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! 
The ONE show that doesn’t have cops, docs, lawyers, or idiotic “reality” morons gets CANCELED?! Who gets to decide this? Obviously not the viewers! With ALL the fans of this show you’d think someone would pick it up and make more! It was nice to have a drama where I didn’t wince at the graphic bullet wounds, beaten heads, child molesters, rapists, terrorists, and general crap that’s forced down our throats every stinking night! CBS–I’m done! I will no longer watch your network. Fox, USA, A&E, FX, TNT, and Bravo (to name a few) seem to be the only networks… Read more »
I agree. This show was great. My fiance and I loved to watch it and couldn’t wait for season 2. I knew there was something wrong when I never heard anything about it, so I had to look online to find out the bad news. Maybe if they aired in a more “prime-time” slot it would hav gotten better ratings. I hope someone picks it up, like say FOX. They love risque shows.
I was just checking to see when Swingtown would be starting its second season, only to find that CBS has canceled the show. WHAT A SHAME. I loved every second of that show. It was the perfect summer story to wrap your mind around, so different from all the same old, same old crap. Maybe if they had put a detective or dumb as…
in the show they could have made the watch dogs happy.
BRING IT BACK! Swingtown was a great, intriquing and entertainingly fun show. They missed a opportunity to learn from past and grow, while we had fun watching.
I am said my summer fling has ended ;(
I am sad and disappointed that there will not be a season 2 of Swingtown. I am not suprised CBS did this given their track record of handling shows. Please, Please let there be some cable channel that will produce a season 2.
This is just unfair, that show was great. I came online to see when season 2 was going to start. What a let down.
I think this was an intelligent show that not only depicted the free love attitude of the 70s but also it’s concequenses. It could have been educational in fact.
I thought it was facinating, fun, and very nostalgic.
I wish some other network would pick it up and let it continue to see what happens…
CBS you are not my favorite network anymore! keeps cancelling good shows…
The three of us loved the show and watched it whenever we could. Our interest in the show is a bit more personal as we live a similar lifestyle and the show, from an insiders point of view, is very well written and acted (even though outdated and a bit tacky). The issues that came up are things we have seen, and interestingly enough have made others in the lifestyle think about what they are doing and what could happen. Oddly enough, it was a semi-educational show! While we, and many of our freinds, will miss the show, from our… Read more »
PLEASE BRING BACK SWINGTOWN
I AM SO DISAPPOINTED THAT THERE WILL NOT BE A SECOND SEASON OF SWINGTOWN THIS SUMMER. I LOVED THAT SHOW AND HAVE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD ALL YEAR TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT. BUT, SINCE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT CBS OF WHICH I WAS A LOYAL VIEWER MOST OF MY LIFE, I AM REALLY NOT SURPRISED NOW. SINCE THEY HAVE CANCELED MUCH LONGER RUNNING SUCCESSFUL SHOWS IN THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. I DO HOPE THAT SOMEONE FROM CBS WILL SEE WHAT A MISTAKE THEY ARE MAKING.
BRING THIS SHOW BACK!!! I absolutely love Swingtown and I am VERY disappointed it’s not coming back! It was great having this show to watch last summer! PLEASE bring it back!!!!!
Bring it back…..
wow, this was a great show for summer line up. These actors do some great work on other shows but need to bring it back the costumes were great.
I loved this show, I have been anticipating season two, I loved that this show came on during the summer when everything else were reruns. Swingtown was most refresing and tantilizing, a good way to live vicariously through others, there were some good chemistry going on.
BRING BACK SWINGTOWN! BRING BACK SWINGTOWN! i can’t believe with shows like COLDCASE – that clearly talk about murder, violence, and rape very graphically – WITHOUT A TRACE – that graphically depicts KIDNAPPING of children in violent situations that folks really have a problem with SWINGTOWN. I don’t get it – you can turn on MTV and see gratuitous sex by drunk college kids that show no responsibility but we have a problem with SWINGTOWN. I don’t understand how you can turn on the tv and watch how many “Law and Order”ish shows talking about drugs and violence and death… Read more »
I just checked to see when Swingtown would start up again. I was really looking forward to it, so I am very disappointed that CBS and sponsors apparently folded to pressure from parent groups. What about adults that like to watch intelligent well-acted programs that are on after prime time? Unbelievable! Why can’t the “watch ” groups just choose not to watch shows they don’t approve of and let everyone else make their own decisions? I agree with Jenny that the show was fresh and smart, not your average series. Very disappointing.