---

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2007)

S.W.A.T.
S.W.A.T. title screen
Format	Action/Crime/Drama
Created by	Robert Hamner Lee Stanley
Starring	Steve Forrest Rod Perry Robert Urich Mark Shera James Coleman Ellen Weston
Country of origin	United States
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	37 (3 unaired)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Leonard Goldberg Aaron Spelling
Running time	60 min.
Broadcast
Original channel	ABC
Original run	February 17, 1975 – April 3, 1976

S.W.A.T. is a 1970s American television series about the adventures of the WCPD's Olympic Division Special Weapons And Tactics (S.W.A.T.) team operating in an unidentified California city.

Contents 1 Synopsis 2 History 3 Cast 4 DVD 5 External links

[edit] Synopsis

S.W.A.T. starred Steve Forrest as the unit's leader, Lt. 'Hondo' Harrelson, and Rod Perry as Hondo's second-in-command "Deke." The show also featured an early starring role by Robert Urich as Jim Street, one of the young team members.

The series is most famous for its fast tempo theme song which became a number one hit single in 1976 for Rhythm Heritage. The title sequence that used that piece was also familiar with the principal characters responding to a muster signal, grabbing their weapons and proceeding in lockstep to their specially-equipped transport van driven by "Sam," an uncredited, non-speaking role.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] History

S.W.A.T. was a spin-off of The Rookies (1972–1976) another police drama airing on ABC, and was a mid-season replacement, running on ABC from February 1975 to April 1976. Also, like The Rookies, it was produced by Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg. Its short life (thirty-odd episodes) was in part because it was considered too violent at the time.^{[citation needed]}

As with The Rookies, Starsky & Hutch, and a later Spelling/Goldberg cop series, T.J. Hooker, the setting was rarely, if ever, specified and the shoulder patch the team members wore on their uniforms, "W.C.P.D.," seemed to stand for nothing more than "West Coast Police Department," in the same way that "S.C.P.D." on The Rookies seemed to stand for "Southern California Police Department," "B.C.P.D." seemed to stand for "Bay City Police Department" on Starsky & Hutch, and the "L.C.P.D." patch worn by cast members on T.J. Hooker suggested "Left Coast Police Department." Nevertheless, despite the official vagueness of the setting, the show seemed to be set in Los Angeles (as did The Rookies, Starsky & Hutch, and T.J. Hooker), and Richard Kelbaugh, a former member of LAPD's S.W.A.T. team, was the technical advisor for the series. It is likely that the names of the police departments were changed due to cooperation issues with the real-life LAPD.

At the end of the film adaptation, Steve Forrest has a cameo role as the officer who drives the van. Rod Perry also has a cameo in the film as the uncle of "Deacon" Kay character.

As of March 2009, the show can purchased on iTunes, and can be streamed for free in the US on IMDB, Hulu, and Crackle.

[edit] Cast

• Steve Forrest as Lt. Dan "Hondo" Harrelson (team leader)
• Rod Perry as Sgt. David "Deacon" Kay (second in command)
• Robert Urich as Officer Jim Street
• Mark Shera as Officer Dominic Luca
• James Coleman as Officer T.J. McCabe (scout/sniper)
• Ellen Weston as Betty Harrelson (Hondo's wife) (recurring role)

Judson Pratt, near the end of his long acting career, appeared as O.C. Sullivan in the 1976 episode, "Officer Luca, You're Dead".

[edit] DVD

The first season of S.W.A.T. was released on DVD in 2003 to tie in with the release of the feature film. There has been no release date announced for season two.

[edit] External links

• S.W.A.T. at the Internet Movie Database
• S.W.A.T. at TV.com
• S.W.A.T. at Jump the Shark