How ‘S.W.A.T. Exiles’ Evolves the Franchise: “It’s Darker, Edgier,” Says Star Shemar Moore (Exclusive)

S.W.A.T. Exiles showrunner Jason Ning admits to being fond of the series S.W.A.T. long before he was tapped to guide the newest version for Starz. “I was a fan from a craft standpoint of the insane action they were pulling off on a weekly basis, and [that] it’s an earnest show about leadership and cops fighting bad guys,” Ning, whose credits include The Brothers Sun on Netflix and Lucifer , tells The Hollywood Reporter .

S.W.A.T. followed Shemar Moore ’s Sergeant Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson, a former marine, and his SWAT team Twenty Squad, in his native Los Angeles. Loosely based around real-life police experiences and inspired by the original 1975 series and the 2003 film, S.W.A.T. had a very unusual ending at CBS with the network un-canceling it after cancellation. The series, which premiered in November 2017, was first canceled in May 2023 after six seasons, and then uncanceled after a reported battle . Moore was also vocal about the first cancelation, calling it “a fucking mistake” Related Stories TV Shemar Moore's Hondo Trains LAPD Misfits for Redemption in 'S.W.A.T. Exiles' Trailer TV 'SWAT' Spinoff 'Exiles' Finds a Home at Starz

On Feb. 16, 2024, CBS premiered what was to be the seventh and final season — but then reversed that decision and renewed it again for an eighth and final season that ended its CBS run for good on May 16, 2025 . News of Sony Pictures TV greenlighting a spinoff came days later and, just like that, S.W.A.T. was saved yet again in a new version.

So, what’s different? That approach, says Ning, who was adamant about not wanting to keep S.W.A.T. on cruise control, was inspired by real-life challenges in this field. “I had read an article about how the Navy SEALs were having a really hard time integrating Gen Z into their ranks, and I thought, ‘We have this younger generation with a very different relationship to authority, hierarchy, even ideas of service. What happens when Gen Z lands on Hondo’s doorstep?’