(Photo by: Sonja Flemming/CBS)
Hondo and his team won’t be back protecting the public for the 2023-24 TV season. CBS has cancelled SWAT, so there won’t be a seventh season. The sixth season currently airs on Friday nights. *Update below.
A police action drama series, the SWAT TV show stars Shemar Moore, Alex Russell, Jay Harrington, Kenny Johnson, David Lim, and Patrick St. Esprit. The crime thriller centers on Sergeant Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson (Moore), a Los Angeles native and former Marine who’s been tapped to lead a new “last stop” Special Weapons And Tactics unit (S.W.A.T.). The rest of the team includes seasoned David “Deacon” Kay (Harrington), cocky Jim Street (Russell), expert driver Dominique Luca (Johnson), and informant-connected Victor Tan (Lim). Commander Robert Hicks (St. Esprit), a senior LAPD official with the Special Operations Bureau, is responsible for managing all Metro Division S.W.A.T. units.
The sixth season of SWAT averages a 0.42 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 5.07 million viewers in the live+same day ratings (includes all DVR playback through 3:00 AM). Compared to season five, that’s down by 6% in the demo and up by 18% in viewership. In the live+7 day ratings, the drama gets a nearly 30% boost in viewership.
Despite the rise in viewership. CBS still opted to cancel the series. Sony Television, which produces SWAT, and the network couldn’t agree on a licensing fee. According to Deadline, Sony had not increased the licensing fee for the past few years even though costs had increased and the studio’s profits had dropped.
CBS execs let the exclusivity on the series expire and were eventually willing to increase the licensing fee but dropped the episode order. That would have driven the per-episode cost even higher for Sony, and ultimately an agreement couldn’t be reached.
The word is that finding a new home for SWAT is highly unlikely, given the show’s budget.
“For six seasons, the amazing talents of the SWAT cast led by Shemar Moore, the writers, producers and crew guided by executive producers Shawn Ryan, Andy Dettman, and Aaron Rahsaan Thomas brought us compelling, action packed episodes that also addressed important social issues and contributed to the success of our primetime line-up,” said Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment. “We sincerely thank them for their incredible work and passion and also thank our dedicated fans who tuned in every week.”
After tonight’s episode, there are two more episodes to air. The de facto series finale, titled “Legacy,” will be released on May 19th.
What do you think? Have you kept up with the SWAT TV show? Are you disappointed this CBS series wasn’t renewed for a seventh season? Are you surprised that it was cancelled?
Update: The CBS series has been revived and renewed for a seventh and final season.
WHAT? SWAT canceled? I’m done. Swat is one of the best shows on TV? Shepard Moore and the entire cast is one if the best on TV. How hard has CBS tried to locate a new home for SWAT? Please try harder. Seems the networks don’t try very hard to keep the quality shows on the air. CBS: please keep SWAT on the air.
Swat is a great show. CBS needs to be cancelled for cancelling it. Have they lost their minds. We need to boycott.
We love SWAT, One of my favorite shows.
Shemor Moore & all his fellow actors are great !!!
I really am sad to see it not come back
Please someone pick the show up !!!
Very disappointed
Swat is a fantastic show. One of the best shows on. Please keep it
I’m in total shock. Swat was such an incredible show, incredible actors and the writing was brilliant. I honestly did not see this coming, but then again, it’s always about the money not the ratings. So upset.
CBS blows it again…Hope they get burned bad by this this short sighted cheap decision by their program director…Really stupud!
You need to renew s.w.a.t .I don’t understand why u did this. I hope someone will pick up this great show. Please reconsider this show for renewal.
So CBS picked up a stupid bingo type game show and cancels a great drama. Total incompetence, all about $$$
Seat was an awesome show just like Magnum. CBS is not very adept at keeping the best shows on tv. It is really their loss. This show was great!
CBS is crazy. All the good shows will be gone after this year from their network. Thank God for streaming! I just can’t believe that would cancel S.W.A.T.
I agree. It’s a great show. I hope another network picks it up like NBC picked up Magnum P.I.
I watch this show weekly!! Stop yanking away the good shows!!!! Keep SWAT.
Love this show!! Shocked that it’s cancelled! Really hope someone picks it up…
The show is great. What a disappointment!
CBS is getting as bad as ABC cancelling SWAT and NCIS LA leaves not very many shows I want to watch and soon I won’t tune into CBS like I don’t tune into ABC. KEEP SWAT gets rid of something else