CBS has announced a release date for the return of their police procedural S.W.A.T., just months after it was saved from cancelation. The crime drama will make its fall premiere on Friday, October 18 at 8:00 p.m. EST. The series will lead off the network’s block of police/public service-themed shows on Fridays, and will be followed by the third season of Fire Country at 9:00 p.m. and the 14th and final season of Blue Bloods at 10:00 p.m.
The series has now been saved from cancelation twice. Last May, CBS announced that the series was done after six seasons, but criticism of the cancelation by star Shemar Moore, as well as the outcry from fans, caused CBS to reverse the decision a few days later. Season seven was promoted by the network as the series’ final season, but once again, fan outcry caused the network to un-cancel the series in April. This time, CBS is playing it safe, making no declarations that season eight will be the last.
S.W.A.T. stars Shemar Moore (Criminal Minds, The Young and the Restless) as Sergeant Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson, the leader of the LAPD’s Special Weapons and Tactics unit. The series not only showcases fast-paced action, it also delves into the private lives of the S.W.A.T. team members, for an extra level of drama. In addition to Moore, the series also stars David Lim as Victor Tan, Jay Harrington as David “Deacon” Kay, Patrick St. Esprit as Commander Robert Hicks, Kenny Johnson as Dominique Luca, and Alex Russell (as Jim Street), and Lina Esco (as Christina “Chris” Alonso), Rochelle Aytes, who plays Hondo’s wife Nichelle Carmichael, is not returning for season eight, as she signed on to another CBS drama, the Sherlock Holmes drama Watson.
Strong Fan Support Keeps S.W.A.T. On the Air
It’s unusual for a network series to be brought back to the same network after cancelation, and being saved from the chopping block twice is nearly unheard of. In the case of S.W.A.T., however, a strong and organized group of fans has kept it on the air. In truth, CBS didn’t need too much convincing, as Variety reports the series was still pulling in strong ratings, hitting a high of 8.8 million viewers last season across all viewing platforms.
The series has also benefited from its availability on streaming services. Various seasons of S.W.A.T. are available on Netflix, Hulu, Paramount+, Pluto, Roku, and Tubi. This wide availability for the series has given it the exposure it needed to build up a fan base that organized to save the series twice.
S.W.A.T. was developed by Aaron Rahsaan Thomas and Shawn Ryan, who serve as executive producers and showrunners. It is based on the classic ABC series that aired from 1975 to 1976 and starred Steve Forrest and Robert Urich. It was adapted to the big screen in 2003, with the film starring Colin Farrell, Michelle Rodriquez, and Samuel L. Jackson.