How did the CBS series S.W.A.T. go from being a cancelled show of the 1970s to being rebooted twice, once as a movie and then as a brand new TV cop drama? It all began in 1975 with its debut on ABC as a spinoff of the popular show, The Rookies (yes, that's right, the original show was a spinoff). The Rookies depicted the dramatized exploits of three rookie police officers, and in its third season, a two-part episode served as the pilot for S.W.A.T. The original starred Steve Forrest as the team leader, Lt. "Hondo" Harrelson, Robert Urich as Officer Jim Street, Rod Perry as Sgt. David "Deacon" Kay, Mark Shera as Officer Dominic Luca, James Coleman as Officer T.J. McCabe, and showcased high-action cases set in an unnamed California city.
For its time, the series tackled serious subject matter and didn't back away from the depiction of violence, delving into episodes dealing with drug use, terrorism and organized crime. This was ultimately one of the causes of its cancellation; violence on TV was coming under fire at this time. It also drew criticism from real-life S.W.A.T. teams for its less than realistic depictions. Still, the first season proved popular in the ratings, even spawning a merchandise line, but the criticisms and a timeslot move eventually killed the show, and it faded into the fond memories of nostalgia and the humming of its iconic opening theme song (a catchy tune composed by Barry De Vorzon that became a number-one hit single for Rhythm Heritage in 1976).
And there it remained until 2003 when S.W.A.T. got a new lease on life as a feature film (as well as some lackluster sequels that really didn't fit with the show or the original movie). The first film starred Samuel L. Jackson as Hondo, Colin Farrell as Jim Street, as well as Jeremy Renner as Street's ex-partner Brian Gamble. The movie gave a large amount of respect to the original show, bringing back the characters of Deke, now played by LL Cool J, and T.J. McCabe, portrayed by Josh Charles; the character of Luca didn't end up in the film and was replaced by a new female character, Sanchez, played by Michele Rodriguez. This time, though, the setting was Los Angeles, not some unnamed city.
The film is an enjoyable action-packed romp, filled with twists and turns, and served up an homage to the original S.W.A.T. in the form of some cameos. Rod Perry plays the father of LL Cool J’s Deke, the same character he once played, and Steve Forrest shows up at the end of the movie as a S.W.A.T. mobile unit driver. The success of the movie also briefly brought renewed interest in the original show, with a DVD release and new life on some streaming services. Yet, after the initial success, S.W.A.T. once again faded into the background.
Then in 2017, S.W.A.T. returned to where it began, airing as a new TV show on CBS starring Shemar Moore as Hondo. This offering sprang off from the movie, as well as its predecessor, taking the film's modern look, settings and sensibilities while bringing back the old characters of Street, played by Alex Russell; Luca, portrayed by Kenny Johnson; and Deke, played by Jay Harrington. The character of McCabe was absent from the new show, possibly due to the negative portrayal of his character in the film. Similar to the movie, they added a female team member, Chris Alonso, played by Lina Esco, as well as a new character Victor Tan, played by David Lim.
Much like the original show, this S.W.A.T. doesn't shy away from tackling serious issues such as racial divides in the police department and in society, depression, sexual harassment and assault and dysfunctional family relationships. It's a complex, character-driven show diving into social concerns while delivering plenty of action, and is a worthy successor to the original. S.W.A.T. has staying power, surviving and thriving from the 1970s to now, bringing in new fans with every offering. And we're all still singing that iconic theme song.
The current reboot of S.W.A.T. airs Sunday nights on CBS.
