Training officer John Cooper,
Southland's gay gruff cop, will keep his badge for another
season.
According to the Hollywood Reporter,
TNT will renew the Los Angeles-based drama for a third season. The
cable network has ordered 10 episodes of the show, which will air
starting next January.
Southland originally premiered
on NBC, but the network axed the series right before the start of its
second season.
Advocates of greater gay-inclusion on
television had lauded Michael Cudlitz's role on the show as part of a
broader trend that includes non-stereotypical gay characters. The
Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation's (GLAAD) recent report
“Where We Are on TV” applauded the character for breaking new
ground on television.
On the show, Cooper gave off a gay vibe
from the show's premiere, but producers made us hold our breath until
the season finale before pairing him up with another man. Season 2
picked up after the tough-as-nails cop shared a tender moment with
Caesar under a cascade of Memorial Day fireworks.
In season 2, Cooper's sexual
orientation is questioned by one of his colleagues.
Gay Entertainment Report is a feature
of On Top Magazine and can be reached at
ontopmag@ontopmag.com.