There's literally one popping up every minute! Police dramas, along with doctor and lawyer dramas, are the default television programs for networks when they resist taking risks. To a certain extent, I can't entirely blame the networks, as their choices are dictated by ratings, and currently, viewers are choosing procedurals which wrap up storylines by the end of the episode, rather than programs with plots that last several epsiodes or several seasons. CBS has built an entire schedule around the procedural and you can barely distinguish one mediocre program from another, but it's currently the most watched network, which is disheartening. A few years ago, the floundering ABC gained traction by taking risks with two new series Lost and Desperate Housewives. Being new and refreshing for network television, they became instant hits, appointment viewing and something you could talk about with you're friends/coworkers..."Oh my god! Can you believe what happened last night." Who really talks about what happened on NCIS or CSI the next morning? Over time the ratings slid for the programs - I think mainly because of DVR, internet downloads, and DVD sales - and other serials that came in their wake failed. As a result the networks have decided to fill their open slots which continue to hold up well for CBS. Of those new programs, I've watched ABC's Castle, which seems complacent with its mediocrity and The Unusuals, which I don't entirely get but love Jeremy Renner in, as well as NBC's Southland, which I actually have hope for. The series has an almost Altmanesque feel to it, as it follows the lives of several detectives and police officers in L.A., and while it does have criminal cases that get solved by the end of the episode, it also has a genuine heart about it, caring for its characters and their faults. Plus it has two great performances by usually under-used Regina King and Michael Cudlitz. I actually look forward to where this series is heading.
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