OG ‘S.W.A.T.’ Cast Blindsided By Spinoff News
Shemar Moore made the shocking announcement of a S.W.A.T. spinoff days after the series finale. The actor headlines the new show as his popular character, Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson. However, none of the other stars from the CBS show are part of the spinoff. The news reportedly blindsided the OG cast. Keep reading for more details on how the spinoff came together.
Reason S.W.A.T Exiles Happened So Fast
Fans of the CBS cop drama S.W.A.T. hoped for a last-minute reprieve after the final season ended on May 16. The show was canceled for the third time, and Season 8 was its last. Fan response saved the show from cancellation twice before. However, it seems S.W.A.T. is officially done, at least the one on CBS.
In a shocking turn of events, Shemar Moore announced three days after the S.W.A.T. season finale that a spinoff was in the works. S.W.A.T. Exiles follows Hondo when he comes out of retirement and works with a SWAT team of up-and-comers to fight crime in L.A.
But CBS isn’t behind the spinoff. Sony Pictures Television, which owns the show, is the brains behind the spinoff. According to Deadline, S.W.A.T. co-creator and former showrunner Shawn Ryan pitched a spinoff idea for years. However, he’s not involved in Exiles.
Insiders close to production spilled to Deadline that the spinoff was fast-tracked because Sony Pictures didn’t want to lose Shemar Moore or the soundstage where the CBS show was filmed. But it seems they weren’t interested in the entire S.W.A.T. cast.
OG ‘S.W.A.T.’ Cast Blindsided By Spinoff News
When fans asked for CBS to save S.W.A.T., they meant with the entire cast included. But multiple outlets have reported that only Shemar Moore was asked to return for the spinoff. This has caused major backlash from fans. The former soap star took to social media to address the backlash.
He compared the rest of his former co-stars to football players who were traded. But his attempt at smoothing things over didn’t go very well, and some fans are still upset. Reportedly, the other S.W.A.T. cast members were also upset about not being included in the spinoff.
Deadline revealed that Shemar Moore called his former co-stars personally to break the news of the spinoff to them. However, sources said that the OG cast still felt blindsided. And it seems they weren’t the only ones.
CBS Not Involved
Many people assume that the spinoff will air on CBS. However, according to reports, that doesn’t seem likely. Sony Television Pictures is reportedly trying to find a home for S.W.A.T. Exile, but CBS hasn’t been approached. In fact, they didn’t even know the spinoff was happening until the public announcement.
One possible option is for the spinoff to land at Netflix. The streaming service currently has the first seven seasons and Season 8 will eventually be available. Shemar Moore previously called on the streaming service to save S.W.A.T.
Does it surprise you that the OG cast isn’t included in the spinoff? Do they have the right to feel blindsided? Sound off in the comments.
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