By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – St. John the Baptist Parish and its River Parishes neighbors will continue to play stand-in for Memphis locations this winter when production crews return for a new round of filming for “Memphis Beat.”

Television production company Warner Horizon announced last week that cable network TNT has renewed the freshman cop drama for another season.

The show, which has garnered considerable popularity locally and nationally, stars Jason Lee as Dwight Hendricks, a quirky Memphis Police detective who moonlights as a lounge singer and still lives at home with his mother. Fellow cast members include Alfre Woodard, as Dwight’s boss Lt. Tanya Rice, Sam Hennings, as Dwight’s partner Charlie White, and DJ Qualls, as uniform cop Davey Sutton who acts as Dwight’s protégé.

Producers say the show has been a solid performer since the opening episode, when it attracted about 4 million viewers and grabbed a 1.1 share among adults 18-49.

The numbers came down a bit after that, but the show consistently averaged about 3.6 million viewers and a 0.8 share through the 10-episode first season, according to Nielsen rating numbers.

“I’ve watched every episode, and they have gotten better and better each week,” said Coy St. Pierre, film coordinator for the St. John Center, the home base of productions for “Memphis Beat.” “It is neat seeing people and places we all recognize.”

St. Pierre said producers plan to return to the area to begin filming again in January or February, a bit earlier than when they arrived last year.

“They are trying their best to avoid the oppressive heat we get in the summer,” St. Pierre said. “Some of the actors and a few crew members had problems dealing with our heat.”

St. Pierre said production has already produced a $7.6 million windfall for the parish and state. While in production from April to October of last year, Warner Horizon paid about $25,000 for use of the soundstage. When filming wrapped in August, St. Pierre said the fee dropped to $15,000 per month to rent the soundstage for storage.

“The original lease was set to expire Oct. 31 because it wasn’t clear whether the show would get renewed,” St. Pierre said. “The sets will remain on the soundstage until production resumes early next year.”

When filming resumes, the figure increases back to $25,000 for January through August, St. Pierre said.

St. Pierre said portions of every episode were filmed in the River Parishes, whether on location at homes and businesses in the area or within the confines of the soundstage.

“They tried to stay in the LaPlace area but did branch out into New Orleans and other surrounding areas,” St. Pierre said.

The show has also made a concerted effort to use local talent. St. Pierre said nearly all of the background extras, and even some of the smaller speaking parts, are locals.

“Even though the show is set in Memphis and our area is being used as a stand in, it is still great exposure for the area,” St. Pierre said. “It shows that our community can handle major filming with success.”

A quick poll of a few parish residents showed there has also been some local interest in the show.

“I like it because it’s not a typical serious cop show,” said Reserve resident Andie Stevens. “I’ve looked forward to seeing how they used different locations in different ways.”

LaPlace resident Bryan Castillo said he appreciates the local exposure but said he would like to see more interaction between the production company and the community.

“I think it would be nice if they could arrange some sort of open house where residents could see the sets built inside the Community Center,” Castillo said. “I like the show, and I think it is something the community should be proud of.”

St. Pierre said Warner Horizon has not yet announced a start date for the new season. She said the show aired in the summer, so it is likely that they won’t change it.