Almost a year after S.W.A.T. was cancelled by CBS, its timeslot replacement is seeing major viewership growth. The series finale of S.W.A.T. aired this past May, signalling an end to the action drama that impressively survived cancellation twice. The Shemar Moore-led procedural was initially cancelled after season 6, only for that decision to be reversed.
S.W.A.T. season 7 was then meant to serve as the show's final outing, but network executives brought it back for one last year. The franchise will continue, with Moore reprising his role as Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson Jr. for a spinoff. But a different kind of procedural, which took the spot that S.W.A.T. occupied on CBS's schedule, is seeing big viewership increases.
Deadline reports that Sheriff Country, which took over S.W.A.T.'s timeslot of 8 PM ET on Fridays, has enjoyed seven consecutive weeks of viewership growth since it premiered in October. It has delivered roughly 6.24 million viewers per episode, according to live and same-day data from Nielsen, consistently emerging as the winner in its timeslot. It is also up 11% compared to when S.W.A.T. season 8 had the same spot.
In even more encouraging numbers, the first few episodes accumulated 11.3 million viewers when looking at the 35-day window data from Nielsen. That would make it the number two new show in that window after the Blue Bloods spinoff Boston Blue, and both CBS dramas have been renewed for season 2. When widening the scope to include multi-platform viewing, such as streaming, Sheriff Country represents a 63% increase compared to S.W.A.T.'s numbers.
Sheriff County, a spinoff of the hit Fire Country series, stars Morena Baccarin as the titular sheriff Mickey Fox. Straightforward in how she approaches her job, despite the residents' perception of her, Mickey patrols the streets of small-town Edgewater. She also has to deal with complicated relationships with her ex-con father, not to mention a mystery that involves her daughter.
Christopher Gorham, Michele Weaver, Matt Lauria, and W. Earl Brown also star in the Sheriff Country cast, with the spinoff planning to go on hiatus after its December 19 episode. That leaves curious audiences with enough time to check up on this new arrival if they're curious. But for those wanting more of S.W.A.T., the spinoff has been taking shape in recent months.
Echoing the premise of Top Gun: Maverick, the new show is called S.W.A.T. Exiles and pairs Hondo with a new and younger group of characters. Jay Harrington and Patrick St. Esprit reprise their roles as Sergeant David "Deacon" Kay and Commander Robert Hicks, appearing in the premiere episode.
The spinoff is currently filming, but does not have a release date or a platform attached. It could potentially still find a home on CBS, which is enjoying the popularity of Sheriff Country.
Sheriff Country airs Fridays at 8 PM ET on CBS.
