CBS Orders a Pilot for the SWAT Reboot to Appeal to Trump’s America

Colin Farrell and LL Cool J starred in the 2003 SWAT film, and CBS has decided to bring it back as a television series with a pilot order.

Meanwhile, I’m thinking about a “Mama Said Knock You Out” joke. Because the appeal of the movie is partially based on the fact that only a few people have seen it. SWAT’s a terrific movie for all its flaws and the fact that you can see the twist from a mile away. But it’s still not as good as one of my favorite “war” films The Kingdom, which boasts a similar roster of stars. (Instead of LL Cool J, The Kingdom has Jamie Foxx. And instead of Michelle Rodriguez, The Kingdom hired Jennifer Garner as an investigator and lollipop enthusiast.) And despite how great it is, it’s obviously not as talked about as Saving Private Ryan.

On the other hand, SWAT had Samuel L. Jackson, so that’s pretty cool. But if you think Mr. Jackson would head to CBS for a SWAT reboot, think again. Sure, he does those commercials. But Agents of SHIELD can’t get him on the regular, and they’re much more high profile.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, reboots make money. Which is strange when you think about how many people rolls their eyes at a MacGyver anything:

"Reboots continue to remain in high demand as broadcast, cable and streaming outlets look for proven intellectual property in a bid to cut through a cluttered scripted landscape that is quickly approaching 500 original series. Key to the remakes is having the original producers involved in some capacity — which S.W.A.T. has with Moritz and Sony — as more studios look to monetize their existing film libraries."

Neal H. Moritz directed the film in 2003.

However, the most interesting portion of this news is this (alternative) fact, if you will: “Military dramas have become one of the hottest genres this pilot season as the broadcast networks continue to make a push to better appeal to Trump America.”

Now, there’s a reason I called this an “alternative” fact. Because if you look at the numbers from December, only a handful of those are military dramas. So, if you want my honest opinion — and I know you do — this isn’t for the audience members like myself. This is for CBS. Nobody asked for a SWAT reboot, and yet, a SWAT reboot is what we’re going to get.

And another reason to watch The Kingdom: its overall message is inclusion and acceptance amidst fear and chaos. So, there.

Regardless, I hope the SWAT reboot heads to CBS All Access.