The cast of S.W.A.T. is back to work. After they helped save their series from getting axed this spring, the crew is reuniting for another cause close to their hearts. Below see the epic S.W.A.T. reunion photo at the SAG-AFTRA picket line with Shemar Moore, David Lin, Rochelle Aytes and more.
S.W.A.T. is CBS’ procedural crime drama series that follows Los Angeles Police Department Sergeant II Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson (played by Shemar Moore), a longtime Los Angeles local and a former Marine, who leads the Special Weapons and Tactics unit of the LAPD. Based on the 1975 TV series of the same name, the show premiered on CBS in November 2017 and wrapped up its sixth season in May 2023. Alex Russell, Jay Harrington, Kenny Johnson, David Lim, Patrick St. Esprit and Rochelle Aytes also star.
The cast of S.W.A.T. made a strong appearance on Monday (August 14, 2023) on the SAG-AFTRA and WGA picket line in Los Angeles. In the group photo shared by the show’s lead and EP Shemar Moore, we could see Moore alongside regulars David Lim and Rochelle Aytes, and recurring stars Anna Enger Ritch, Brigitte Kali Canales, Nikiva Dionne, Steve Villegas, Peter Onorati, Bre Blair, Niko Pepaj and Jessica Camacho.
“End this strike dammit!!! My daughter Frankie needs a new pair of shoes!!!!” Moore penned in the Instagram post. “And Hondo needs to kick somebody’s [bleep]!!! He’s bored!!!
Additionally, crew member Elizabeth Wachsberg also shared photos from the picket line, including one of herself with former S.W.A.T actors Stephanie Sigman (who portrayed Captain Jessica Cortez in Seasons 1 and 2) and Lina Esco (who played Office Chris Alonso until Season 6).
CBS initially canceled S.W.A.T. after six seasons, but immense backlash from viewers and cast members — including a public plea by Moore — made the network reconsider. “We have listened to our viewers and their outpouring of passion for S.W.A.T. and we have reached an agreement to renew it for a final season of 13 episodes to air during the 2023-2024 broadcast year,” said Amy Reisenbach, President of CBS Entertainment, and Katherine Pope, President of Sony Pictures Television Studios, in a joint statement.
The seventh and final season of S.W.A.T. was originally slated to premiere this fall, but the ongoing writers’ and actors’ strikes pushed back the timeline. As a result, CBS will be airing episodes of Yellowstone for the first time this fall, as well as several Paramount Plus series such as SEAL Team and Ghosts. CBS will also re-air classic episodes of Blue Bloods this fall.
The national board of the Hollywood actors’ union SAG-AFTRA approved to strike on July 13, 2023. The actors’ union represents 160,000 television and movie actors. During the strike, members are not allowed to work union jobs, promote their respective films and shows, attend press junkets and premieres and more. The actors’ strike comes two months after the WGA began their strike on May 2, 2023. The demands requested by the actors and writers are similar: They want better compensation for TV shows and movies, increased residual payments for their work on streaming services and regulations on artificial intelligence.