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"The script for "Southland" came to McKenzie at a time when he wasn't looking for another TV series. But he was drawn to it, met with producers and offered to audition for the part of Ben Sherman — which, of course, sounds strikingly like his real name (Ben Schenkkan).
"It was the best script I read all year, features or TV," McKenzie said. "It really fits me quite well. I've seen the pilot, and it's very, very good. There are so many other cop shows, but this is different from procedural shows. Crimes do occur and people at various levels respond, but it's more about how what they see affects them on a personal level."
"The Shield" also was an L.A.-based cop show that dealt with personal relationships, but McKenzie said "Southland" doesn't focus on corruption. And he says the hand-held camera style employed is "not as frenetic" as some other reality-style cop shows. He says the new NBC show is striving more for a "Hill Street Blues" feel.
"My character is a rookie who's only been out on the streets for about a month, so we see this world through fresh eyes," McKenzie said. "He's getting a hard look at the challenges facing him if he chooses this life. And you either pick the life, commit to it and die while serving — or not."
To prepare for his first fictional cop gig, McKenzie and other cast members went to boot camp with a former SWAT team member to learn routines such as slapping handcuffs on a suspect and shooting a 9 mm handgun. McKenzie had some experience with shotguns, but handguns were a whole new experience. And to soak up the personalities, he rode along with cops on six- to eight-hour shifts, learning a lot without asking much.
"When you spend that much time in a car with someone, you get to know them without even having to push," McKenzie said. "They get into storytelling pretty quick. Most of them are really good people, but they get put through the ringer every day. And that takes a human toll."

Source: Austin360