Memphis Beat 

Memphis Beat centers on Dwight Hendricks, a quirky Memphis police detective with an intimate connection to the city, a passion for blues music and a close relationship with his mother.

Creators:

Liz W. Garcia, Joshua Harto

Stars:

Jason Lee, Sam Hennings, DJ Qualls

1 win & 6 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Jason Lee	...	Dwight Hendricks 20 episodes, 2010-2011
Sam Hennings	...	Charlie 'Whitehead' White 20 episodes, 2010-2011
DJ Qualls	...	Davey Sutton 20 episodes, 2010-2011
Celia Weston	...	Paula Ann Hendricks 20 episodes, 2010-2011
Leonard Earl Howze	...	Reginald Greenback 20 episodes, 2010-2011
Alfre Woodard	...	Lt. Tanya Rice 20 episodes, 2010-2011
Timothy A. Vasquez	...	Detective 16 episodes, 2010-2011
Beau Brasseaux	...	Officer Meyers / ... 11 episodes, 2010-2011
Abraham Benrubi	...	Sgt. JC Lightfoot / ... 10 episodes, 2010
Alexander Eldimiati	...	Detective Cruise 10 episodes, 2010
Kay Smith	...	Officer Fox 10 episodes, 2011

Storyline

Memphis Beat centers on Dwight Hendricks, a quirky Memphis police detective with an intimate connection to the city, a passion for blues music and a close relationship with his mother.

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Plot Keywords:

blues music | detective | policewoman | city name in title | location in title | 

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Taglines:

Keeping the peace in the birthplace of the blues.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Music

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Did You Know?

Trivia

The car Dwight Hendricks drives in the series is a 1964 Pontiac GTO, the car shown in the opening with Charlie "Whitehead" White getting out of the driver side is a 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle with an SS-396 hood but with a 283 small block emblem on the front fender.

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Connections

Referenced in Conan: Are You There, God? It's Me - Your Loanshark (2011)

User Reviews

If Beale Street could talk, Beale Street would walk

With the demise of In The Heat Of The Night we lost a southern based police series which has now been thankfully filled by Memphis Beat. The primary stars are a pair of detectives Jason Lee and Sam Hennings and it's Lee who the focus is on. Lee is one cop who's not just about law and order. The man has an abiding interest in the blues and jazz culture of Memphis shared by his mother played by Celia Weston. She also gives her input on cases and with some pretty good instinct.

If this show catches on and becomes a hit and I hope it does it will eventually develop like In The Heat Of The Night where we got to know the entire community of Sparta, Mississippi. Especially its police department, but not just that. And that is a trend that goes back to Gunsmoke where over 20 years a cast of recurring regulars who never got billing as cast members, but showed up every few episodes like the town banker or the owner of the livery stable. Memphis Beat if done right can have that same kind of familiarity.

I do love Alfre Woodard who admittedly is borrowing a great deal from S. Eptha Merkersson from Law And Order in her role as the head of the detective squad. But Woodard is bringing a certain southern charm that's all her own here.

Memphis hasn't done so well since Tom Cruise settled down to practice law there.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 June 2010 (USA)

Also Known As:

Delta Blues

Filming Locations:

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Smokehouse Pictures, Warner Horizon Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

43 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1