Shemar Moore Addresses Backlash Over ‘S.W.A.T’ Spinoff
Popular CBS cop-drama S.W.A.T. was cancelled for the third time earlier this year. But just days after the season finale aired, the network revealed plans to revive the show in an all-new spinoff. The catch? The majority of the cast wasn’t asked back. In fact, only lead Shemar Moore is attached to the spinoff so far. The actor addresses fan backlash over the upcoming spinoff.
S.W.A.T. Returns Without Most Of Its Cast
Former The Young & The Restless actor Shemar Moore is arguably the heart and soul of S.W.A.T. But the show wouldn’t work without the ensemble cast that makes up the rest of the fictional Los Angeles SWAT team.
Jay Harrington, David Lim, and Patrick St. Esprit all starred on the show from Season 1. Anna Enger Ritch joined the show in Season 5, followed by Niko Pepaj in Season 6. Annie Ilonzeh joined the show for Season 8 as Officer Devin Gamble.
But only Shemar Moore was asked back for the upcoming S.W.A.T. spinoff. The original show was cancelled for the third and final time in March. It was previously cancelled in 2023 and 2024 but renewed for another season each time. Unfortunately, the squad’s luck ran out, and Season 8 was its last. Or so fans thought.
Shemar Moore announced a few days after the S.W.A.T. series finale aired on May 17 that the show is officially coming back in a new spinoff. S.W.A.T. Exiles follows Moore’s character, Daniel ‘Hondo’ Harrelson, as he comes out of retirement to keep fighting crime with a new team of younger generation SWAT officers.
Shemar Moore Addresses Backlash
Fans did everything in their power to get CBS to reverse S.W.A.T.‘s cancellation. The spinoff announcement received mixed reactions from fans. Many were happy that the show would continue with Hondo, but others couldn’t understand why CBS would create a new show instead of simply renewing the original one.
So far, Shemar Moore is the only star from the original show on the spinoff. Fans took to social media to express their frustration over the decision. Some even called out Shemar Moore for being selfish and not fighting for his former co-stars.
The former soap star took to Instagram to share a video addressing the backlash. “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,” he said.
He added, “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.
He Shares Message To Former Co-Stars
In explaining why he chose to continue with the spinoff, Shemar Moore compared himself to football player Tom Brady.
“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,” the actor said.
He continued the analogy, “just like in sports, Tom Brady might be the quarterback, but people get traded. Tight ends get traded, the running back gets traded, the receivers get traded.”
But he had a message for his former co-stars. “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.”
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What do you think about S.W.A.T. continuing without most of the cast? Sound off in the comments.
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I am tired of CBS canceling my favorite shows… Equalizer, SWAT, FBI International, FBI Most Wanted, NCIS Hawaii, and So Help Me Todd. I have decided not to watch NCIS Origins, so hopefully they will get rid of it… but somehow they will drop Matlock before dropping that version of NCIS… I won’t be watching the new Boston version of Blue Bloods in Boston, nor the new SWAT Exiles… I am tired of CBS… I’ll keep watching The Rookie, Will Trent and High Potential on ABC.
I enjoyed SWAT and couldn’t wait to watch each episode. That said, shemar wasn’t the reason I enjoyed all of the cast and how they worked together. Since shemar is the only one coming back I’m done with the show.