CBS' S.W.A.T. Is Actually Based on a Spinoff That Wasn't Nearly as Successful

Hardcore police procedurals fans know that the 2017 series titled S.W.A.T. was based on the 1975 show of the same name. But do they know that the old S.W.A.T. was in fact a spinoff?

And you thought the Marvel Cinematic Universe was confusing. Let us explain.

The 2017 CBS police hit owes its roots to its 1975 namesake which only lasted for two seasons, being a good example of a spinoff that viewers quickly fell out of love with. That old S.W.A.T. was a spinoff of The Rookies, another police procedural series that aired on ABC from 1972 to 1976.

The Rookies followed the adventures of the three rookie (duh) police officers who served in Southern California Police Department (SCPD). But once upon a time in 1975, The Rookies fans received a two-hour episode about one Lt. Dan “Hondo” Harrelson (Steve Forrest).

He would later spearhead his own spinoff, S.W.A.T., which would follow The Rookies on air every Monday. However, it didn't last long: perhaps the only thing about it that was a true hit was its instrumental theme song.

Even though the first season placed 1975's S.W.A.T. sixteenth in the Nielsen ratings, the second chapter failed to repeat the success, and the show was never renewed for a third season. In 1976, it concluded, only to inspire a new CBS series several decades later.

Needless to say, the 2017 series has a much better track record. However, the new S.W.A.T. had plenty of its own drama; for instance, it was cancelled in May after six seasons, only to be un-cancelled again after CBS faced huge backlash for the decision.

The cancellation reverse proved to be a smart move, as the news of season 7 being a go after all immediately placed S.W.A.T. in Nielsen's top 10 streaming series.

Season 7 will, however, be the last one for the police procedural. It will consist of 13 episodes and provide closure to all storylines and characters. The premiere date is yet to be scheduled.