• All five seasons of Southland are now streaming on Netflix.
  • The Los Angeles police drama was created by Ann Biderman and ran from 2009–2013.
  • Key cast: Ben McKenzie, Michael Cudlitz, Regina King, Shawn Hatosy and Kevin Alejandro.
  • The series follows patrol officers and detectives as they balance dangerous work and complicated lives.

What is Southland?

Southland is a serialized police drama set in Los Angeles, created by Ann Biderman (Ray Donovan). The series originally aired from 2009 to 2013 and chronicles the daily grind of patrol officers and detectives across five seasons. Netflix currently streams every season, making the full run available to new viewers and returning fans.

Where to stream

All five seasons of Southland are available on Netflix. Watch the series here: Southland on Netflix.

Plot — the first day that changes everything

The series opens with rookie Officer Ben Sherman (Ben McKenzie) on his first day of patrol in downtown Los Angeles. His training officer, John Cooper (Michael Cudlitz), quickly dismantles Sherman’s naive expectations by exposing him to the harsher realities of street policing: arrests, violent crime scenes, and the complicated moral choices officers face on the job.

Throughout the pilot and early episodes, detectives and patrol officers pursue cases ranging from drive-by shootings to missing persons, and those investigations reveal how quickly police work can entangle with personal life. Sherman must reconcile his ideals with the experience of taking a life in the line of duty, while other characters — like Detective Sammy Bryant (Shawn Hatosy) and Detective Lydia Adams (Regina King) — navigate marriage strain, dangerous arrests, and the emotional cost of saving victims.

Key cast

  • Ben McKenzie as Officer Ben Sherman
  • Michael Cudlitz as Officer John Cooper
  • Regina King as Detective Lydia Adams
  • Shawn Hatosy as Detective Sammy Bryant
  • Kevin Alejandro as Detective Nate Moretta
  • C. Thomas Howell as Officer Bill “Dewey” Dudek
  • Tom Everett Scott and Arija Bareikis in supporting roles

Why it’s worth watching

Southland earned praise for its gritty, character-driven approach and realistic portrayal of policing in Los Angeles. The writing focuses on the human toll of the job as much as the crimes themselves, and strong performances — notably Regina King’s early work — helped establish the show’s emotional center.

Quick take

If you like grounded police dramas with ensemble casts, moral complexity, and a focus on character, Southland’s full five-season run on Netflix offers a compact, intense viewing experience.

Image Referance: https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/southland-cast-release-date-news