Sam Hennings and Jason Lee, courtesy Turner Networks
MEMPHIS BEAT
Friendly Rating: Middle school and up.
Safety Rating: Too violent for middle school, but not as bad as it could be. And one bare backside.
Quality Rating: Nothing transcendent, but still pretty good.
Series premieres on TNT at 10 p.m.
Given all the cop shows out there where guns go blazing so many times in one episode, rookies would be retired by the time Internal Affairs got through all the investigations in the real world, I have to say TNT’s new drama starring Jason Lee as a detective who loves singing the blues in Memphis, Tennessee, has some really good moments – not all of them appropriate for younger viewers.
That being said, while there were several dead bodies, none of the cops made them that way. In fact, while guns were pulled several times – and in mostly appropriate settings – not one was fired on screen. Oh, there was one bare backside and a more than inappropriate lamp that will probably make more than one appearance.
Lee’s character, Dwight Hendricks, is the smoother, more gentlemanly version of the good ol’ boy and the kind of cop willing to work off his gut to find the evidence rather than let the evidence inform his gut. Which, of course, causes him grief with the new lieutenant Tanya Rice (Alfre Woodard, kicking butt and taking numbers, as usual). Also, Dwight doesn’t quite get the politically correct thing – hence the inappropriate lamp. But he’s so decent otherwise, you almost forgive him, especially since he’s willing to compromise.
I also liked the fact that the pilot episode wasn’t the usual murder (never mind what you see in the early scenes). It starts out as a case of elder abuse, although the murder does happen on screen in the form of a hit and run.
The best part is that the city of Memphis is as much a character as the rest of the show. Which does mean there’s an Elvis convention in town – but you’ve never seen Elvi like these. Or maybe you have – depends on how much time you’ve spent in either Memphis or Las Vegas. I can’t say how well the writers have caught the feel of the city, having never been there, but it certainly has that feel of authenticity. Of course, that may be the excellent soundtrack, partly provided by blues musician Keb’ Mo’.
In short, for older kids and with supervision, it might be an okay option.
