Unfortunately, the Only Thing Harder to Kill Than Hondo Is the S.W.A.T. Franchise
It’s official; S.W.A.T. is like the broadcast’s proverbial cockroach, incapable of dying.
It’s freaking immortal, somehow evading the curse that has befallen most of broadcast television.
Again, if I sound bitter, it’s because we’ve witnessed NBC, FOX, and CBS utterly slaughter their scripted primetime series. Casualties like Found, Rescue Hi-Surf, and two FBI spinoffs have been particularly brutal.
But do you know what seems to have more lives than a blind kitten in traffic? S.W.A.T. Maybe other series and networks should enlist Shemar Moore’s help in salvaging series, as he seems to have the Midas Touch.
But let me hold your hand metaphorically when I say this: S.W.A.T. should have died long ago.
Seriously, I love Shemar Moore as much as the next Baby Girl, and I certainly enjoyed the series at some point in its heyday, but truthfully, the series went on long past its expiration date.
That’s an unpopular opinion, particularly for the longtime S.W.A.T. fans who always want more.
And it’s understandable that the series has some hold on people and has been a commercial success for quite some time.
Hell, given the fact that we’re watching scripted series slipping through our fingertips at alarming levels, leaving a shell of what shows used to be sandwiched between reality television and sports, part of me wants to rejoice and give kudos to any scripted fare that manages to survive.
I’ll even begrudgingly give Watson its due for that, even though that sucks.
But it’s frustrating how Sony and Moore cling to S.W.A.T. like a lifeline when there is little left for the series to explore or do.
Whenever we think the series flatlines and it’s time to call it and lay it to rest, it rattles one last breath, jerks up, and carries on as if someone stuck a pin in it. We go through another round of lots of action and poorly constructed storylines.
The action procedural faced two cancellations and rose from the dead twice, with Shemar Moore leading the charge in scoring additional seasons, rounding the series off to eight thrilling, hard-fought seasons.
Whenever we came close to counting it out, like a phoenix from the ashes, it would emerge and live to see another day.
The series finally signed off on May 16 with a buzzworthy finale that closed the chapter for many characters and even brought back some fan favorites.
But we barely had time to accept that CBS finally put it out of its misery before we learned news about a spinoff.
According to Deadline, Sony Pictures Television intends to spin the series off into a new show, S.W.A.T. Exiles, focusing on Moore’s Hondo as he runs a new program.
The synopsis reads:
After a high-profile mission goes sideways, Hondo 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.”
An impressive and noble move is that SONY intends to keep the same 200-person production crew that made the series successful for many years.
It’s admirable and rare to see that type of consideration and respect extended to the crew, who notoriously don’t make the same type of money and often face more job insecurity in this shaky market.
I’ll tip my hat to them for that move, and the fact that they’re actively trying to make fans happy with this move, extend the story, take the series global, and attract new audiences in the process, and look out for a dedicated and loyal crew granting them job security.
I’m no monster; I genuinely respect what they’re doing there, and it may actually serve them well and reward Sony in the long run, too.
But goodness, when does it reach a point of there being enough of a good thing?
Plus, while Moore is unquestionably a major draw of the series, the full ensemble also appealed to fans.
S.W.A.T. started losing some appeal in the first place because so many of the original characters departed, or the series phased them out in some capacity.
Now, S.W.A.T. Exiles essentially serves as a whole new series (a spinoff sequel of a reboot) in which only Shemar Moore will star, and an entirely new slate of characters will surround him.
It’s great for Hondo fans and Moore, but it sucks for everyone else, no?
There’s no word on where S.W.A.T. Exiles will find a home. Sony already has its ten-episode plan and intends to start filming in Los Angeles (a rarity these days) during the summer.
It’s throwing all its support behind the series, which speaks volumes. Given that the series streams on Netflix and the ten-episode plan, S.W.A.T. Exiles will likely stream somewhere rather than premiere on a dying broadcast network.
Which streamer Sony is shopping it to is hard to say.
But they intend to give us S.W.A.T. in some form, no matter the literal costs and against all odds.
But goodness, it comes to a point where a signoff should be a signoff.
We’re beating a dead horse, but as long as people are having fun, it doesn’t matter what a curmudgeon like me thinks.
So, I’ll turn it over to you. Are you excited about this S.W.A.T. Exiles spinoff? Are you disappointed that it’s just Hondo and new people?
Do you think it’s well past time to retire this series in all forms? Let’s discuss it all below!
Watch S.W.A.T. Online
Agree? Disagree? Have a theory?
Let us know in the comments, or share this article with someone who will want to argue about it with you. That’s what makes it fun.
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Unfortunately, the Only Thing Harder to Kill Than Hondo Is the S.W.A.T. Franchise
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