Apple TV store is effectively the descendant of the old iTunes library. It’s a large catalog of movies and shows from across the industry that Apple still sells and rents individually, far beyond the relatively limited slate of originals on the subscription side. Unlike a Netflix top 10, which reflects what subscribers choose to watch at no extra cost, the store rankings reflect what people are actively paying for, and older series do not usually rise very high without some outside catalyst.
This week, one appears to have found one. S.W.A.T., a network procedural CBS canceled three different times, has climbed to No. 5 on the U.S. Apple TV store chart, and the timing appears to line up closely with the premiere of its spin-off. S.W.A.T. Exiles debuted on Starz just two days earlier. S.W.A.T. Exiles arrived on Sept. 25 with Moore back as Hondo, and early reviews have been friendly enough to send both returning fans and curious newcomers back toward the original 163 episodes. Catch-up bumps like this happen fairly often when a legacy show gets a continuation, though it’s a little unusual to see one materialize this fast, within the spin-off’s opening weekend.
‘S.W.A.T. Exiles’ May Already Be Sending Viewers Back to the Original Series
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Hondo wears a tactical vest in S.W.A.T. Exiles Starz -
The S.W.A.T. team lines up in SWAT Exiles Starz -
Starz
CBS first dropped the show in May 2023 after six seasons, reportedly over a licensing dispute with Sony, then reversed course within days and ordered a seventh and supposedly final season. That final season turned out not to be final either, since strong ratings earned it an eighth. The third cancellation, announced in March 2025, was the one that stuck. Moore’s reaction at the time captured how surreal the whole cycle had become. “We are canceled, again. It sucks,” he said in an Instagram video, adding, “How many shows get to say that? … We defied the odds and made a hit television show that the world loved to watch.” (via People)
‘S.W.A.T.’ is climbing Apple TV’s Store Chart
There’s a reasonable case that this week’s chart movement is the best possible news for that gamble. Exiles kept only Moore from the original main cast, with Jay Harrington and Patrick St. Esprit limited to premiere appearances and David Lim returning late in the season, so its success depends on whether the S.W.A.T. brand can carry a mostly new ensemble. With Exiles rolling out weekly through late November, that original run sitting high on Apple TV amounts to a ten-week advertisement Starz didn’t have to pay for.
- Release Date
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2017 – 2025-00-00
- Network
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CBS
- Directors
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Billy Gierhart, Guy Ferland, Douglas Aarniokoski, Larry Teng, Jann Turner, John F. Showalter, Oz Scott, Maja Vrvilo, Cherie Dvorak, Alrick Riley, David Rodriguez, Greg Beeman, Hanelle M. Culpepper, Laura Belsey, Rob J. Greenlea, Nina Lopez-Corrado, Marc Roskin, Cherie Gierhart, Alex Graves, Batan Silva, Ben Hernandez Bray, Bill Roe, Eagle Egilsson, Elodie Keene
- Writers
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Alison Cross, Michael Gemballa, Craig Gore, Sarah Alderson, Robert Wittstadt, VJ Boyd, A.C. Allen, Munis Rashid, Andrew Dettmann, Amelia Sims, Sam Humphrey, Shawn Ryan
