The crime drama S.W.A.T. has yet to achieve the supreme popularity of other CBS series such as NCIS or Blue Bloods, but it's strong enough that it managed to survive not one, but two cancellations. Between 2023 and 2024, S.W.A.T. was in a weird limbo state when Sony and CBS struggled to find common ground to keep the series on-air. Eventually, they did come to an agreement that worked for everybody, but not after a long string of disappointments and confusing decisions.
S.W.A.T. first premiered in 2017, following a Los Angeles Police Department Sergeant named Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson who is tasked with leading a new Special Weapons and Tactics (S.W.A.T.) unit as a way to bridge the gap between the L.A. police force and the Black community. The pièce de résistance of the series is lead actor Shemar Moore, who already had a loyal fanbase from his work on Criminal Minds, another CBS series that left a mark on the procedural genre. Moore's presence and the socially relevant premise are ultimately what drew people in. S.W.A.T. wasn't one of the highest viewed network shows in its first few seasons, but it had a generous number of viewers that kept it steady. When it came time for CBS to renew the series for its seventh season, things started to get uncertain.
The Decision Behind S.W.A.T.'s Initial Cancellation
Finances and Legal Rights Led to S.W.A.T. Getting Axed
S.W.A.T.'s first cancellation isn't as simple as saying CBS wasn't impressed by the viewership numbers or the ongoing storyline. In fact, CBS tried everything to keep the show, but it was Sony who wouldn't have it. For context, S.W.A.T. is an adaptation of a short-lived 1975 television series starring Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg and a more successful 2003 film of the same name distributed by Sony Pictures. Sony wanted a second shot at S.W.A.T. succeeding in television and brought it to CBS, pitching it as a series that was more aligned with the film's story.
S.W.A.T. became a co-production between Sony and CBS that required the latter to pay the former a licensing fee. That was never a problem until the new Sony Pictures Television president, Katherine Pope, came on board. Pope informed CBS that Sony wouldn't reduce its licensing fee, meaning CBS would have to pay more. CBS already had apparent financial struggles to keep its established successes afloat; Blue Bloods accepted a 25% salary decrease to keep staffers employed and renew the series for a 14th season, although it was canned after that.
Sony was adamant about not negotiating a lower licensing fee like CBS had done in previous seasons. Rumors floated around that Paramount Global, owner of CBS Studios, wanted to shop S.W.A.T. to other networks to pressure CBS to pay the new fee. CBS made its own offer to accept the higher fee, but in return would only produce 13 episodes for the seventh season, compared to the usual 22-episode count. However, Sony didn't accept the offer. CBS stood their ground and announced S.W.A.T. was canceled after six seasons.
S.W.A.T.'s Confusing Renewals Timeline
CBS Finally Settled on What to Do With S.W.A.T.
Image via CBS
The reactions from the cast and crew of S.W.A.T. went about as well as CBS and Sony expected. Shemar Moore took to Instagram to chastise the decision, saying "it makes no sense" and that "they did nothing wrong." Former showrunner Shawn Ryan was also reportedly furious that he wasn't informed about the negotiations and assured Sony and CBS that he could make a 13-episode season. Whether it was the backlash or Ryan's determination, CBS reversed the cancellation for the seventh and final season, technically making it S.W.A.T.'s second cancellation.
S.W.A.T. Cancellation and Renewal Timeline | |
|---|---|
Initially canceled after six seasons | May 6, 2023 |
Reversed cancellation and renewed for seventh and final season | May 9, 2023 |
Renewed again for eighth season | April 11, 2024 |
Ironically, that wasn't the end of S.W.A.T. The series was yet again renewed for an eighth season, just after a series finale episode was announced. The change of heart was apparently due to S.W.A.T.'s newfound success on the network, but especially streaming when it found a home on Netflix. As of right now, S.W.A.T. is still airing new episodes of Season 8 with its usual slate of 22 episodes.
It's unclear if the series will be renewed for a ninth season. Ryan recently expressed that he was unsure about the future of S.W.A.T. despite believing it's "beloved in the executive ranks at CBS." This could mean good things for S.W.A.T., but fans probably won't know for certain until March or April 2025, when Skydance Media is expected to close the deal on acquiring Paramount Global.
New episodes of S.W.A.T. premiere every Friday at 10 PM ET on CBS.
