After its surprise cancellation last week, CBS has renewed S.W.A.T. for season 7, which will bring the series to a close.
CBS cancelled S.W.A.T. after six seasons last week, which came as a surprise as the popular series had actually managed to increase its viewership after it was moved to a Friday night slot. The cancellation immediately sparked outrage from fans, and CBS has quickly backtracked, announcing today that S.W.A.T. has been renewed for season 7, which will be its final season.
“We have listened to our viewers and their outpouring of passion for S.W.A.T. and we have reached an agreement to renew it for a final season of 13 episodes to air during the 2023-2024 broadcast year,” read a joint statement from Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment, and Katherine Pope, president of Sony Pictures Television Studios. “S.W.A.T. has aired for six seasons on CBS and garnered a devoted following. We are pleased that we found a way to bring it back and give closure to the show’s storylines and characters, which audiences deserve. Once again, we appreciate the talents and efforts of the cast, writers, producers and crew and everyone who has contributed to the success of S.W.A.T. We look forward to its return next season.“
The reason behind the initial cancellation of S.W.A.T. came down to… what else, money. The series has typically received an early renewal each year, but that came with the agreement that the license fee would be unchanged. As TV shows get more expensive year after year, this squeezed S.W.A.T.’s profit margins. Despite the show’s success, CBS and lead studio Sony Television couldn’t come to a new agreement, which led to its brief cancellation.
S.W.A.T. is based on the 1975 TV series and 2003 movie of the same name and stars Shemar Moore as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson, a S.W.A.T. sergeant who runs a specialized tactical unit in Los Angeles. Moore expressed his displeasure after the cancellation, calling it a “f***ing mistake” and urging CBS to reconsider. After news of the S.W.A.T. season 7 renewal, Moore took to social media to say, “Ayyeee!!!!! We did it #SWATFAM!!! @swatcbs is coming back for a 7th and Final season with 13 Episodes!!! Thank you to all of you for the continued and amazing support!! Let’s go.“