S.W.A.T. Exiles Becomes Number 1 Show on Starz After One Episode S.W.A.T. Exiles, the Starz spinoff starring Shemar Moore, became the number 1 TV show on the platform in the US after its September 25, 2026 premiere. S.W.A.T. Exiles, a new gritty action series spun off from the long-running S.W.A.T. franchise, has become the number 1 TV show on Starz in the United States after just one episode. The series premiered on the platform on Friday, September 25, 2026, and by September 28, 2026, it had climbed to the top of the Starz chart. S.W.A.T. Exiles Tops Starz ChartAccording to data from September 28, 2026, the sequel series reached the number 1 spot on Starz in the US with only a single episode available. It surpassed major titles including Outlander: Blood of My Blood, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, and another newly charting series, The Nowhere Man.The achievement comes quickly for a show that only recently launched on the network. It also signals strong early interest in Starz's expansion into a franchise that did not originally air on its platform.The spinoff's success follows a turbulent history for the original show. CBS cancelled S.W.A.T. for a third time despite the series pulling enough ratings to justify its continuation. The original was finally shelved for good after season 8.Shemar Moore Returns as HondoS.W.A.T. Exiles continues the story of Daniel Hondo Harrelson Jr., played by Shemar Moore, who returns as the series protagonist. In the new show, Hondo is pulled out of an early retirement to train a S.W.A.T. unit full of young rookies.The series focuses on him bringing a new team together as they face down various threats in the Los Angeles area. Moore's return follows a massive 163-episode stint portraying the team leader in the original procedural.He is joined by new cast members Ronen Rubinstein, Freddy Miyares, Zyra Gorecki, Lucy Barrett, and Adain Bradley. The mix of returning leadership and new blood delivers on the series' promised focus while keeping its core ideas apparent.Reviews for S.W.A.T. Exiles have been relatively positive about the potential the series has. Starz has already renewed it for season 2, showing clear faith in the continuation.A Growing Starz Franchise StrategyStarz is home to a number of TV franchises that have impressed on streaming charts in recent years. One of its biggest is Outlander, whose main series ended in May 2026 and continues through the prequel series Outlander: Blood of My Blood.The network also hosts the Power Universe, a crime drama franchise spanning four TV shows, with two additional shows currently in development. S.W.A.T. Exiles represents a different move, as Starz expands its horizons with the continuation of a show that originally aired on CBS.S.W.A.T. Exiles is also part of a larger creative universe. The S.W.A.T. shows take place in the same universe as The Shield, an FX procedural from the 2000s that earned six Emmys across its seven-season run.The newest show's success on Starz continues a two-decade tradition of positivity for the larger franchise. New episodes of the spinoff are set to air on the platform every Friday for the next nine weeks.