Southland Needs A Quality Check

At the Campaign for Working Families tax site where I've been volunteering, when we do a person's income tax return one of the site managers reviews it for accuracy before it's e-filed. I bring this up because whatever procedures TV and movie productions use to check for errors, someone on the show "Southland" apparently was off the job.

"Southland" is the cop show that was canceled by NBC because those geniuses decided it couldn't be aired in the 9 pm Eastern timeslot after the 10 pm slot was given to Jay Leno. TNT picked up the show, replayed the 7 episodes of Season 1 from NBC and then began showing the 6 episodes produced but never aired due to  NBC's cancellation. There were a few things I noticed in last night's episode that really had my head rolling:

• A possible suspect in a triple homicide was identified as "Wayne Dorff." Later, however, a man being interviewed by detectives referred to him as "Dwayne" instead of "Wayne."

• Detectives Moretta and Bryant (Kevin Alejandro, Shawn Hatosy) were part of a stakeout of a local auto shop believed to be a front for a criminal gang. Moretta saw someone familiar through his binoculars. "Isn't this that kid Orlando we busted last year?" It was. They decided to pick him up on a parole violation (gang association) and try to get some information out of him. As Orlando drove off, two other cops follow but their car was cut off by a fire truck and they lost him. Later (after a switch to the triple homicide plotline and a commercial break) the cops who had been on surveillance are now in their car, driving. They happen to spot Orlando talking to some people. As they jump out of the car and Orlando immediately bolts, one of the cops asks, "Isn't this that kid Orlando we busted last year?" The exact same line. Like they didn't know they spotted him earlier and wanted to arrest him? Upon repeated viewing I think they may have dubbed in the earlier line; if they did, I can only imagine why.

• Near the end of the show the sister of officer Ben Sherman (Ben McKenzie) set him up on a blind date. He arrived at the restaurant and his sister assured him that "you are going to love Lilla." She pronounced it "lie-la." (The spelling of "Lilla" is from the closed-captioning.) Then the woman and another couple arrived, and she introduced Ben. "Ben, this is Lilla." This time she pronouced it "lill-a."

I know there are continuity errors and similar goofs in movies and TV shows, but I almost never notice them. So for me to notice all of this, it has to be pretty bad. I gave "Southland" a chance when TNT began showing NBC's reruns and have stuck with it. It's not one of my favorites but I'm still with it, for now.

But they really need to clean up their act. Sort of like Ben McKenzie has, since his days on "The O.C.":