Cable channel Bravo has purchased the exclusive rights to air CBS’ summer drama, Swingtown. Does this mean there will be a second season?
Swingtown debuted on Thursday, June 5, 2008 on CBS. The series was executive produced by show creator Mike Kelley and Jericho’s Carol Barbee. Set in the summer of 1976, Swingtown follows three families as they explore new freedoms and shifting moral values in Chicago suburbia. The series stars veterans of cancelled shows like Molly Parker (Six Feet Under), Grant Show (Melrose Place), Lana Parrilla (Spin City), Josh Hopkins (Pepper Dennis), Miriam Shor (Big Day), and Shanna Collins (Wildfire).
CBS’ President of Entertainment, Nina Tassler, gave the drama a greenlight in May 2007 after HBO had passed on the project. It was expected to air during the regular 2007-08 season but CBS decided to delay the series until Summer, typically a time used to burn off less desirable programming. Critical and viewer reception for Swingtown was mixed and the pilot debuted to fewer than 8.6 million viewers and a 2.5/7 rating/share in the 18-49 demographic. The ratings for subsequent episodes dropped from there.
After seven episodes, CBS moved Swingtown to Friday nights and gave Flashpoint its place on Thursdays. In its new timeslot, the viewership plunged to a low of 2.82 million.
Despite the disappointing numbers, Swingtown has attracted media interest and a devoted group of viewers. The series also still must have some supporters at CBS because the network execs opted to air all 13 episodes rather than pull it.
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Though the series’ ratings are too low to warrant a season two renewal on the network, the CBS studio tried to find another home for Swingtown. They focused their efforts on cable channels which aren’t under strict FCC regulations. On cable, the writers could presumably take the show’s risque exploits even further and possibly attract additional media attention. Unfortunately, there’s been no takers.
Bravo recently made a deal for the cable rights to air Swingtown’s first season in the next few months. The cable station has made it clear that they are merely purchasing the pre-existing 13 episodes and have no intention of producing a second season. The deal effectively closes the door on the series’ future. With Bravo having the air rights for the first season, another cable channel would have little reason to produce season two.
On a positive note, the first (and only) season of Swingtown will be released on DVD in December. With any luck, the executive producers will use this opportunity to answer outstanding questions and to tell us what might have happened if the series had continued. Stay tuned! 
Please make a second season. I loved this show. we need to know about katrina and the baby. Is robert and jane going to make it. and what about bruce’s daugther and her boyfriend. He left remember to help over seas. WE NEED ANOTHER SEASON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!PLEASE
PLEASE PLEASE make a seaon 2 of swingtown i love this show! i love the 70’s and i like watching it on tv to see what it was really like. I admit that in the summer time i wasnt able to watch the show but i recently bought the first season on DVD and i have to tell you i feel in love with the show! i really hope that they do make a second season of this show!!
PLEASE renew Swingtown for a second season….the show is AWESOME!!!!!!!
I love this show! Please add another season. It was such much fun to watch. Great plots and characters! Please
This is great news. At first I thought this was going to be a horrible show (admittedly I judged it by name alone) but I was pleasantly surprised.
Swingtown was a great summer show. I couldn’t wait until Thursday night to watch it. Then they moved it to Friday and that became my new night for TV. The cast was great. I as well as my sister could not wait until the next week to see what was going to happen. Please make a 2nd season. You left me hanging.. even when there was a repeat line up I watched it again.. What happened with Susan and Roger. Will Trina have the baby and stop swinging. What happened to Lori. I was waiting all fall for Swingtowns return… Read more »
I love that Bavo has picked up Swingtown. I loved this show and was devistated when I learned that it was cancelled by CBS. Way to go Bravo. Cant wait to watch season two
Diana
I don’t know how cable could not have picked this show up. Complex, meaningful, deep and edgy – viewers could relate and are yearning for story lines that hit deeper. Give us what we are looking for – this! Pick it back up! As someone else said, please don’t let this be a tragic repeat of the My So-Called Life series.
I absolutely loved Swingtown and always watched it on Thursday night. When it moved to Friday, I TIVOed it and watched at my convenience. BRAVO doesn’t interest me because I’m not a fan of Reality TV however, I would definately tune in for season two. Since I bought the first season on DVD, I probably won’t tune in to see season one again but you never know…
i only wish swingtown would come back for a second season. i loved the storyline, the actors were awesome, but mostly i love anything from the 70’s. i loved how they incorporated all the gadgets and props. this show just brought me back in time. us baby-boomers need something we can relate to. i am sick of all the reality crap, i’m livin’ it, i don’t wanna watch it too! please give the television audience more of what we want and need!
Swingtown is an awesome show and to think that CBS or any other cable chain is considering closing it down is just not right. There are plenty of tv and reality shows that are a lot more blaunt and x-rated than swingtown. Bring it back…. make a Season 2 til 22……
VAL AND I ACTUALLY DO LIVE THE LIFESTYLE AND ALTHOUGH THE SHOW WAS PUT ON ABOUT THE 70’S IT WAS SO FAMILIAR WITH OUR LIFESTYLE TODAY. WE GO TO PRIVATE LIFESTYLE CLUBS WHERE THERE IS NO JEALOUSY, NO FIGHTING, NO DOPE. JUST A LOT OF GOOD SAFE FUN. SWINGTOWN WAS REALITY FOR US. PLEASE CBS OR BRAVO OR SOMEBODY BRING IT BACK FOR A SECOND SEASON AND A THIRD OR MORE. WE LOOKED FORWARD TO THE SHOW EACH WEEK.
BRING BACK SWINGTOWN! ALTHOUGH I WAS REALLY TOO YOUNG TO REMEMBER MUCH OF THE 1970’S, I GREW UP LISTENING TO THE MUSIC OF THAT TIME. THE 1970’S WERE A GREAT TIME TO GROW UP.
I ESPICALLY ENJOYED THE MUSIC OF THAT DECADE.I HAVE SO MANY GREAT MEMORIES OF THE MUSIC OF THAT TIME.THAT SHOW REALLY BROUGHT BACK SOME REALLY GREATMEMORIES JUST FROM THE MUSIC.MAYBE IF IT HAD BEEN PUT ON AT A DIFFERENT TIME OR ON A DIFERENT DAY IT MIGHT HAVE LASTED LONGER. I REALLY ENCOURAGE CBS TO BRING BACK THE SHOW FOR IT’S LOYAL VIEWERS.
This sucks we loved watching this show, because we both agreed on it.
I’m so dissapointed that this how has been cancelled!! FINALLY a decent non-cop related; murder related show comes on the air and it’s cancelled?? I’ve read so much about people complaining about the STD epidemic and how this show portrays that sleeping around is good therefore causing STD’s. But what is CSI showing? murder and how to comit one so that the CSI guys can’t find you? or Law and Order…that show was on for years and it was the same darn thing. This show needs to be brought back even if they can’t air it until 11pm or later… Read more »