TNT's "Southland" enters its fifth season Wednesday night with a modest but dedicated following for a most distinctive police drama.

It has never pulled in big numbers for TNT, but it's the most highly praised, which has helped keep it alive. At the same time, TNT has only commissioned 10 episodes a season since 2011 compared to 15 for most of its other hit shows.

In case you haven't watched "Southland," it follows a cinema verite model, as if a documentary camera crew is following the Los Angeles cops around. There's no cheesy music, no gimmicky post-production camera work, no undue histrionics or trumped up drama. You get to know the characters more as a fly on the wall.

Four police officers are given the most camera time, separated into three concurrent storylines any given hour, typically on one given day.

I spoke with Regina King, who plays dedicated detective Lydia Adams as she struggles to adjust to life as a single mom after getting knocked up by a former flame who is now married, and Michael Cudlitz, whose John Cooper is now healthy but amptly suspicious of his new "boot," a veteran who had spent time in Afghanistan. (Shawn Hatosay, played by Sammy Bryant, is having issues with custody and his drugged-out ex wife while his partner Benjamin McKenzie, played by Ben Sherman, shot that pimp last season in a way that makes Sammy a little suspicious of what direction he's going.)

Cudlitz

On training the new guy: "He has some red flags thrown up about this kid. It's not jelling and he's not sure what it is. He's trying all his usual torment to get this kid to snap, try to get a kink in the armor. His job is to find these weaknesses and exploit them. His ability to discern between war-time soldering and peacetime policing are two major different things." He promises that Cooper's suspicions are not unfounded as later episodes unfold. If anything, this is a timely issue given how many veterans are now entering the cvilian population.

Quantity vs. quality: "We'd like to do more episodes. But we're thrilled to still be on the air. That's the most important thing."

Personal satisfaction: "We get a lot of creative freedom. We have a degree of ownership of the show. While we don't get final say as actors, we get some imput."

King

Job vs. baby: "The baby is affected her job. She's not getting enough sleep. She's not a natural mom. She's always been naturally good at everything she's done. This baby thing, she's not good at. she's struggling." [In the first episode, you'll also see that fatigue isn't helping her physical fitness either.]

Character development: "We'll get to see a more human side of Lydia."

Her partner Dorian, played by Ruben Robinson: "He's the first partner she's had in five seasons to last more than one season. He is a true friend and will call her out on her ****. He's a former Marine and has been in harm's way more than Lydia. [The actor] Ruben saw 'Southland' for a couple of agents and called his agent and told him he wanted to be on the show. He totally willed this part."

Quanty vs. quality: "We'd like to have a few more episodes. Maybe not 22, but three or five more wouldn't be bad. But a truncated season makes it easier to be available for movies. It allows you to spread your wings with other interests."

Her first directing job happened to be in Atlanta with the upcoming film "Let the Church Say Amen": "We don't have an airdate yet but it will be later this year on BET. I was a little concerned coming to Atlanta because they wanted us to build a local crew. But when I got there and started working with them, they were just awesome. Professional. We had hiccups and speed bumps but it went well."

On TV

"Southland,"  10 p.m. Wednesdays, TNT