8.5 of 10 stars (based on an advance screening).

… With around 90 other people, I attended a special advance screening at the Hotel Sax of the 1st show from Season 2 of the TV police drama “SUGARLAND”. Despite highly-favorable critical reviews, NBC CANCELLED airing the series after one season, altho the 2nd season had already been shot…

… The series was then bought up by the cable network TNT, which intends to start showing the 8 episodes of Season 1 starting at 9 PM on Tuesday, January 12th. That will be followed by the never-aired Season 2 episodes…

… Naturally, the 2nd season in-effect starts where the 1st one “left-off”: John COOPER (MICHAEL CUDLITZ) is a veteran cop in Los Angeles, who has a sort of “know-it-all”, “no-nonsense” attitude in how he handles his job…

… He’s been assigned to ride with rookie Ben Sherman (BEN MCKENZIE, from the old “O.C.” series) who’s now ½ way thru his 1-year Probationary period. Initially, Michael tends to “PUT-DOWN” Ben’s abilities (to Ben’s disappointment)— until he sees him “in action”…

… Detective Lydia Adams (REGINA KING – from “SOUL FOOD” & “ENEMY OF THE STATE”) has been partnered with Russell Clarke (TOM EVERETT SCOTT), an unhappily-married father of three kids who’s been INJURED & is in the hospital as this show starts…

… She wants Tom to come back to police work, & is upset when she’s assigned a NEW partner, Detective Nate Moretta (KEVIN ALEJANDRO) — who strikes her as a self-centered wanna-be-“LOTHARIO” (with a bunch of “smooth” lines that are very off-putting to her)…

… You have very competent patrol officer Chickie Brown (ARIJA BAREIKIS), who’s a single mother wanting to join the SWAT team. It’s maddening to her that she’s been partnered with a “SLACKER” guy who has an aversion to doing things by the “BOOK” (who, for example, wants to do things like stopping to do personal errands). That partner guy is bad at dealing with the public (such as in a RIOT that ensues in a tough “minority” neighborhood as they try to arrest a kid)…

… There are various other characters in the Police station (such as people from the 1st season): Detective Daniel Salinger (MICHAEL MCGRADY), Detective Sammy Bryant (SHAWN HATOSY), & numerous others…

… Today’s screening concentrates on the Riot, the lessons learned by Ben, & the search by Regina for an elderly man who’s seemingly been kidnapped by a paroled drug user… There was lots of action, very “believable” writing, strongly-defined (& interesting) characters & very effective acting…

… Before the screening, we were spoken to by Kurt Wagner of the “Redeye” newspaper, & he introduced one of the STARS of the show, MICHAEL CUDLITZ… After the preview, Mike came up for a Q&A. He was very easy-going, personable & funny in his straightforward responses (& I shot some PHOTOS of him):

… Mike commented about his role that, the PUBLIC OUTCRY over NBC’s cancellation of the show was so strong, “YOU’RE the reason ‘he’s’ BACK!… Thanks for SAVING my job!…”

… An audience member asked Mike if he’s ever in “TOUCH” with other actors from the show, & he said, sure— he REGULARLY hears from them, &, in fact, he [in the last day or so] was in contact with BEN MACKENZIE: “We were ‘TWEETING’—!”…

… In response to a question, Mike said, he was born in New York, but has lived in California for like 30 years. Yes, he was on the TV show “LOST”… As to the “SUGARLAND” show, he & others in the cast especially LIKE the fact that it’s mostly shot on “LOCATION” in actual L.A. neighborhoods rather than on sound stages, as you get a much more valid “feel” to it that way…

… He related how, as a way of carrying through with trying to provide a “REALISTIC” tone to the show, they purposely do things like filming thru the “cage” (grating behind the front seats) & thru the windshield, rather than using “special effects” like removing one side of the car…

… Further, he normally does all his own DRIVING & the like— having taken COURSES (as others did) in that & in police procedures… In general, they train for “SIMULATIONS” in their police work, driving thru real traffic, etc.: “It’s FAST-paced & ‘FREE’—” as a way to do things…

… The “riot” scene shown in today’s screening was ACTED— but the neighborhood people really got “INTO” it all: he cited the guy who threw himself on top of a police car & the “anger” shown by many other people, all of which he feels really ADDS to the “authentic” feel of the series…

… Mike likes the way the characters the actors play come across as “REAL” rather than as “perfect” people. To a question from the audience, he said yes, the 2nd season WILL indeed show more of the “PERSONAL” life & “background” of his character— but it “progresses NATURALLY” rather than all at once…

… He feels the characters in the show were WONDERFULLY created, with the general idea that, “EVERYBODY’S had a ‘SCREWED-UP’ childhood—”, but that also helps lead to “multi-layered” personalities as it does in real life. He said, as to the way one character is dependent on PILLS, you’ll not only see more of that, but also how the pill use is a “SYMPTOM” of other things: “The pills are a CRUTCH…”

… Mike said yes, on his “hiatus” (while TNT is still considering whether the response to the show will warrant filming a new 3rd season), he will continue doing “INDIE” work, which he loves. If the show is picked up for filming a new season, that won’t be known until probably June or July. But, he & the other cast members HOPE it’ll be renewed (& urged people to tell their friends about it)…

… He made clear that TNT will initially air the episodes from the FIRST season (in 2009) — including an extra 6 minutes NOT ever aired from the 1st show —, before showing the NEW never-aired episodes from the 2nd season (which we saw the 1st program of tonite)…

… Mike made some comments about the added “openness” that COULD be utilized on cable versus standard broadcast (public) TV. Even tho cable has fewer “restrictions”, he’s still somewhat SURPRISED by the way you still CAN’T do certain things, many of which are illogical: “I don’t know why you CAN’T say “fuck” on TV, but you CAN say “pussy”!…

… In response to a question from the audience about “SUGARLAND”, Mike explained that, they have an ADVISOR who’s a retired L.A. cop who worked in an anti-gang unit. Further, that man has access to lots of other past & current police people who can answer essentially ANY questions that come up about the “right” way to do things in how the actors go about portraying “cops” in today’s L.A….

… Mike was asked about his work in “BAND OF BROTHERS”, & he said he LOVED his work in that, & is proud of it. He said yes, he DID get a chance to meet the actual guy that his character was BASED on, he was “an AMAZING man”, & he was in contact with him for 3 or so years [before he passed on]…

… An audience member brought up how Mike once worked on the original “BEVERLY HILLS 90210” TV series [in 11 episodes as “Tony Miller” in 1992-93]. He said no, he has NO interest in returning to the NEW version of that show airing now…

… He said, he’s “still BUDDIES” with a number of people from the original show, & there were a bunch of GOOD people involved in that. He commented that, he feels lucky that, unlike a lot of those people, his career has been “GRADUAL” rather than suddenly rising to super HIGHS (as a number of theirs did) which was followed by going deeply “downhill”. He feels bad at the discouragement a number of them feel over how they were so “typecast” in their roles, they’ve had a HARD time finding NEW roles they can play as actors…

… Mike mentioned that, he’d worked on CONSTRUCTION work for that series before he ever got involved in the acting side in it. He learned that he LIKES the “production” side of the business, &, in response to a question, said he feels he’d like to DIRECT at some point in his career. As to writing, he’s NOT good at creating that— tho he can point out & usually ‘FIX badly-written” elements when asked…

… Mike remarked that, he knows a number of actors feel “overwhelmed” by intrusions from the public. But, he said, as to his own life, “I keep myself minorly ‘ACCESSIBLE— I ‘Tweet’ BACK!”… He always wanted a career like that of J.T. Walsh or Brian Dennehy, in the way they can handle a bunch of different kind of acting roles…

… Overall, Mike commented, “I’m really ENJOYING myself—” life-wise, &, after the show was suddenly cancelled by NBC, he was really happy that TNT bought it. An audience member piped-up, “I was, too!”…

… Mike remarked that, he really LIKES the way the show is realistic. Further, he’s realized that a number of people never HEARD of the show or watched it on NBC— & he’s happy in that, that gives the show a chance to reach a whole “NEW” audience via TNT. Then again, if they DON’T watch, “they’re ‘idiots’!”…

… He sincerely THANKED the audience for coming out to tonite’s screening, & talked to a number of people afterwards. (As we left, a rep of TNT offered people photos he’d autographed). He was a very ENJOYABLE, informative & charming guy to listen to…