It's All Right, Mama (22 Jun. 2010)

Detective Hendricks investigates a case of abuse involving a legendary D.J. that he idolized in his youth, even after his new police lieutenant gives him a break from the case.

Director:

Clark Johnson

Writers:

Liz W. Garcia (creator), Joshua Harto (creator),

Stars:

Jason Lee, Sam Hennings, DJ Qualls

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Jason Lee	...	Dwight Hendricks
Sam Hennings	...	Charlie 'Whitehead' White
DJ Qualls	...	Davey Sutton
Celia Weston	...	Paula Ann Hendricks
Abraham Benrubi	...	Sgt. JC Lightfoot
Leonard Earl Howze	...	Reginald Greenback
Alfre Woodard	...	Lt. Tanya Rice
Christopher Stanley	...	Patrick Collins / Ray Pruitt
Dylan Kussman	...	TJ Williams
Daniel Hugh Kelly	...	Tony Bellew
Mildred Covert	...	Dottie Collins
Angel Campbell	...	Tamara Sully
Jeffrey Friend
Leon Lamar	...	Morris Tisdale (as Leon LaMar)
Darcel White Moreno	...	Sabine Basquie (as Darcel Moreno)

Storyline

Detective Dwight Hendricks (Jason Lee) investigates the abuse of elderly woman who happens to be a legendary Memphis disc jockey known as the "First Lady of the Airwaves." But his loose investigative style is cramped by his new by-the-book boss, Lt. Tanya Rice (Alfre Woodard), who brings a den mother approach to her job. Meanwhile, Dwight's mother (Celia Weston) starts dating a charming new neighbor.

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Plot Keywords:

new neighbor | black elvis | drug addict | radio legend | hit by a car | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Music

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 June 2010 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Horizon Television, Smokehouse Pictures

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Goofs

There are a number of references to "Medicare" checks being stolen from the elderly lady. Medicare generally sends checks for drugs and services to doctors and hospitals and pharmacies. They must mean Social Security checks.

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Quotes

Punk kid: [provoking Detective Sutton and White] Hey five-o. Don't rush your snacks or nothin'. It's only crime calling.

User Reviews

It's trying...

...but not hard enough.

I was really looking forward to seeing the pilot episode, hoping that they would "get" Memphis--at least a little. And it ended up being too little.

The Booker T & the MG's interlaced throughout is a nice touch. The bridge shots are good. I like the situation that was set up, and the resolution isn't too bad. Props for WHER & Gus's Fried Chicken.

That said, the accents are, to put it kindly, inauthentic. It's almost like someone just said, "give me your best 'Gone With the Wind' accent". Memphis contains many different accents, and many in Memphis have no accent at all. The neighborhood scenes are obviously not Memphis. Things grow here. A lot.

If I didn't live here, the show would give me a stereotypical view of Memphis--sort of a surface view, one that a tourist might see. I hope that as the show progresses, it dives a little deeper. Since it's shot in New Orleans, it may not have that chance. I love NOLA, but though the demographics are similar, there's a whole different vibe.

And the vibe is what "Memphis Beat" lacks. I hope it finds it.