I forgot to set my DVR to record "Memphis Beat." Mercy! ~rave!
--- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Keith Johnson <keithbjohn...@...> wrote: > > Yet another original series from a cable station! After NBC unwisely canceled > "My Name is Earl", it's good to see him back on his feet already. Looks like > it might be quirky fun, in the same way the Kentucky-based "Justified" is a > fun ride. My only quibble? I hate when shows are supposedly based in a city > other than LA or NYC, but isn't actually shot there. I'm pretty sure "Memphis > Beat" isn't shot in the actual city. That just sucks! > > *********************************************************** > http://www.tnt.tv/series/memphisbeat/display/;jsessionid=95F41024DA4E9EF19BAE7719F7D0A21A?contentId=58465 > > > About the Show > > Memphis Beat centers on Dwight Hendricks (Jason Lee), a quirky Memphis police > detective with an intimate connection to the city, a passion for blues music > and a close relationship with his mother. He is "the keeper of Memphis," a > Southern gentleman who is protective of his fellow citizens, reverential of > the city's history and deeply rooted in its blues music scene. > > Despite his impeccable instincts as a detective, Dwight's loose, relaxed > style of police work rubs his demanding new boss, Lt. Tanya Rice (Alfre > Woodard), the wrong way. But Dwight may eventually win her over to a Memphis > state of mind, especially when he takes the stage at his favorite hangout to > perform a legendary song or two. > > MEMPHIS BEAT co-stars DJ Qualls as Davey Sutton, a uniform cop who considers > himself to be Dwight's protégé. Also starring are Celia Weston (Junebug) as > Dwight's effervescent mother; Sam Hennings (Saving Grace) as Charlie White, > aka Whitehead, Dwight's seasoned, hypertensive partner; Leonard Earl Howze > (Barbershop) as Reginald Greenback, a fellow detective struggling to make > ends meet with two teenage daughters; and Abraham Benrubi (ER) as Sgt. JC > Lightfoot, an officer who uses Chickasaw tribal wisdom in his police work. > > MEMPHIS BEAT was created by Liz W. Garcia (Cold Case) and Joshua Harto (The > Dark Knight), who also wrote the first two episodes. Harto, who grew up in > the South and has spent a lot of time with his country-musician grandfather, > sees the show's setting as a chance to spotlight one of America's great > cities. "Memphis has been largely forgotten in film and TV today," he says. > "It's where the blues and Johnny Cash and Elvis came from. It's where Martin > Luther King was assassinated and where Isaac Hayes and Aretha Franklin were > born and raised. It's the perfect blend of drama and humor for our show." > > Music is just as vital to MEMPHIS BEAT as its unique characters, drama and > humor is the music. "Music is a huge part of this show," Garcia says. "It has > to be. You can't live in Memphis and not have your life steeped in music. The > city has a soundtrack." > > To get that perfect Memphis feel, the production team approached noted blues > singer/songwriter Keb' Mo'. He will provide original compositions and > performances for the show to supplement classic Memphis tracks. > > MEMPHIS BEAT is executive-produced by Clooney, Heslov, Garcia, Harto, John > Fortenberry (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and Scott Kaufer (Boston > Legal). Sean Whitesell (House M.D.) and Smokehouse Pictures' Abby Wolf-Weiss > are co-executive producers. The pilot was directed and executive-produced by > Emmy® nominee Clark Johnson (The Shield). Harto and Garcia are a > husband-and-wife team. Harto is also an actor. >
