Southland

Well, where do you even start? This show had me on edge constantly. I can even describe how into this show I would get; so much so that I couldn't watch the whole series/season episode to episode. I had to wait weeks between. You have to figure that a part of why it took so long was because I just didn't want the show to end.

Apparently, the entire series was filmed at once (all thirteen episodes), and the first seven were aired as season one. For some reason, NBC decided to drop the show and the second season, really the last half of the first, was picked up by TNT and aired. And, according to Wikipedia a new season is coming out January 2011. This is tearing: will the "re-imaged" be anywhere near as "crackling" as the original? I sincerely doubt it.

Basically it takes a very specific "cop show" to get me interested; when I was a bit younger my dad and I spent some time watching Adam-12, and if this makes any sense, it had that same rawness as Southland does. It just had cops doing what cops do best. Of course, if I were to watch that old series now that comparison between the two shows is probably razor thin, but that's the way I choose to remember it.

This show as quick, emotionally engaging and sharp; the characters were fantastic, the intro complete with that music is pure classic, the narration is tight and binding. I would be satisfied if the series ended as it did; in and out with a bang.