Netflix Is Adding a Realistic Cop Series With a Star-Studded Cast and a 98% RT Rating

One of the reasons why Netflix is the top streaming service in the world is the fact that the company provides its users with a lot of options for shows they can binge. One of the most bingeable genres that has long been successful on the streaming service is high-quality drama series.

Fortunately, it has been revealed that a multiple-season show that perfectly fits the description of the kind of show that is perfect for Netflix is set to premiere on the streaming service. That is the case because an acclaimed drama series is set to be added to Netflix's library in the coming weeks.

All 5 Seasons of Southland Will Premiere on Netflix on January 16th, 2026

In December 2025, What's on Netflix published an article detailing the shows and movies that are set to come to Netflix in America during January 2026. That article stated that all 5 seasons of Southland will be added to Netflix's library on January 16th, 2026. Arguably a perfect show for streaming, Southland's short seasons mean that viewers only need to watch 43 episodes to complete all 5 seasons. The show premiered on NBC on April 9, 2009, moved to TNT for its second season, which premiered on March 2, 2010, and aired its finale on April 17, 2013.

A raw and gritty crime show that has been compared to other acclaimed series like The Shield, Southland focuses on street-level police officers working in East LA. One of the key reasons why Southland has been widely praised is that the show boasts a star-studded cast of widely respected actors. The show's list of stars included actors like Regina King, Ben McKenzie, Shawn Hatosy, Michael Cudlitz, Kevin Alejandro, Tom Everett Scott, and C. Thomas Howell.

Thanks to its compelling stories, visual style, and incredibly talented cast, it isn't surprising that Southland received praise from critics. Still, it is especially impressive that the show earned a 90% Rotten Tomatoes score from critics. More importantly, Southland has a 98% rating based on reviews from Rotten Tomatoes' users as of the time of this writing.

Even more than a decade after Soutland's finale originally aired, the show was still managing to win accolades. In September 2024, Screen Rant published an article that stated that Southland is the 18th-best cop show ever produced. While that may not seem that impressive at first blush, since the show didn't make the top 10, two important things need to be considered that make it obvious why that accolade is a big deal.

The first thing to consider is the fact that cop shows have been a TV staple for decades, with the genre becoming even more widespread in recent years. That means there were virtually endless other options that Southland beat out to be included in that list at all. Secondly, Southland was ranked higher in that list than some truly classic and acclaimed shows. Southland was listed higher than Columbo, We Own This City, Bosch, Happy Valley, Mare of Easttown, Hawaii Five-O, and The Closer.