Watch Southland: Cast & Creators Live at the Paley Center

Positioned as a "raw and authentic look" at a particular LAPD unit, "Southland" explores both the personal and professional lives of the crime fighters, in addition to the stories behind the criminals and victims who circle in their orbit. This Paley Center for Media live event celebrates "Southland," the gritty, realistic drama series about the officers and detectives of the Los Angeles Police Department. Cindy Braun (director of operations and administration, The Paley Center for Media/Los Angeles) welcomes Cynthia Littleton (deputy editor, Variety) to the stage. Littleton moderates the following panelists: executive producers Christopher Chulack and John Wells; and cast members Ben McKenzie (Officer Ben Sherman), Regina King (Det. Lydia Adams), Michael Cudlitz (Officer John Cooper), and Shawn Hatosy (Det. Sammy Bryant). The panelists touch on such topics as: the sense of "settling in" to the show, after being cancelled by NBC after one season and picked up by TNT; research into real-life cop stories and the desire to present a "cross-section" of reality; and the "voyeuristic" feel provided by the actors doing their own driving. Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics among others: the show's lack of a musical score and dependence on natural ambient sounds; how the characters are drawn from archetypes and then given nuances by the actors; and use of a police consultant team and a "boot camp" for cast members.