Haven’t canceled yet again! ‘SWAT’ defies death with surprise season 8 renewal at CBS

SWAT’ Stays Alive: Renewed for Season 8 on CBS
After being canceled, then uncancelled, then producing what was billed as its final season, CBS’ SWAT is getting a new lease on life.

The network aired the eighth season of the crime drama starring Shemar Moore. The decision to continue the series, a co-production of Sony Pictures Television and CBS Studios, was a surprise: CBS billed SWAT this season as its last after negotiating with Sony over licensing fees and a reduced order. Order episode. As recently as Monday, when CBS announced the season finale date, it billed the May 17 SWAT episode as its “series finale.”
Now, however, the series will return in 2024-25, joining CBS dramas Fire Country, NCIS, NCIS: Sydney, Tracker and all three members of the FBI series on the list of next season (comedies Ghosts and The Neighborhood have also been renewed, and the second half of Blue Bloods’ final season is also expected in the fall).

“At CBS, we are always ‘on the go’ and love a good dramatic episode, especially when it leads to the eighth season of SWAT,” said Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment. “The show continues to resonate with viewers thanks to a talented cast led by Shemar Moore and our amazing writers and producers who keep the show relevant and action-packed. dynamic. We’re thrilled to renew the series and are incredibly grateful to our partners at Sony, CBS Studios and Shemar for working so closely with us to bring the show back for next season. ”

Sony Pictures TV Studios President Katherine Pope added: “Led by the unstoppable Shemar Moore, SWAT has captivated viewers since its debut in 2017, and with each renewal we marvel at how passionate and dedicated the fans of this show are. Thank you to Amy Reisenbach and our partners at CBS for their continued belief in the show and the incredible work of the cast and crew.”

The episode count for season eight has yet to be decided, so whether SWAT will run a full season or will appear in 13 more episodes remains to be seen. A big reason for the controversy over the show’s fate a year ago had to do with Sony’s request to keep the license fee the same while CBS asked for the episode order to be reduced as it wanted to cut costs on the series. Movies with scripts. Ultimately, an agreement was reached for a 13-episode season.
“It is a privilege to deliver more SWAT stories to our incredible fans,” said Shawn Ryan, executive producer and co-showrunner. “This eighth season pickup is a testament to showrunners Andy Dettmann, Shemar Moore, the rest of the talented cast and our dedicated team who continue to produce the television show. The image resonated with many people. We are grateful to CBS, Sony Pictures Television and CBS Studios for this opportunity.”

Dettman added, “Shemar and I had many conversations throughout the production of season seven, confident that if we continued to tell great stories punctuated by signature SWAT action, the people Our great fans will stay with us, giving us a good chance at another season. Ultimately, this is a worthy reward for all the time, energy and effort the incredible cast and crew have put in with the continued support of our partners at Sony Pictures Television and everyone at CBS.”

During the season, SWAT is averaging 8.8 million viewers across five weeks of viewing, including streaming on the Paramount+ app and CBS. That’s an 11 percent increase from last season.

“I am so proud of this show and the people and variables it took to make this show what it is and has become,” said Moore, who also serves as executive producer. “I am so grateful to fans around the world who have supported, watched, enjoyed and cheered for SWAT. It is entirely thanks to this support that SWAT will continue to shine!”

Ryan and Aaron Rashaan Thomas created SWAT, based on the 1975 ABC series of the same name. Ryan and Dettmann executive produce with Justin Lin, Neal H. Moritz, Marney Hochman, Pavun Shetty, Billy Gierhart, Moore and James Scura.