SOUTHLAND FLASHBACK: ON LOCATION FILMING WITH MICHAEL CUDLITZ AND BEN McKENZIE. YES... UNLIKE ADAM-12 AND SHOWS FROM THE PAST, THEY ACTUALLY USED SIREN, PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM, RADIO (PRIVATE CHANNEL) AND OTHER WORKING COMPONENTS OF A REAL POLICE CAR AND THE SOUND WAS LOOPED LATER IN A STUDIO AS WAS ADAM-12.
TRAFFIC WAS STOPPED ON SUNSET BLVD FOR THE SHOOT AND A REAL LAPD POLICE CAR CAN BE SEEN IN THE BACKGROUND OF THE TRAFFIC STOP.
SINCE THEY WERE ON A TIGHT BUDGET, THEY WERE UNABLE TO LICENSE THE USAGE OF THE L.A. CITY SEAL (IT'S SLIGHTLY ALTERED ALTHOUGH NOT NOTICEABLE) THE CORRECT 'POLICE' FONT AND THE SLOGAN, WHICH THEY CHANGED TO "TO SERVE AND PROTECT." THESE STUDIO CARS WERE USED IN THE 2012 MOVIE 'END OF WATCH' BUT WERE DRESSED WITH THE ACCURATE LAPD LIGHTBAR AND A SIMILAR LAPD SLOGAN ON THE DOORS LEAVING OUT A "TO" - MAKING IT "TO PROTECT AND SERVE" IN PLACE OF THE OFFICIAL "TO PROTECT AND TO SERVE."
JACK WEBB WAS THE ONLY PRODUCER ABLE TO USE THE AUTHENTIC SEAL, SLOGAN AND REAL LAPD BADGES FOR DRAGNET AND ADAM-12 THROUGH HIS LONG TIME ASSOCIATION WITH THE LAPD. WORD WAS THAT HAD SOUTHLAND CONTINUED FOR A 6th SEASON, CHIEF BECK WAS PREPARED TO GRANT THEM USE OF THE CITY SEAL AND SLOGAN FOR THEIR STUDIO POLICE CARS. TOO MANY GOOD REPLICA LAPD BADGES TO USE FOR TELEVISION, SO THAT WAS NO LONGER AN OPTION OR NECESSARY.
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