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! 
Hate that Swingtown was cancelled but we remain ever hopeful that it may rise from the dead and return to the air again sometime in the future. While the religious right may have had kittens over the mere thought of the subject matter, the fact is that it’s becoming more mainstream all the time. It’s time to bring the cast and writers back and give them a decent advertising budget this time! (Of course the first season got ‘low ratings’, as it had almost no advertising budget or on-air promo’s.) We need more shows that depict reality and fewer shows… Read more »
Just got done viewing season 1 (for about the 5th time). Love this show! Please bring it back!
My friends and I were just talking about this show tonight – 5 years later! We loved it and was shocked it was pulled! This was a great show! Give it another chance!!!
That’s funny me and my mom were just talking about the show last night what happened I wish it could come back !!!
I absolutely loved this show better than any other, I am from the 70’s era and it captured everything about that time so perfect, the clothes, the music, the houses, the decor, the political view points…I can’t believe it was cancelled I mean it was perfect and yeah viewers may have not liked the concept of swinging, but hey that was a era of our past just like any other era portrayed on tv, it just erks me when everything else aired on tv has to have ******, and lizzies, or drugged out junkies, killers, baby rapers, murderers, I mean… Read more »
I, too, was just checking to see if this series is coming back. I loved it.
I watched this series when it first aired and LOVED IT! I was just checking to see if there had been any updates about bringing it back. Sadly, havent found anything….
Despite the name, swingtown tastefully explores changing attitudes in the 70’s. Love re-visiting the 70’s delivered via this fine drama. The characters are particularly intruiging…Janet’s journey has been amusing… surprised more people haven’t picked up on it. Hanging out for next series.
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bring it back!
I loooooooved the show and am so disappointed to hear there isn’t another season to look forward to. I couldn’t get enough of it. It’s airing in Australia right now and we love it. Lady Gagga can get away anything and in this day and age it is widely accepted plus there is more to it then swinging, we need another season, pronto:) Please
This show (Or one like it) needs to come back on air – It’s 2011 now and attitudes to sex and monogamy are changing, the people need to be shown that this sort of behavior is not just acceptable, it is becoming the norm. My wife and I are just beginning to discover the joys of swinging and we encourage everyone to join in. 🙂
I waited and waited for this show to come back on. I was so disappointed when I heard that it was cancelled. It was just bad timing.
I thought this was an interesting show and portrayed the life style of the 70’s, my fiance and I watched it every week and were anxious to see what happened each week when it aired. We were disappointed when it was removed from the CBS network. I hope they do bring it back on another network or at a later time on CBS. I would really like to know the station and dates and times that it airs cause we would watch it.
Seriously. This show was nothing but a fake of a fake. I hate producers just asking themselves “what are people watching now” instead of what are they going to watch in the future!
I´m waiting for the next season, when does it come out. Please let us know, my mife and me are ready for it.
I hope this show comes back; even if it’s on another network. My husband and I really like it. The characters are interesting. I want to know what happens next!