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A decision has finally been reached about the S.W.A.T. spinoff after offscreen cast drama over exclusion.
S.W.A.T. Exiles will premiere September 25 on Starz after distributor Sony Pictures Television closed a deal for the U.S. rights, according to Deadline.
The outlet noted that Sony Pictures TV is using a windowing strategy for S.W.A.T. Exiles in the U.S. — with Starz getting the first window. The studio is reportedly in second-window conversations with Netflix after the original series started streaming there three years ago.
S.W.A.T., which premiered on CBS in 2017, followed a police Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team named Twenty Squad that operated in Los Angeles. The procedural faced its fair share of battles to remain on the air when CBS picked S.W.A.T. up for a seventh and final season. The network ultimately reversed that decision due to strong ratings in addition to viewer demand and S.W.A.T. returned for season 8.
But the celebration didn’t last long — the network canceled the show for a second time in March 2025. S.W.A.T seemingly came to an end two months later when the series finale aired on CBS. Days later, however, Sony Pictures Television picked up a spinoff titled S.W.A.T. Exiles which is set to star Shemar Moore, who publicly campaigned for the show’s comeback, and a new SWAT unit.
Viewers were surprised that Moore’s character, Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson, was initially the only one returning after the entire cast participated in efforts to bring S.W.A.T. back. (Several alums were later confirmed to make appearances in season 1.)
Moore, 56, stood by the decision, saying in a May 2025 Instagram video, “Nobody likes change. I understand that. I get it 100 percent. But without change, you can’t grow. You can’t win without taking your lumps. It ain’t easy making it in the game of Hollywood. It ain’t. TV shows don’t last eight years anymore. The game has changed. But S.W.A.T. Exiles, baby! S.W.A.T. Exiles. Bigger, bolder. S.W.A.T. on steroids.”
He continued: “I’m not saying I’m Tom Brady, but I’m the Tom Brady of S.W.A.T. That’s not arrogant. That’s not ego. It’s a fact. I’m the quarterback. I’m Shemar Moore, a.k.a Hondo. But I had a squad. A strong squad. A family. A team. And I would be remiss If I didn’t say out loud to the world and to them — because I know they’re watching this — I love you. I respect you. I appreciate you.”
David Lim, who had been with the show since season 1, was the first cast member to officially break his silence on the drama.
“I’d be lying if I said the rollout of the new spinoff didn’t sting. It was tough to see it announced just two days after our finale — with no mention of the cast who helped build S.W.A.T. from day one,” he wrote via Instagram that same month. “After eight incredible seasons, it felt like we were brushed aside when there could’ve been a moment of reflection and recognition — for the people who built this show, and for the impact it had on so many.”
Sony Pictures TV President Katherine Pope later weighed in on the possibility that many fan-favorite characters could make surprise appearances.
“There is a clear world that we’re exploring here. We’re still putting it all together, but for sure, I think you can expect some of your favorites to be a part of it in some way,” he told Variety in June.
Jay Harrington, meanwhile, showed support for Moore but admitted he had no idea there was anything in development.
“[I found out about S.W.A.T. Exiles] the day before. Shemar reached out to all of us to say, ‘This is what’s going on,’” he revealed to TV Line in June 2025. “There’s talk that they’ll reach out to us about stuff. He wanted to be the one to tell us, and say ‘Your reps will find out shortly.’ That’s when I told my reps, and they had no idea.”
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