Shemar Moore's return as Hondo in the S.W.A.T. spinoff S.W.A.T. Exiles is exciting, but now that some of his former costars might join him, one can't help but wonder why the original show was canceled. The action drama ran for eight seasons and 163 episodes before CBS nixed it (for good). S.W.A.T. was saved after its first cancelation thanks to fan uproar. CBS announced that it had renewed the series for a seventh and final season, only to overturn that decision and order an eighth season a year later. Unfortunately, this latest verdict will stick.
S.W.A.T. season 8 is officially the show's last outing. However, that doesn't mean its story is over. As mentioned above, a spinoff, S.W.A.T. Exiles, is in the works, and Moore is set to reprise his role as Hondo in the 10-part series. As for who else will join him in the offshoot's cast, it seems as though Sony Pictures Television is contemplating bringing back some of the original show's stars.
Exiles Is Starting To Sound An Awful Lot Like S.W.A.T. 4.0
More Original S.W.A.T. Cast Members Might Return
Following a couple of cast updates concerning S.W.A.T. Exiles' lineup, it's becoming more and more confusing as to why CBS canceled S.W.A.T. in the first place. Both Deadline and Variety spoke with Sony executives, who have confirmed that the production company is trying to recruit more former S.W.A.T. actors for the offshoot. Sony president Katherine Pope explained to Variety that fans could expect to see some of their "favorites to be a part of [the spinoff] in some way." Then, chairman Keith LeGoy told Deadline:
"There is a S.W.A.T family and that family is important. We would love to have other family members involved in some way, whether it's all of them all of the time, some of them some of the time, or something in between. That's something that we are still figuring out."
According to Sony, S.W.A.T. Exiles might feature original S.W.A.T. characters in addition to Hondo. Consequently, the spinoff sounds more like a masquerade for what was supposed to be season 9
|
S.W.A.T. Season 8 Cast |
Role |
|---|---|
|
Shemar Moore |
Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson |
|
Jay Harrington |
David "Deacon" Kay |
|
David Lim |
Victor Tan |
|
Patrick St. Esprit |
Robert Hicks |
|
Anna Enger Ritch |
Zoe Powell |
|
Niko Pepaj |
Miguel Alfaro |
|
Annie Ilonzeh |
Devin Gamble |
Of course, the Sony executives didn't promise that the entire S.W.A.T. season 8 cast would appear in S.W.A.T. Exiles. The only one who is confirmed as of the writing of this article is Moore. So, the S.W.A.T. spinoff could still be its own thing, separate from the CBS police procedural series, depending on its story and how many of Moore's costars return. However, as of right now, it feels like a disguise for S.W.A.T. season 9 instead of a spinoff.
Rising Production Costs & Licensing Issues Between Sony & CBS Were Cited As Reasons For S.W.A.T.'s Cancelation
Sony & CBS Couldn't Come To An Agreement
CBS canceled S.W.A.T. (for the third and final time) after failing to come to an agreement with Sony. The series was a co-production of Sony Pictures Television and CBS Studios, meaning that they depended on one another to keep the action drama going. The two companies were able to negotiate on terms for S.W.A.T. seasons 7 and 8, but the same couldn't be said for season 9. A report from Deadline revealed that CBS didn't even participate in discussions with Sony about a possible renewal. Instead, the network outright canceled S.W.A.T.
S.W.A.T.'s ending can be attributed to production costs and licensing fees between Sony and CBS. In the past, the two studios ran into issues regarding the show's budget, which is why CBS canceled S.W.A.T. the first two times. It seems like that very same problem came into play when the network let go of S.W.A.T. for good in March 2025.
This Could Be A Way For Sony To Stealth Continue S.W.A.T More Or Less As-Is
S.W.A.T. Exiles Could Very Easily Double As S.W.A.T. Season 9
Given the disagreements between Sony Pictures Television and CBS Studios, there was no way for S.W.A.T. to continue on CBS. However, Sony is evidently unwilling to let go of the police procedural series. It's not clear whether the new spinoff will be on CBS, or if it will go to another network or even to a streamer. So, the company might be producing S.W.A.T. Exiles as a way of keeping the original show's story going without referring to it as season 9. Whatever the case, more S.W.A.T. is on its way, and it could very easily feel like a ninth season (with the return of several cast members), or it could be its own thing entirely. Either way, it makes it seem all the more silly that the original show was canceled in the first place.
Sources: Deadline, Variety
