A Classic Crime Procedural Is Dominating Apple TV 9 Years Later

Published Sep 28, 2026, 7:57 AM EDT

Nick Bythrow is a Lead Writer for ScreenRant. He has been writing for the site since September 2022. He graduated from Hampshire College in 2022, where he triple majored in Journalism, Communications, and Media Studies. When he's not writing about TV and movies for ScreenRant and his blog, Frayed Branches, Nick is penning speculative fiction and poetry on Amazon. He lives outside Boston, Massachusetts.

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A classic crime procedural has started to dominate Apple TV, nine years after it originally began airing on network television. There have been a number of crime procedurals across TV history considered the best of the best, from the police drama Homicide: Life on the Street to more large-scale investigation-focused shows, like Broadchurch. The genre lends itself to numerous types of stories, especially when it comes to police officers, crime, and the pursuit of justice. Although many follow the same basic formula, no two procedurals are quite the same.

Such is the case with a modern classic of sorts that originally aired on CBS: S.W.A.T. Beginning in 2017, the series follows Shemar Moore as Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson Jr., a former Marine tasked to bring together Los Angeles' S.W.A.T. team, specifically the men of Twenty Squad. Each episode sees them go against a new major threat, with an action-focused presentation while the characters try and keep peace in the city. The show is best known for having nearly been cancelled by CBS multiple times, only for new seasons of S.W.A.T. to find a way back.

S.W.A.T. Makes A Major Comeback After Nearly A Decade

Now, S.W.A.T. is making a massive comeback on Apple TV, almost a decade after the first episode aired on CBS. According to data from September 28, 2026, the series is Number 1 on the Apple TV Store in the United States. This means a large audience in the US is purchasing and watching episodes of S.W.A.T. on the platform, with a focus on owning the episodes digitally. While the series is also available to subscribers of Paramount+, its popularity on Apple TV shows it goes far beyond just streaming.

The series' popularity has been a constant since it originally aired. This helped it get saved three times after CBS cancellations, with the main series ultimately coming to an end with season 8. However, this wasn't the end of the show, with S.W.A.T. Exiles, a sequel series starring Moore as Hondo, now airing Fridays on Starz as of September 25. The sequel show has already been renewed for season 2. It's reflective of the main series' Apple TV success, showcasing its wide-scale benefit of having such a positive history with audiences.

S.W.A.T. Was Ahead Of Its Time

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Part of S.W.A.T.'s success comes from the series being ahead of its time. The show's action focus is reminiscent of the likes of Taylor Sheridan's shows, focusing primarily on male characters going on serious missions that put their lives on the line. It helps that the show also has plenty of social commentary, using stories about race, class, and equity to give its stories depth beyond the expected macho-man surface. It makes the series accessible even to those hesitant about police procedurals.

This also explains why S.W.A.T. has managed to become such a massive success on Apple TV. Throughout its history, the show has been a favorite amongst its audience, explaining how it's managed to become such a major hit. With interest up thanks to the sequel series, it seems inevitable the show will continue performing well in the US as more audience members buy and watch older episodes.

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  Shemar Moore

  Daniel 'Hondo' Harrelson

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  Jay Harrington

  David 'Deacon' Kay

Starring Shemar Moore, S.W.A.T. is an Action and Drama television series that was developed by Aaron Rahsaan Thomas and Shawn Ryan and began in 2017. The series follows a team of SWAT members in the Los Angeles Police Department as they attempt to keep the city safe.