Plot: What’s it about?
The streets of Los Angeles have become battlefields, as criminals and the police face off in constant conflicts. But as crime rises and more people turn to illegal actions, the LAPD finds itself in need of a new direction. Jim Street (Robert Urich) is an officer in Los Angeles and his partner was just murdered, when two brothers ambushed him to exact some vengeance for the death of their father. Now a rash of attacks on the city’s police officers has pushed the agency’s back up against the wall, as some kind of action must be taken. As such, Lt. Dan “Hondo” Harrison (Steve Forrest) has unveiled the LAPD’s newest weapon against criminals, a special task force created to deal with intense situations. The squad is known as S.W.A.T., the Special Weapons and Tactics unit, a force which will have to neutralize the most dangerous events. In addition to Harrison and Street, the unit also includes Sgt. David “Deacon” Kay (Rod Perry) and officers Dominic Luca (Mark Shera) & T.J. McCabe (James Coleman), all skilled and decorated officials. The training has been harsh and extensive, but this team will need to be at their best, since the have to defuse explosive situations all the time. Will this task force known as S.W.A.T. be able to restore some justice to Los Angeles, or will it be simply a failed experiment?
As more and more television shows reach DVD, we see a broader selection of content, such as shows that weren’t blockbusters. An example is S.W.A.T., which was a popular program for a while, but has fallen through the cracks since. A lot of older shows have stayed in the public eye, but S.W.A.T. couldn’t hold much attention. But with a major motion picture of the same name on the horizon, Columbia is hoping to revive this series on DVD. I happen to like a number of police related television shows, so I sat down to revisit S.W.A.T. and for the first time, experience the first season in its proper order of presentation. As the title suggests, the show is about a team of S.W.A.T. agents and the assorted adventures they experience. Robert Urich and Steve Forrest head up the squad, which tackles all kinds of criminal situations. While not as tense or brutal as more recent cop shows, S.W.A.T. is more harsh and violent than other shows of its time, though the storylines and characters often come off as thin. The shoot-outs and focus on action make for some fun moments, but I’d like to have more storyline in between the violence. I like shows like The Shield and N.Y.P.D. Blue because of the great development, not just the brutal edge. So unless you’re a 70s cop show addict, you can leave S.W.A.T. at the station.
Video: How does it look?
The episodes are presented in full frame, as intended. These episodes look good, but have that special 70s visual presence, to be sure. If you stack these episodes against other 70s shows out there, I think they hold up well and while not excellent, the quality is a step up from reruns and the like. The prints look solid, with only minor grain and some small defects here & there, so the image isn’t as soft as I expected. I doubt you’ll confuse this with a newer series, but for what it is, the material looks good here. The colors haven’t worn much and contrast is still solid, so all in all, S.W.A.T. has been given an acceptable visual treatment.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio here is basic, but solid and for a 70s cop show, you couldn’t ask for a whole lot more than this. I do think a well crafted Dolby Digital 5.1 remix could enhance the action scenes, but you can’t win them all, right? As it stands, when the bullets fly and the doors get kicked down, we have a solid presentation. Not as active or effective as I would like, but for a 70s cop show, not bad at all. The cool music sounds great here, including the famous theme song, which became a sizable hit across the charts. No troubles with dialogue either, as vocals come across as crisp and clean in all instances. In a rare move by Columbia, this release includes no alternate language tracks or subtitle options.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This release includes no bonus materials.
