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S.W.A.T. has been resurrected yet again! Well, sort of. Hey at this point, I’ll take what I can get and while the current phase of the hit CBS series S.W.A.T. is still cancelled, star Shemar Moore is set to roll and stay liquid with a new spin-off series titled S.W.A.T. Exiles. The news came out late last night to thrill you this Monday morning and even though the show aired its series finale last Friday, Sony Television is bringing back Moore’s Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson in a 10-episode spin-off where he will be training raw recruits and making them worthy of the name.
The surprise (at this point, it really isn’t) news is a welcome set after S.W.A.T. finished up its eight-season mission on CBS with a special 2-hour finale after the show was cancelled twice by CBS only to be revived in the 11th hour. Sony has given the official greenlight, but the kicker is that S.W.A.T. Exiles does not have a home as of yet as there are no platforms, domestically or internationally, that have picked it up. Sony is banking on that either Netflix, which is hosting the show’s library of seasons right now or Paramount+ will salivate at the spin-off enough to pick it up. CBS just might partake as well but we will have to be patient and wait.
When the series was previously cancelled the last two times before now, CBS, Sony Pictures TV and CBS Studios were able to negotiate a last-minute deal to revive the show in regard to a license fee that made sense for all the parties. That wasn’t the case this time, unfortunately, and Sony was forced to get creative and form S.W.A.T. Exiles with Moore at the helm again. There is now word if any of the other regular cast members will being involved but I couldn’t see this spin-off going through without Jay Harrington’s Sergeant David ‘Deacon’ Kay backing him up like he did for all 163 episodes of the last series.
Sony is moving ahead right out of the gate even though the spin-off doesn’t have a home yet and plans to even start production sometime this summer in Los Angeles. A big factor of this announcement is that Sony, with greenlighting S.W.A.T. Exiles is “preserving jobs for the 200-person local production crew who have been instrumental to the success of the original series for the last eight seasons.”
The official synopsis for the spin-off reads: “After a high-profile mission goes sideways, Daniel ‘Hondo’ Harrelson is pulled out of forced retirement to lead a last-chance experimental SWAT unit made up of untested, unpredictable young recruits. Hondo must bridge a generational divide, navigate clashing personalities, and turn a squad of outsiders into a team capable of protecting the city and saving the program that made him who he is.”
Jason Ning (Lucifer, The Brothers Sun) has been brought onboard as an executive producer and showrunner for the spin-off, which is part of a new deal he agreed to with Sony Pictures Television. Moore will also serve as an executive producer with Neal H. Moritz, Pavun Shetty of Original Film and James Scura.
Shemar Morre has been critically vocal on bringing the series back on social media so you can bet that he had something to say last night when the announcement came through.
“My eight seasons on ‘S.W.A.T.’ have been epic and memorable. We entertained the world, defied the odds, came back from the dead twice, and continued to woo fans and families worldwide. I am excited for this next generation and iteration of S.W.A.T. with Sony. Katherine Pope, Neal H. Moritz, Jason Ning, and I will keep the franchise, thrill ride action, heartfelt drama, and storytelling of S.W.A.T. alive. WE DON’T LOSE!!!! ROLL SWAT!!!”
I know that this isn’t the true original series but with Moore at the helm, it is still exciting, and fans can now breathe once again as Hondo is staying liquid and we have even more S.W.A.T. coming in the future with a new identity! Keep it locked and loaded right here for more to hit!
Source: Variety
