S.W.A.T. Uncanceled by CBS, Sony TV; 13-Episode Final Season Set

Well, the past 72 hours have been pretty “interesting” for CBS’ Shemar Moore-starring S.W.A.T. First, the show was officially canceled on Friday. And then, a report from earlier today claimed that the network and Sony Pictures TV were meeting over the weekend and today to work out the finances and “reconsider” a seventh season of the popular Friday night series. And now? Well, it’s like Friday never happened because the network and the studio have agreed to a 13-episode seventh season. “We have listened to our viewers and their outpouring of passion for S.W.A.T., and we have reached an agreement to renew it for a final season of 13 episodes to air during the 2023-2024 broadcast year,” Amy Reisenbach, President, CBS Entertainment, and Katherine Pope, President, Sony Pictures Television Studios, said in a joint statement. “S.W.A.T. has aired for six seasons on CBS and garnered a devoted following. We are pleased that we found a way to bring it back and give closure to the show’s storylines and characters, which audiences deserve. Once again, we appreciate the talents and efforts of the cast, writers, producers and crew and everyone who has contributed to the success of S.W.A.T. We look forward to its return next season.”

S.W.A.T.: A Look Back at Shemar Moore’s Instagram Video Response

In an Instagram video post from over the weekend, Moore says that ending S.W.A.T. “makes no sense” – and then follows that up by laying out all of the things that the series has done that should’ve guaranteed it another season. With regard to the show itself, Moore makes the point that CBS is ending the only network series with a solo African-American male lead and one of the most diverse teams (on both sides of the camera) going. From there, Moore addresses how the team was notified about the news, not being able to have a proper goodbye/ending & much more. Clocking in at a little over seven minutes, it’s a video definitely worth checking out. Here’s a look at Moore’s post, addressing the news of the show’s demise while making the case for the decision being a bad one on a number of levels.

CBS’s S.W.A.T.: A Look S06E21 “Forget Shorty” & Season Finale “Legacy”

S.W.A.T. Season 6 Episode 21 “Forget Shorty”: SWAT teams up with the DEA, led by Mack Boyle (guest star Timothy Hutton), to conduct a massive gang sweep, only to discover that a vicious cartel is planting roots in the city and endangering numerous lives. Also, Hicks (Patrick St. Esprit) marks an important anniversary in the season’s penultimate episode (written by Kent Rotherham and directed by Paul Bernard):

S.W.A.T. Season 6 Episode 22 “Legacy”: The team works with the DEA and their iron-jawed leader, Mack Boyle (guest star Timothy Hutton), to stop a ruthless cartel boss waging war on the streets of Los Angeles as he exacts revenge on those who killed his son in the season finale (written by Brandon Margolis & Brandon Sonnier and directed Billy Gierhart):

CBS’s S.W.A.T. stars Shemar Moore (Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson), Alex Russell (Jim Street), Jay Harrington (David “Deacon” Kay), Kenny Johnson (Dominique Luca), David Lim (Victor Tan), Patrick St. Esprit (Commander Robert Hicks), and Rochelle Aytes (Nichelle). Shawn Ryan, Justin Lin, Neal Moritz, Marney Hochman, Pavun Shetty, Billy Gierhart, Andy Dettman, and Paul Bernard serve as executive producers, with the series stemming from Sony Pictures Television (in association with CBS Studios).