Jumping the Gun on Southland

Last week I posted TV One’s new police drama, Southland (9.30pm Mondays), was in HD – even though the broadcaster wasn’t promoting it as such.

I jumped to that conclusion because I’d viewed the premiere online in HD and while channel surfing last week, noticed One’s broadcast carried its HD watermark.

It turns out that was a mistake: the series is in SD but, ironically, was meant to have been delivered in HD.

However, the version TVNZ received from the distributor was a “soft” version, which means its adults-only language had been bleeped.

Screening a series such as Southland in this market with a bleeped soundtrack would be unacceptable.

But the only format in which Southland was available un-bleeped was SD (TV3 faced a similar dilemma when it opted to repeat series one of Underbelly in an earlier, 8.30pm slot).

Hence, that’s how the first two seasons will air here.

The good news is season three will be in HD. And fans won’t have to wait that long to see it in HD.

The first and second seasons were unusually short for a network TV commission, totalling only 13 episodes.

But the series was picked up for a third season by cable network TNT, the home of The Closer.

It initially ordered 13 episodes, and renewed the series for a fourth season.

While last week’s premiere rated poorly, hopefully TV One can quietly build an audience for Southland over summer so by the time the third season’s due, it will have earned its primetime stripes.