S.W.A.T.may have never been the flagship show ofCBS, but ithasmanaged to hold its own over the years. The series, which centers on the daily lives of a Los Angeles S.W.A.T. team, has been known to deliver solid ratings for the network, thanks to its fast-paced storytelling and a reliable cast led byShemar Moore.S.W.A.T.hasn’t been on the air as long as CBS shows likeNCISandBlue Bloods,but that doesn’t matter—the series became one of the network’s most popular shows, even experiencing a resurgence after CBS movedS.W.A.T.from Thursday to Friday nights.
That’s why it came as a huge shock to many whenCBSsuddenly announced the cancelation ofS.W.A.T.after six seasons. Fortunately, the network eventually reversed its decision, opting to move forward with Season 7 of the series, and while it was initially understood that it would be the show’s last season, CBS renewedS.W.A.T.for Season 8. Since then, the network has got everyone wondering why it tried to ax the show in the first place.
This action-packed series follows a specialized tactical unit in the Los Angeles Police Department, led by Sergeant Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson. The team tackles high-stakes crimes in the city while addressing issues of race, loyalty, and justice. The series is notable for its intense action sequences and the personal dramas of its members.
Sony Brought ‘S.W.A.T.’ to CBS in the First Place
Hollywood has been intrigued byS.W.A.T.and its inner workings for as long as anyone can remember. In the 1970s,Aaron SpellingandLeonard Goldbergproduced their ownS.W.A.T.series; though it only ran for one season, it stayed on the air just long enough to inspire a 2003 movie of the same name. This film attracted several Hollywood stars, withSamuel L. Jackson,Colin Farrell,LL Cool J, andMichelle Rodriguezleading the cast. A few years later,Sonycame toShawn Ryan, the Emmy-winning producer behindThe Shield, with plans to takeS.W.A.T.back to the silver screen and essentially do a remake of the movie.
At that time, the studio already had Aaron Rahsaan Thomas, best known for his work onCSI: NY,SouthlandandSleepy Hollow, on the project. They thought it would be a solid idea for Ryan, who was set torenew his overall deal with Sony, to come on board, too. Aside from Ryan, the studio also tappedFast and Furiousfranchisedirector, Justin Lin, who signed on as one of the show’s producers, and together, the three men pitchedS.W.A.T.to CBS and sold the network on it. CBS even agreed to pay a penalty fee if it decided not to put the show on its air; that, of course, did not happen.
‘S.W.A.T.’ Gained New Viewers With a Time Slot Change
WhenS.W.A.T.premiered in 2017, CBS knew instantly that it had another hit in its hands, as the show’s pilot episode, which Lin directed, achieved record ratings as it was watched by a reported 6.82 million viewers when it first aired on November 2.CBS Entertainmentalso later revealed thatS.W.A.T.recorded 10.52 million viewers in its Live+7 ratings, the highest audience recorded for its time period. Aside from the veteran producers and filmmakers working on the show, the series had another secret weapon: its main star, Shemar Moore. By the timeS.W.A.T.went on air, Moore had already established himself as one of the most bankable TV stars in the business following his time on the other CBS hit crime drama,Criminal Minds. During an interview withAssignment X, Ryan even said that getting Moore on board the show was the “secret sauce” to makingS.W.A.T.a success.
On CBS,S.W.A.T.faced stiff competition from the get-go, as the network was already home to several highly-rated crime dramas. Following its premiere, the show’s viewership throughout Season 1 remained steady,averaging 5.89 million viewersacross its 22 episodes. It didn’t do as well asNCISorBlue Bloods,but it performed enough to warrant a second season. During the 2018 through 2019 period, CBS had already been the number one network for 11 straight seasons and its scripted series lineup played a huge role in making that happen. That said, CBS also suffered a ratings dip throughout its shows as the broadcast industry dealt with the rise of streaming. ForS.W.A.T., that meant a slightly lower average rating for Season 2, and as broadcast networks continued to suffer, the series’ viewership dipped further, though CBS kept renewing it.
You Will Never Guess Who Is Returning for ‘S.W.A.T.’ Season 8
Audiences thought he was gone for good.
Eventually, CBS decided to shake things up, movingS.W.A.T. to its Friday night time slot where it joinedBlue BloodsandMagnum P.I.As it turns out, that single move was all thatS.W.A.T.needed to regain its momentum. Following the shift, the series sawa 35 percent increasein its Season 5 ratings, averaging 4.28 million viewers. Just a year later,S.W.A.T.saw another17 percent increasein ratings for Season 6, averaging an estimated 5.01 million viewers per episode. Despite the recovery, however, there was trouble up ahead.
Despite Its Ratings Resurgence, ‘S.W.A.T.’ Was Not Safe From Cancelation
Following the relative success ofS.W.A.T.Season 6, there were reasonable expectations that the crime drama would be picked up for at least another season. Unbeknownst to fans, however, the situation had changed drastically behind the scenes. Broadcast networks had been struggling to keep up with streaming and shows either faced the ax or dealt with salary cuts. For instance,Blue Bloodsagreed to a 25 percent salary reduction just to be able tomove forward with Season 14(CBS has since canceled the series, too). Meanwhile, the long-runningNCISspinoff,NCIS: Los Angeles, got canceled after its own 14-season run.
As forS.W.A.T., there were already some signs of trouble when Sony TV boss,Katherine Pope, informed CBS it couldn’t offer the network a lower license fee for Season 6. CBS previously negotiated a reduced fee forS.W.A.T.’searlier seasons, but not this time around. A few weeks later, the network presented Sony with a counteroffer: they would pay a higher licensing fee, but the show would only run for 13 episodes. According toThe Hollywood Reporter, the offer wasn’t good enough for Sony, and CBS eventually informed the studio thatit was cancelingS.W.A.T.When news of the show’s cancellation spread, it drew strong reactions from the fans, as well as Ryan and Moore. Ryan even later revealed that he was never informed about CBS’ counteroffer. The show’s co-creator then approached the network, informing them that he could, in fact, deliver a shorter season.
CBS, in turn,agreed to reverse the cancelation, bringing backS.W.A.T.for what was understood to be the show’s final season. However, the network picked up the crime drama again for Season 8. WhetherS.W.A.T.will continue its run beyond the 2024 to 2025 season remains to be seen, but the show has already found life beyond broadcast following Sony’s deal with Netflix.
