Shemar Moore is dropping some major news on the status of SWAT: Exiles and when and where this spinoff can hit!
SWAT fans are still missing the beloved 2017-25 CBS reboot of the 1970s series. However, that gap is going to be filled by SWAT: Exiles, a continuation with Shemar Moore returning as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson, heading up a new team of recruits. Speaking to TV Insider at Sony Pictures’ 2026 London Screenings Showcase, the actor revealed that while the show has completed filming, they’re still looking for the right streaming platform for it.
“We’re in the process of trying to find a platform, whether it be Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, HBO Max, FX, LG, we don’t know. We’ve already screened it here in Los Angeles. I just got back a couple of weeks ago from London. We did an international screening that went really well for international buyers. There were over 700 buyers, and everyone was doing the dance, trying to explain why they were the cool show and they need to be bought.”
While CBS aired SWAT, the series itself was owned by Sony Entertainment. That allowed them to license the series to Netflix as well as Paramount+, where it’s become a great success with viewers. That would make Netflix a good spot for the show, yet other streamers could use it as well.
Moore confirmed the entire 10-episode first season has already been completed and so just needs the right place to air it.
“We’ve shot 10 episodes so far, and Sony has gone out on a limb. They don’t normally do this, but they spent a nice big chunk of money for us to shoot these 10 episodes.” Moore added another difference is that “Instead of 42 minutes of television, we’re able to do 53 to 57 minutes of television. So, more content, more breathing, it’s much more thoughtful. It reels you in in a way the other show didn’t because sometimes it felt like we were racing to the commercials.”
So it sounds like the show may be landing a home soon, but how will it look for SWAT fans?
A major concern of fans is that the series is going to use the SWAT name but feel like a totally different show. It boasts a new ensemble of actors as Hondo’s team with Lucy Barrett, Adain Bradley, Zyra Gorecki, Freddy Miyares, Ronen Rubinstein, and Lenora Crichlow. There will be familiar faces such as Jay Harrington as Sergeant David “Deacon” Kay, Patrick St. Esprit as Commander Robert Hicks, and David Lim as Victor Tan.
Moore assured TV Insider that people don’t have to already be SWAT fans to enjoy the show. He also hinted that, rather than the procedural format of the CBS show, this will be more serialized with longer plotlines and that episodes may be two- or three-parters. He added that the show will be far grittier than CBS would have allowed.
“The show looks different, feels different. It’s grittier, it’s darker, and it’s smokier. I’ve got some new tattoos that I got for my own self and my own life that add to the edge of the character. Hondo is given an entirely new team of Rugrats, hence the name Exiles, and he’s got to somehow bring this Gen Z group of cadets together and form them into a super cop team.”
Moore added that the show’s new tone will be reflected in a Hondo who’s a lot more bitter and tough than fans are used to.
“I’m still Hondo. But Hondo is a little darker. He’s a little grumpier. He’s had some personal life issues that he’s going to have to fight his way back from. He’s been exiled, kicked out of S.W.A.T., and he’s been given an opportunity to come back in and put all the pieces together, but it’s kind of a stacked deck to where he’s been put up to fail.”
Moore is quite hopeful about the show’s future, insisting the series will remain exciting for SWAT fans while still accessible to newcomers. He’s promising to be faithful to the spirit of the drama and do it justice while giving it an edge it couldn’t have on network television.
We’re still waiting to see where Exiles lands and when it will air, but Moore seems confident that this new chapter in the SWAT legacy will be as exciting and amazing as the original show.
SWAT streaming on Netflix and Paramount+.