FX UK

Synopsis

It's a typical crack house. Barricade windows, at least three suspects armed with two AK-47's, .a .38, a shot gun, a pit bull that's trained to kill... oh and there's a baby in the house so we can't use stun grenades…S.W.A.T briefing. When the public are in trouble – they call the police. When the police are in trouble – they call S.W.A.T... This is the all-action, life and death, 24/7 access documentary series, that reveals what life is really like for Texas's "Special Weapons and Tactics" Teams. This is the first time an entire American State has given a film-maker complete access to all its SWAT units, and the producer had access to 14 teams to ensure maximum action and access to the high risk situations that define the work of S.W.A.T. The fact the filmmaker who accompanies the teams to reveal their methods is acclaimed war cameramen Jeff Chagrin gives an indication of how tough the S.W.A.T job is... Whilst we get to see the personal reactions of the teams, the focus of the series is the relentlessly high energy, charged situations that the teams find themselves in on a daily basis. Crack house raids, hostage negotiation, sniper work and shoot-outs, high–risk arrests, suicides...the teams cover an average of 600 jobs a year. Jeff's filming style is to combine "reality" footage with a gritty documentary style that reveals what it is like to be, and to deal with being one of the best trained, best armed cops doing the toughest job in law and order. He goes on all jobs, lives with the team, runs and trains with them, and, after successful jobs, celebrates with them…This also allows the viewer to access the real characters who comprise the teams: ordinary men, doing extraordinary jobs.