History Series / SWAT

[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/swat_logo_4162.jpg]]
->''"When you're in trouble, you call the police. When the police are in trouble, they call in S.W.A.T.!"''

A short lived 1970s TV series featuring the adventures of a unnamed city's police department '''S'''pecial '''W'''eapons '''A'''nd '''T'''actics unit, starring Steve Forrest and Robert Urich.

The series was notorious for its violence, which led to its early cancellation in its second season. However, its theme music is a classic that became a #1 hit single and the title sequence, where the cops jog in lockstep to grab their rifles and get to their transport van was the epitome of 1970s American TV cool.

Remade in 2003 as [[Film/{{SWAT}} a feature film]] starring Creator/SamuelLJackson, Creator/ColinFarrell, Creator/MichelleRodriguez and Music/LLCoolJ. [[JustForFun/IThoughtThatWas No relation to]] Creator/{{Sierra}}'s [[VideoGame/{{SWAT}} video game series]].

It's also scheduled to have a [[Series/SWAT2017 TV series revival]] courtesy of CBS, which premiered in the US and Canada on November 2, 2017, with Shemar Moore leading the new cast.

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!!Tropes:

* ArtisticLicense:
** In reality, SWAT troopers do not simply wait at headquarters for a muster signal; they operate in other capacities in the police department until called up to suit up for SWAT duty. Of course, the RuleOfCool dictated the title sequence be otherwise.
** Also, the missions in the series, which appeared to happen once a week in the series, was derided by real cops as being ''once in a lifetime'' things.
* CityWithNoName: Many of Aaron Spelling's cop shows -- ''Series/TheRookies'', ''Series/StarskyAndHutch'', ''Series/TJHooker'' -- are set in police agencies that resemble the Los Angeles Police Department, but are in unnamed cities. The police officers on "S.W.A.T." wear shoulder patches of the "W.P.D.", which is said to stand for "West Coast Police Department."
* CopShow
* DeadmanSwitch: In one episode the boss of a bunch of crooks tries to escape by wiring himself to a bomb, with the switch in his hand. He demands and gets a truck, which he tries to escape in, driving one-handed. Naturally, something gets in his way, and he has to put both hands on the wheel -- releasing the switch. Boom.
* MoralGuardians: The show was one of the targets as, unlike the later series ''Series/TheATeam'', SWAT would storm in and shoot to kill. Steve Forrest addressed this understanding where the guardians were coming from, he just felt they were wrong about his particular show. By 21st century standards, it's quite tame compared with TV shows that came later.
* {{Spinoff}}: From ''Series/TheRookies''.
* StockFootage: The series commonly reused stock footage of the SWAT van responding to a call, among other things. In fact, a couple of episodes even reused the intro scenes from some other episodes.
* SWATTeam: [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Um...]]
* TurnInYourBadge: The pilot plays with this as Robert Urich's cop character, in the hospital after surviving an attack that killed his partner, picks up his badge is if he wants to resign. However, he then simply requests if his badge could be renumbered to his deceased partner's; the SWAT leader agrees to make the arrangements.
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It's also scheduled to have a [[Series/SWAT2017 TV series revival]] courtesy of CBS, which premiered in tbe US and Canada on November 2, 2017, with Shemar Moore leading the new cast.

It's also scheduled to have a [[Series/SWAT2017 TV series revival]] courtesy of CBS, which aired on November 2, 2017, with Shemar Moore leading the new cast.

It's also scheduled to have a [[Series/SWAT2017 TV series revival] courtesy of CBS, which aired on November 2, 2017, with Shemar Moore leading the new cast.

It's also scheduled to have a TV series revival courtesy of CBS, which will premiere on November 2, 2017, with Shemar Moore leading the new cast.

It's also scheduled to have a TV series courtesy of CBS.

* MoralGuardians: The show was one of the targets as, unlike the later series ''Series/TheATeam'', SWAT would storm in and shoot to kill. Steve Forrest addresses this understanding where the guardians were coming from, he just felt they were wrong about his particular show. By 21st century standards, it's quite tame compared with TV shows that came later.

* MoralGuardians: The show was one of the targets as, unlike the later series ''Series/TheATeam'', SWAT would storm in and shoot to kill. Steve Forrest addresses this understanding where the guardians were coming from, he just felt they were wrong about his particular show.

* CityWithNoName: Many of Aaron Spelling's cop shows -- ''Series/TheRookies'', ''Series/StarskyandHutch'', ''Series/TJHooker'' -- are set in police agencies that resemble the Los Angeles Police Department, but are in unnamed cities. The police officers on "S.W.A.T." wear shoulder patches of the "W.P.D.", which is said to stand for "West Coast Police Department."

* CityWithNoName: Many of Aaron Spelling's cop shows -- ''Series/TheRookies'', ''Series/Starsky andHutch'', ''Series/TJHooker'' -- are set in police agencies that resemble the Los Angeles Police Department, but are in unnamed cities. The police officers on "S.W.A.T." wear shoulder patches of the "W.P.D.", which is said to stand for "West Coast Police Department."

* CityWithNoName: Many of Aaron Spelling's cop shows -- ''Series/TheRookies'', ''Series/Starsky&Hutch'', ''Series/TJHooker'' -- are set in police agencies that resemble the Los Angeles Police Department, but are in unnamed cities. The police officers on "S.W.A.T." wear shoulder patches of the "W.P.D.", which is said to stand for "West Coast Police Department."

* CityWithNoName: Many of Aaron Spelling's cop shows -- ''Series/TheRookies'', ''Series/StarskyandHutch'', ''Series/TJHooker'' -- are set in police agencies that resemble the Los Angeles Police Department, but are in unnamed cities. The police officers on "S.W.A.T." wear shoulder patches of the "W.P.D.", which is said to stand for "West Coast Police Department."

* CityWithNoName: Many of Aaron Spelling's cop shows -- ''{Series/TheRookies}'', Starsky&Hutch, ''Series/S.W.A.T.'', ''Series/T.J.Hooker'' -- are set in police agencies that resemble the Los Angeles Police Department, but are in unnamed cities. The police officers on S.W.A.T. wear shoulder patches of the "W.P.D.", which is said to stand for "West Coast Police Department."

* CityWithNoName: Many of Aaron Spelling's cop shows -- ''Series/TheRookies'', ''Series/Starsky&Hutch'', ''Series/S.W.A.T.'', ''Series/T.J.Hooker'' -- are set in police agencies that resemble the Los Angeles Police Department, but are in unnamed cities. The police officers on S.W.A.T. wear shoulder patches of the "W.P.D.", which is said to stand for "West Coast Police Department."

* CityWithNoName: Many of Aaron Spelling's cop shows -- [''Series/TheRookies''], ''Series/Starsky&Hutch'', S.W.A.T., T.J.Hooker -- are set in police agencies that resemble the Los Angeles Police Department, but are in unnamed cities. The police officers on S.W.A.T. wear shoulder patches of the "W.P.D.", which is said to stand for "West Coast Police Department."

* CityWithNoName: Many of Aaron Spelling's cop shows -- ''Series/TheRookies'', ''Series/Starsky&Hutch'', S.W.A.T., T.J.Hooker -- are set in police agencies that resemble the Los Angeles Police Department, but are in unnamed cities. The police officers on S.W.A.T. wear shoulder patches of the "W.P.D.", which is said to stand for "West Coast Police Department."

Remade in 2003 as [[Film/{{SWAT}} a feature film]] starring Creator/SamuelLJackson, Creator/ColinFarrell, Creator/MichelleRodriguez and Music/LLCoolJ. [[IThoughtThisWas No relation to]] Creator/{{Sierra}}'s [[VideoGame/{{SWAT}} video game series]].

Remade in 2003 as [[Film/{{SWAT}} a feature film]] starring Creator/SamuelLJackson, Creator/ColinFarrell, Creator/MichelleRodriguez and Music/LLCoolJ.

* SwatTeam: [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Um...]]

* {{Spinoff}}: From ''TheRookies''

Remade in 2003 as a feature film starring Creator/SamuelLJackson, Creator/ColinFarrell, Creator/MichelleRodriguez and Music/LLCoolJ.

!!Tropes used in the TV Version:

* ArtisticLicense: In reality, SWAT troopers do not simply wait at headquarters for a muster signal; they operate in other capacities in the police department until called up to suit up for SWAT duty. Of course, the RuleOfCool dictated the title sequence be otherwise.

* MoralGuardians: The show was one of the targets as unlike Series/TheATeam later SWAT would storm in and shoot to kill. Steve Forrest addresses this understanding where the guardians were coming from, he just felt they were wrong about his particular show.

!!Tropes used in the Movie Version:
[[quoteright:298:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/s_w_a_t_ver6_22.jpg]]
* BasedOnATrueStory: The opening shootout was modeled after the real life North Hollywood bank robbery, and as a cut scene showed police actually did run off to a gun shop to get rifles that would punch through body armor. A lot of work went into the scene, as no bank would allow a robbery to be staged and many wavers had to be signed for the use of military helicopters to fly overhead.
* BlackGuyDiesFirst[=/=]VasquezAlwaysDies: Averted. The team features two black guys (guess who one of them is?) and a Vasquez-y Latina played by Creator/MichelleRodriguez, and all three of them make it to the credits. The rest of the team is made up of white males, [[spoiler: not all of whom survive]].
* TheCameo: Steve Forrest appears as the driver of the SWAT transport, and the director, Clark Johnson, appears briefly (Credited as "Deke's Handsome Partner"). Actual [=SWAT=] officers also appeared in the opening scenes of the movie, most of them in delivering the hotline between the negotiators and the bank robbers.
* CanonForeigner: Officer Chris Sanchez is the one member of the main team that isn't based on a character from the original show. She replaces the show's Officer Dominic Luca, who doesn't appear in the film at all.
* CelebrityParadox: One of the characters is watching the show on which the movie is based when he gets the call to mobilise, and the team sings the theme song when informed they have passed selection, clearly establishing that the TV show exists within the world of the movie. How is it, then, that no-one ever remarks on the fact that four of the members of the team have exactly the same names (and sometimes nicknames!) as characters from the show?
* ChekhovsGun: The claymore mine that Gamble leaves in the sewers as a trap for Hondo's team. [[spoiler: The team avoids it, but later uses it to blast their way out of the sewers when Gamble tries to lock them in.]]
* ChekhovsSkill: Early in the movie, Street refuses to tell Hondo what his specialty in the [=SEALs=] was. As it turns out towards the end, [[spoiler: he was a demolitions expert]], which comes in handy when the team needs to get out of the sewers to pursue Gamble.
* CowboyCop: [[DeconReconSwitch First deconstructed, then reconstructed.]] Gamble's recklessness costs him and his partner their places on the team, but Hondo's approach includes the mentality that from time to time, a cop "may have to get a little dirty behind a street bust", and he's entirely willing to take action without authorisation. Hondo gets away with it, mostly, because he's [[{{Badass}} just that good.]]
* DaChief: Fuller. Less shouty than most examples; he almost never raises his voice. Far from perfect, but clearly a competent commander - he just has serious trouble getting past his prejudices regarding Street and Sanchez, Street because he was Gamble's partner, and Sanchez because she's a woman.
* DecoyProtagonist: If it's your first time seeing the movie, the opening sequence can fool you into thinking that Gamble's the hero. Creator/JeremyRenner's [[HeyItsThatGuy retroactive recognisability]] assists in that regard, but more importantly, he's written and played like every [[CowboyCop maverick get-the-job-done-no-matter-what]] action hero you've seen... for the first ten minutes.
* GenreSavvy: When Fuller decides to throw Gamble and Street off of the SWAT team after the debacle at the bank robbery, Lieutenant Velasquez convinces him to keep them on as employees of the division so that they'll have a chance of getting back onto the team, knowing that at least one of them will get a future shot at redemption.
* InterserviceRivalry: Marines/Navy, played for laughs between Street, a former Navy SEAL, and Hondo, a former Marine. Hondo asks Street what he did in the [=SEALs=].
--> '''Street:''' Besides rescue Marines when they got lost?
* LargeHam: Olivier Martinez. ''ONE HUNDRED '''MEEL-YON''' DOLLARS!''
* NWordPrivileges: A cut scene had Hondo's BlackBestFriend introduce him as "making his first stealth entry, incog-negro."
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: After being introduced to Sanchez, Gamble remarks, "I didn't know they made bullet proof bras."
* PulledFromYourDayOff: Provides the page quote. The day after the team passes the SWAT test, they get the day ostensibly off work. Hondo goes golfing with Lt. Velasquez, T.J. has a date, Boxer is sacked out in front of the TV ([[CelebrityParadox watching the original series]]), and Street and Sanchez are at Sanchez's daughter's birthday party. However, they're still on call and end up getting paged to come in and deal with a [[StopOrIShootMyself "Polish hostage"]] who's randomly firing shotgun blasts out his front door.
* RabidCop: Gamble becomes one after he is kicked out of the police force.
* RaceLift: In the series Hondo was played by Steve Forrest. In the film Forrest is the team's driver, and cameo's in a commercial where he plays the character. Hondo is instead played by Creator/SamuelLJackson, much the same as what happened with NickFury.
* RealityEnsues: Happens with the reaction to Gamble's violation of orders. The department is sued and he is reassigned from SWAT. See ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight below.
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney: The BigBad's reaction to being told that he cannot get out of custody:
--> '''Alex Montel:''' Look, this is easy. Who do we have to pay?\\
'''His lawyer:''' You can't solve this problem by throwing money at it.\\
'''Alex:''' Then who do we have to kill?
* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: [[DeconstructedTrope Deconstructed]] with Gamble. In the opening scene of the movie, we see him as a respected SWAT officer who disobeys his superior's orders to save a hostage from certain death at the hands of a bank robber. It's the kind of stunt that's practically always depicted heroically in action movies--except Gamble screws up and accidentally shoots the hostage, causing a PR nightmare for the police department, getting him kicked off the force, destroying his friendship with Street, and ultimately leading to his descent into crime and vigilantism. All of the other characters fully acknowledge that he did the right thing, but the disastrous consequences show what can happen in RealLife when such a stunt backfires.
-->"Sometimes doing the right thing ain't doing the right thing".
* SemperFi: Hondo did two tours in {{Vietnam|War}} and spent the next four teaching combat survival.
* ShootTheHostageTaker: In the movie's ActionPrologue Gamble attempts this [[SubvertedTrope but hits the hostage]]. She survives and sues the city, and Gamble and his partner Street are thrown off the S.W.A.T. team.
* StopOrIShootMyself: The team's first case after passing the SWAT test is to deal with a "Polish hostage".
--> '''Deeks:''' So what if he's Polish?\\
'''Hondo:''' Naw, it means he's one of those "anybody comes in, I blow my head off" type guys.
* SwatTeam: Since it's based on the series, of course.
* TurnInYourBadge: Averted, partially. First, Street and Gamble's commander convinces the Chief not to remove them from the Force entirely; both are promptly assigned to work in the gun cage. Gamble blows up and walks out: Street accepts the demotion calmly, but won't sell his partner out to get back on the team.