The spinoff is headed away from CBS, where the flagship show aired for eight seasons.

S.W.A.T. Exiles gets a home, premiere date after cast drama

The spinoff is headed away from CBS, where the flagship show aired for eight seasons.

By Derek Lawrence

Derek Lawrence

Derek Lawrence is a former associate editor at **. He left EW in 2022.

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June 29, 2026 3:24 p.m. ET

Shemar Moore on 'S.W.A.T.'. Credit:

Bill Inoshita/CBS

- *S.W.A.T. Exiles* is set to premiere Sept. 25 on Starz.

- The original series aired for eight seasons on CBS.

- A *S.W.A.T. *cast member previously spoke out about feeling "brushed aside" for the spinoff.

The *S.W.A.T.* roller coaster continues.

The police procedural has been canceled and revived multiple times, and now the controversial spinoff *S.W.A.T. Exiles** *has found a new home.

The Shemar Moore-fronted series will premiere Sept. 25 on Starz, a surprising move given the eight seasons of the flagship show aired on CBS.

"Ayyeee!!! S.W.A.T. EXILES is OFFICIALLY picked up," Moore wrote on Instagram. "Landing on @starz this FALL!!!! Congratulations to the CAST, CREW, and our team at @sonypicturestv ….. We continue to defy the odds!!!! To the FANS…. Thank you for always showing love 🫶🏽 We can’t wait for you to see what we’ve made for YOU!!!! Let’s go!!!"

Shemar Moore and Jay Harrington on 'S.W.A.T.'.

Bill Inoshita/CBS via Getty

Sony Pictures Television, which produces and distributes the show, as it did the mothership, has also secured international distribution for the spinoff across Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa.

Based on the '70s action drama of the same name, *S.W.A.T.* premiered in 2017 and centered on a tactical squad led by former Marine Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson (Moore). The show was canceled after six seasons in 2023, only to then be renewed for a seventh and final season. That decision was later reversed and an eighth season came to fruition. Then, just days after the series finale in May 2025, Sony announced plans for *S.W.A.T. Exiles* starring Moore, a move that didn't sit too well with the other original cast members.

"It was tough to see it announced just two days after our finale — with no mention of the cast who helped build *S.W.A.T.* from day one," star David Lim wrote on social media. "After 8 incredible seasons, it felt like we were brushed aside when there could've been a moment of reflection and recognition — for the people who built this show, and for the impact it had on so many."

Everything to know about the 'S.W.A.T. Exiles' spinoff (and which original cast members are returning)

'S.W.A.T.' spinoff 'Exiles' brings back Jay Harrington and Patrick St. Esprit for pilot

Jay Harrington and Patrick St. Esprit have since been announced to reprise their roles as Sgt. David "Deacon" Kay and Cmdr. Robert Hicks in the pilot of *Exiles*, while Lim will reprise his role as Officer Victor Tan in the penultimate episode of season 1.

Joining the *S.W.A.T.* universe as series regulars will be Lucy Barrett (*Deep Water*, *Charmed*), Adain Bradley (*Warfare*, *Tarot*), Zyra Gorecki (*La Brea*), Freddy Miyares (*When They See Us*), and Ronen Rubinstein (*9-1-1: Lone Star*).

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Here's the official *Exiles* logline: "After a high-profile mission goes sideways, Daniel 'Hondo' Harrelson is pulled out of forced retirement to lead a last-chance experimental S.W.A.T. unit made up of untested, unpredictable young recruits. Hondo must bridge a generational divide, navigate clashing personalities, and turn a squad of outsiders into a team capable of protecting the city and saving the program that made him who he is."

Production on the 10-episode first season is already completed, given that Sony made the unique move to begin filming without knowing where *Exiles* would air.

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Source: “EW Crime”