The series finale of “S.W.A.T.” took place over the weekend, and the show’s star is speaking out about the franchise’s future.
Its eighth and final season was previously canceled, then brought back in 2023, and since its official end, series star Shemar Moore and the rest of the cast have been pushing to find a new home.
Just last month, actor David Lim told KTLA 5 he too was hoping the series would live on.
“We actively trying to find a new home for ‘S.W.A.T.’ and there’s been an outpouring of love and support from our fans,” he explained. “They launched a petition that has amassed nearly 70,000 signatures and counting. So, clearly people are not ready to say goodbye just yet and neither are we. So we’re still hanging on to a little hope. It’s changed so many of our lives and that’s one of the reasons why it’s so hard to say goodbye, if this is it.”
Well, the luck ran out for the rest of the “S.W.A.T.” team because Sony Pictures announced it greenlit a new spinoff series, which will bring back only Moore to reprise his role as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson. The show will be called “S.W.A.T. Exiles.”
The actor addressed this in an over four minute video on Instagram.
“This is from my heart. Now I might catch some flak from the industry with what I’m about to say, and probably most likely from the fans,” he started. “Nobody likes change. I understand that. I get it 100%, but without change, you can’t grow. You can’t win without taking your lumps.”
He went on to praise his team for showing up “strong” for eight years and said they “won the battle” with the new show.
“We showed up every day and we fought the fight. We defied the odds. 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 continued.
Moore’s excited about the spinoff and says it will be “bigger and bolder.” He thanked fans for supporting the series for almost a decade and for pushing for it to stay.
He then explained that he’s the “Tom Brady of ‘S.W.A.T.’”
“That’s not arrogant, that’s not ego, it’s the fact I’m the quarterback,” he explained.
He did shout out his castmates, who won’t be along for the next chapter.
“I love you, I respect you. I appreciate you,” Moore said before naming each one. “That’s my family for life.”
While he likened himself to Brady, he explained how Hollywood is just like professional sports.
“Tom Brady might be the quarterback, but you know, people get traded. Tight end gets traded, the right running back gets traded, the receivers get traded, but the teams keep on pushing with their quarterback, and I’m that guy,” he explained. “(I’m) so proud, so grateful, not going to apologize for nothing. (I) busted my ass for 31 years to do what I do, and excited about the future.”
The former “Young and the Restless” star said he’s excited the show is getting new life and that the crew will be able to “put food on their table and money in their accounts.”
“Saving jobs, working here in L.A., keeping Hollywood in L.A., this is a big deal,” he said. “This is a big deal.”
Moore did address that the moment is a “bit bittersweet,” but at the end of the day he’s “so proud.”
“We did the damn thing. The world took notice, and the industry took notice. Shows get canceled all the time, but ‘S.W.A.T.’ just won’t die, because y’all love ‘S.W.A.T.’”
“S.W.A.T. Exiles” is expected to shoot this summer.
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