Memphis Beat is an American comedy-drama series that debuted on TNT on June 22, 2010.
| Memphis Beat | |
|---|---|
| File:MBtiltecard.jpg Memphis Beat intertitle | |
| Genre | Drama, Action |
| Created by | Josh Harto Liz Garcia |
| Starring | Jason Lee Alfre Woodard DJ Qualls Celia Weston Sam Hennings Leonard Earl Howze Abraham Benrubi |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 2 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | John Fortenberry Scott Kaufer |
| Production location | New Orleans |
| Running time | 43 minutes |
| Production company | Warner Horizon Television |
| Original release | |
| Network | TNT |
| Release | June 22, 2010 – present |
Plot
Jason Lee plays Dwight Hendricks, a police detective in Memphis, Tennessee, who also works as an Elvis impersonator.
Cast
- Jason Lee as Dwight Hendricks
- Alfre Woodard as Lt. Tanya Rice
- DJ Qualls as Davey Sutton
- Celia Weston as Paula Ann Hendricks
- Sam Hennings as Charlie “Whitehead” White
- Leonard Earl Howze as Reginald Greenback
- Abraham Benrubi as Sgt. JC Lightfoot
Production
Jason Lee said he was drawn to the show because the concept was original and the protagonist was fun to play. Lee said, "The whole package was unique and once I came to found the character and the material and the scenarios and his relationships and he’s such a great guy and is so multi-layered and cares such a great deal for his city and his family and the people that he’s protecting." Lee listened to hundreds of Presley songs in preparation for the role, and said his respect for the artist grew as a result.[1]
The title Delta Blues was originally considered, but it was eventually changed to Memphis Beat.[2] The show was created by married couple Josh Harto and Liz Garcia, with actor George Clooney serving as executive producer. Harto and Garcia wrote the first two episodes of the series.[3] Liz Garcia said of the show, "Broadcast TV is being influenced by cable in so many ways in terms of reinventing genres and taking chances, and this is part of it. [...] The forefront of creativity is on cable TV."[4]
Memphis Beat also co-stars multiple Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning actress Alfre Woodard as Lt. Tanya Rice; DJ Qualls as Davey Sutton, a police officer who idolizes Dwight Hendricks; Celia Weston as Dwight's mother; Sam Hennings as Dwight's hypertensive partner Charlie Whitehead; Leonard Earl Howze as fellow detective Reginald Greenback; and Abraham Benrubi as Sgt. JC Lightfoot, a police officer who uses Native American tribal wisdom as a weapon.[3]
References
- ^ Raub, Matt (June 4, 2010). "Exclusive: Jason Lee Talks 'Memphis Beat', 'My Name is Earl'". The Flick Cast. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
- ^ Villarreal, Yvonne (April 5, 2010). "Jason Lee is keeping busy with TNT's 'Memphis Beat' [Updated]". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
- ^ a b "About the Show". Memphis Beat (Official site). Retrieved June 5, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Kronke, David (June 6, 2010). "Summer is now the time for broadcast networks to get serious". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 5, 2010.