Network: TNT
Episodes: 20 (hour)
Seasons: Two
TV show dates: June 22, 2010 — August 16, 2011
Series status: Cancelled
Performers include: Jason Lee, Alfre Woodard, Abraham Benrubi, Celia Weston, DJ Qualls, Leonard Earl Howze, Robyn Lively, and Sam Hennings.
TV show description:
A detective series that revolves around a Memphis detective who moonlights as an Elvis impersonator. Just as music is integral to the city of Memphis, it’s integral to this show as well.
Detective Dwight Hendricks (Jason Lee) is the son of a cop who was killed in the line of duty. This has left him very devoted to both his mother and his city. He also has a deep love of music and moonlights as an Elvis impersonator. He sees himself as “the keeper of Memphis,” always very protective of his hometown. He’s laid-back and easygoing as a person and as a detective, and often uses his intuition on the job. He’s still good friends with his ex-wife, Alex, despite only being married to her for eight weeks.
Dwight’s boss is the recently transferred Lt. Tanya Rice (Alfre Woodard). She still has that suburban sensibility and is learning that things are a little different in the big city. She doesn’t feel so much like a boss as she does a mother. Having raised five children, she sees the police squad as an extension of her family. That maternal instinct can come in handy when dealing with perps.
Davey Sutton (DJ Qualls) completely idolizes Dwight and wants to be his protégé, but Dwight doesn’t exactly see it the same way. He tries so hard to get Dwight to notice him, that he often comes off as not being very intelligent, even though this isn’t the case. If Dwight would open up his eyes a little, he’d see that Davey has nearly as much insight into Memphis and its people. Although Davey would like to be Dwight’s partner, Charlie “Whitehead” White (Sam Hennings) has the job. He’s an old-school detective who has a way with dogs. He’s also a little eccentric and comes with high blood pressure issues.
Reginald Greenback (Leonard Earl Howze) is another detective. His wife would like to get him on a diet, and off the Southern cooking. He has two teenage daughters who are constantly into his wallet, causing him to ponder getting a second job.
Sgt. JC Lightfoot (Abraham Benrubi) wears a braided pontail that goes back to his Native American heritage, as he’s 1/16th Chickasaw. Because of that, he feels its his duty to dole out tribal wisdom to the others in the squad. At home, though, he has a volatile relationship with his wife.
Dwight’s mom, Paula Ann Hendricks (Celia Weston), sells cosmetics door-to-door and dotes on her son as much as he dotes on her. She makes it seem to him that she’s dependent on him ever since her husband died, but she’s really more independent than that. She starts dating the next door neighbor without Dwight’s knowledge.
Episode 20 — The Feud
A family feud reaches a fever pitch, resulting in the shooting of a girl. Meanwhile, Dwight’s peers discover he has a new girlfriend. Dwight tries to separate his love life from his professional life, but that proves difficult.
First aired: August 16, 2011.
Image courtesy TNT.
how could you cancil this one?
How could you cancel such a popular show??? Everyone in the show was great! Please reconsider!!!
PLEASE!! PLEASE PLEASEEE!!!!!!!!!!! BRING MEMPHIS BEAT BACK WE MISS IT IT WAS A GOOD SHOW .ONE OF THE BEST SHOWS YOU HAVE HAD IN A LONG TIME . WE NEVER COULD HARDLY WAIT FOR THE NEXT SHOW . EVERY WEEK
Please bring back that show. It was one of the best on TV.
Seems like all the shows that I fiond entertaining, go off the air. Please reconsider bringing back Memphis Beat.
Bring back the series Memphis Beat it was a great show.
PLEASE BRING BACK “MEMPHIS BEAT”!!!!!! This was one of the best shows on TV!
Cannot believe TNT had the nerve to cancel Memphis Beat. One of the few good shows on television and it gets cancelled. I wonder why the television executives do not listen to their viewers and keep on the shows that people like watching. Maybe we should run the television networks and give the people what they truly want.
I can’t believe that Memphis Beat was canceled considering some of the idiotic TV shows that are still on the air. Maybe there wasn’t enough violence in it…(sic). This was one show I truly looked forward to every week. Bad, bad decision!
Loved this show! Absolutely LOVED it!
Oh Poo….ditto, ditto, and ditto. This was a great show. Wit, humor, with a tiny bit of spice. Not a bunch of violence…and people were actually polite to each other. Loved the actors and story lines. Like one person said…you keep the “reality” junk on and cancel this – does no one have a brain?
I can’t understand when a good and entertaining show comes on it’s cancelled, i just don’t get it cancel jorsey shore they are idiots. the actors are great and the music was fabulous, shame on the person that made a badddddddddddddddddd choice.
I cant believe tnt cancelled my show!!!!! Bring back memphis beat please!
This is soo disappointing to lose a show like Memphis beat. The cast was great. Maybe another network will be smart enough to pick it up. Love Elvis, and I love dwight.
THIS WAS NOT A BANG BANG SHOOT UM SHOW. THIS SHOW HAD WIT AND CLEAN HUMOR WITH A STORY YOU COULD FOLLOW.
BRING OUR BEAT BACK TO THE PEOPLE..