S.W.A.T. series finale aired on May 16, it was announced that Sony Pictures Television, which produces the action drama, was moving forward with the spinoff S.W.A.T. Exiles. Shemar Moore is set to reprise his role as Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson Jr., though reporting has indicated that he'll be ed by a new cast of fresh faces.
Lim, who plays Victor Tan, reacted to the spinoff news on Instagram. In a lengthy post, which is included below, Lim confessed that Hondo's spinoff's surprise rollout did “sting”, underlining the lack of a mention for the original cast. The actor, who was a part of S.W.A.T. from its very first episode, went on to thank fans for their messages of and said that he doesn't know what the future might hold.
What The S.W.A.T. Spinoff Means For The Show's Future
It Reportedly Came Together Very Quickly
Subsequent reporting about how the S.W.A.T. spinoff came together revealed that it moved forward with surprising quickness. The speed with which the project was announced, just hours after the finale, was because Sony Pictures Television wanted S.W.A.T. Exiles to be ready to present for the annual LA Screenings, which is where Sony TV was hoping to highlight the new show to international and domestic buyers. But the speed also played a part in why former cast were not notified about the spinoff, according to a report from Deadline.
Another reason for fast-tracking the spinoff, per sources, is that there was only a short window to secure the involvement of Moore and the show's crew . Exiles, which hails from Lucifer showrunner Jason Ning, sees Hondo leading an experimental SWAT unit of untested and unpredictable SWAT recruits.
After Learning That S.W.A.T. Season 9 Almost Happened, I'm Heartbroken About Its Cancelation All Over Again
When CBS canceled S.W.A.T for the third time, Sony and others weren’t finished with it. S.W.A.T. season 9 would have been better than a spinoff.
Original series creator Shawn Ryan is not involved with the project at this stage, due to being under an exclusive deal with Netflix, though he reacted positively to the news on social media. Former S.W.A.T. cast could reprise their roles, though that hasn't yet been decided. The news, and the way it broke, has sparked a strong reaction online.
Our Take On The S.W.A.T. News
It's The Latest In A Trend
As a cost-cutting measure, studios and networks have favored breaking up popular shows into spinoffs with new casts rather than continuing relatively more expensive long-running dramas and comedies. Blue Bloods is becoming Boston Blue, with a largely new cast led by the returning Donnie Wahlberg, so the S.W.A.T. move is not entirely surprising. But the way it was announced, plus Moore's reaction, has garnered a few headlines.
Source: David Lim / Instagram
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- Directors
- Billy Gierhart
- Writers
- Shawn Ryan, Aaron Rahsaan Thomas
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