"S.W.A.T." (1975) TV series 1975-1976

Creators:

Robert Hamner
Lee Stanley
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2

Release Date:

17 February 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama

Plot:

The missions of the Los Angeles Police Department's Special Weapons and Tactics unit.

Plot Keywords:

Police | SWAT Team | Acronym In Title | Famous Opening Theme | Entire Title Is Capitalized Acronym

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Steve Forrest	...	Lieutenant Dan 'Hondo' Harrelson (37 episodes, 1975-1976)
Robert Urich	...	Officer Jim Street (37 episodes, 1975-1976)
Mark Shera	...	Officer Dominic Luca (37 episodes, 1975-1976)
James Coleman	...	Officer T.J. McCabe (37 episodes, 1975-1976)
Rod Perry	...	Sergeant David 'Deacon' Kay (36 episodes, 1975-1976)

Series Directed by
George McCowan		(10 episodes, 1975-1976)
Bruce Bilson		(3 episodes, 1975-1976)
Harry Falk		(3 episodes, 1975)
Bernard McEveety		(3 episodes, 1976)
Earl Bellamy		(2 episodes, 1975)
Phil Bondelli		(2 episodes, 1975)
Gene Levitt		(2 episodes, 1975)
Sutton Roley		(2 episodes, 1975)

Series Writing credits
Robert Hamner		(26 episodes, 1975-1976)
Rick Husky		(24 episodes, 1975-1976)
Robert I. Holt		(4 episodes, 1975-1976)
Walter Black		(3 episodes, 1975)
Charles Eric Johnson		(3 episodes, 1975)
Edward J. Lakso		(2 episodes, 1975-1976)
Herb Bermann		(2 episodes, 1975)
Benjamin Masselink		(2 episodes, 1975)
Bob Mitchell		(2 episodes, 1976)
Esther Mitchell		(2 episodes, 1976)
Lee Stanley		(unknown episodes)
Shirley Ulmer		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Leonard Goldberg	....	executive producer / producer (31 episodes, 1975-1976)
Aaron Spelling	....	executive producer / producer (31 episodes, 1975-1976)
Shelley Hull	....	associate producer (29 episodes, 1975-1976)
Robert Hamner	....	producer (16 episodes, 1975-1976)
Gene Levitt	....	producer (13 episodes, 1975-1976)
Barry Shear	....	producer (3 episodes, 1975)

Series Original Music by
Barry De Vorzon		(6 episodes, 1975)
Jack Elliott		(2 episodes, 1975)
Allyn Ferguson		(2 episodes, 1975)

Series Cinematography by
Tim Southcott		(19 episodes, 1975-1976)

Series Film Editing by
Clay Bartels		(9 episodes, 1975-1976)
James Baiotto		(8 episodes, 1975-1976)
Leon Carrere		(7 episodes, 1975)
Richard Malek		(4 episodes, 1975-1976)
Jim Faris		(3 episodes, 1975)

Series Casting by
Claire Newell		(13 episodes, 1975)

Series Art Direction by
Tracy Bousman		(19 episodes, 1975-1976)

Series Set Decoration by
Raymond Paul		(14 episodes, 1975)
Bob Signorelli		(4 episodes, 1976)

Series Makeup Department
Les Berns	....	makeup artist (19 episodes, 1975-1976)
Naomi Cavin	....	hair stylist (19 episodes, 1975-1976)

Series Production Management
Norman Henry	....	executive production manager (19 episodes, 1975-1976)
Russel Wiles	....	post-production supervisor (15 episodes, 1975)
Al Kraus	....	production manager (13 episodes, 1975)
Wilbur D'Arcy	....	production manager (6 episodes, 1975-1976)
Dick Reilly	....	post-production supervisor (4 episodes, 1976)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
John M. Poer	....	second assistant director (12 episodes, 1975)
Bill Derwin	....	assistant director (5 episodes, 1975-1976)
Bill D'Arcy	....	assistant director (5 episodes, 1975)
Chris Christenberry	....	assistant director (4 episodes, 1975)
Wilbur D'Arcy	....	assistant director (2 episodes, 1975)
John Ashley Hamilton	....	trainee director (2 episodes, 1976)

Series Art Department
Bob Henderson	....	property master (19 episodes, 1975-1976)
Gordon Kirschbaum	....	construction coordinator (19 episodes, 1975-1976)

Series Sound Department
John Oliver	....	sound engineer (19 episodes, 1975-1976)

Series Special Effects by
Dutch Van Derbyl	....	special effects (19 episodes, 1975-1976)

Series Stunts
Glenn R. Wilder	....	stunt coordinator (13 episodes, 1975)
Fred Waugh	....	stunt coordinator (6 episodes, 1975-1976)
Craig R. Baxley	....	stunts (5 episodes, 1975-1976)
Gregory J. Barnett	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Jean Coulter	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Monty Jordan	....	stunt driver (unknown episodes)
Ronnie Rondell Jr.	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Rick Sawaya	....	stunt double (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Allan Gornick Jr.	....	underwater cinematographer (2 episodes, 1975)

Series Casting Department
Claire Newell	....	casting supervisor / casting (6 episodes, 1975-1976)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ray Phelps	....	costumes / costumer (19 episodes, 1975-1976)
Sylvia Liggett	....	costumes / costumer (16 episodes, 1975-1976)

Series Music Department
Steve Livingston	....	music editor (37 episodes, 1975-1976)
Barry De Vorzon	....	composer: theme music (31 episodes, 1975-1976)
Rocky Moriana	....	music supervisor (19 episodes, 1975-1976)

Series Transportation Department
Jim Martell	....	transportation coordinator (unknown episodes)

Series Other crew
Doris DeHerdt	....	script supervisor (18 episodes, 1975-1976)
Rick Kelbaugh	....	technical advisor (12 episodes, 1975)
John Robert Miller	....	technical advisor (3 episodes, 1975-1976)
Shirley Ulmer	....	script supervisor (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Spelling-Goldberg Productions

Distributors

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1975) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Columbia Pictures Television
• Columbia TriStar Domestic Television
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Shout! Factory (2012) (USA) (DVD) (the final season)
• Sony Pictures Television (2002-)

Other Companies

• Ford Motor Company  automobiles

Also Known As:

Runtime:

60 min (34 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

L.A.P.D. Hollywood Station - 1358 Wilcox Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Spelling-Goldberg Productions

Trivia:

Burt Reynolds recommended his friend Robert Urich to producer Aaron Spelling for this show. Reynolds and Urich were both alumni of Florida State University. Although this show lasted only two seasons, Spelling remembered Urich and later cast him in "Vega$" (1978), which had a longer run.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Stealing Harvard (2002)

Soundtrack:

Theme from S.W.A.T.

A realistic police show before its time

S.W.A.T was a spin-off off the other great police drama of the 1970s - "The Rookies" SWAT told the stories of an elite police unit called Special Weapons and Tactics Unit or S.W.A.T for short.

They handled situations to dangerous for the regular police.

The show was very violent for the time and the SWAT officers were more violent than the criminals they were going against.

What was cool about this show was the title music which hit the TOP 10 in 1975 and the team scrambling into their truck, speeding to a scene, and then rushing into action. They did it without the body armor and helmets we see such officers wear today.

When I kid, my friends and I would play SWAT and today I wish I could watch the repeats.

Without the theme music and action it would be a run of the mill police show.