I’m So Relieved By CBS’ SWAT Season 8 Cancellation Decision (But Please Stop Doing This)

Fans of the CBS series S.W.A.T were relieved to learn that the decision to cancel the show after season 7 was reversed, but this could speak to an alarming trend for the procedural. Based on the 1975 series and the 2003 film of the same name, S.W.A.T follows a specific Special Weapons and Tactics, or S.W.A.T team, of the LAPD, led by Sergeant Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson (Shemar Moore). The series dives into the intricacies of a S.W.A.T unit as well as Harrleson’s attempt to balance his devotion to the community and his team.

The series aired in 2017 on CBS, who produced the series alongside Original Film and Sony Pictures Television. The series ran for six seasons before being canceled in 2023 due to licensing disagreements between CBS and Sony. The decision to cancel the series was reversed soon after, however, with a seventh and final season that would have a limited 13-episode run airing in early 2024.

CBS Has Now Canceled & Then Renewed S.W.A.T Twice

CBS announced the second renewal in a press release in mid-2024

S.W.A.T’s second renewal may be due to the rise in viewership, but this reversal may also negatively impact that same audience that saved the series. After CBS canceled S.W.A.T, the ratings of the series began to climb, with the season 7 premiere opening with 5.12 million viewers and the season gaining 8.8 million viewers overall. This contrasts with season 6’s overall average of 5 million viewers, according to Screen Rant. This also contrasts with the result of its first renewal, which was purely based on CBS and Sony’s renewed licensing agreement over any viewership concerns.

S.W.A.T’s Renewal Is Good, But The Cancelations Make Its Future Harder

While this announcement is promising as many shows remain on the bubble, this renewal may end up causing the narrative to become disjointed as well as alienate fans. Many of the characters have left S.W.A.T. in recent seasons, leaving only a few of the original characters. This could make planning for a proper ending more difficult, as the series must not only add new storylines to the new characters but find a way to move the existing character arcs in a compelling way while also making sure all threads can be resolved in the event of another cancelation.

This can result in more disjointed storylines for S.W.A.T.’s main characters and a drop in viewership. Not only would fans no longer connect to the series, but the constant fear of abrupt cancelation could limit the number of new viewers as they may not be compelled to begin a show that could abruptly be canceled and left with an unsatisfying ending. This could, ironically, cancel the show for a third and final time due to a lack of that viewership that originally saved the series.