36 years ago tonight, on Monday, February 24, 1975, the series “S.W.A.T.” premiered on ABC.
One week earlier, on Feb 17, the 2-hour pilot aired, but the first episode of the series was broadcast on this date in TV history.
Postcard sent to fans of “S.W.A.T.” in the 1970s
Like most civilians (and most 14-year olds) I had never heard of a S.W.A.T. team before, but this show made the acronym a common household term. S.W.A.T. stands for Special Weapons and Tactics. In many big city police departments it’s the unit that’s called in for those heavy-duty assignments when street cops just aren’t enough.
The series “S.W.A.T.” was set in an unnamed California city and featured the five men in the unit. Actor Steve Forrest starred as Lt. Dan “Hondo” Harrelson, the Commanding Officer. Second in command was Sgt. David “Deacon” Kay, played by Rod Perry. A young Robert Urich portrayed Officer Jim Street, while James Coleman and Mark Shera played Officers T.J. McCabe and Dominic Luca, respectively.
Reverse side of the same postcard, featuring "autographs" of the actors
“S.W.A.T.” was a Spelling-Goldberg production and was technically a spin-off of “The Rookies,” also on ABC. “S.W.A.T.” ran February 1975 until June 1976.
Another fun memory: The “Theme from ‘S.W.A.T.’” performed by Rhythm Heritage became a #1 hit song in 1975.
Raised by TV 
All of the episodes were watched except for the two hour pilot with the rookies. Being a avid watcher of this program at 15yrs old this was the show that put me into law enforcement at a very early age at 18. Conditions sure changed when I put on that military police uniform and all that gear. Doing or engaging in the functions law enforcement enhanced my interest S.W.A.T. operations. Every time I watched one of these episodes I remember how you all took great pride in taking down threats that was being preformed which happen in the real world. For a 15yr old, giving me this excitement gives the same excitement today.