After eight action-packed seasons, S.W.A.T. has officially joined the list of shows cut down by CBS’ ruthless primetime bloodbath. The series, which had already faced two previous close calls, came to an unfortunate end this Thursday. Lead actor Shemar Moore reflected on the journey, stating that they had “defied the odds.”
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Moore shares emotional message after CBS shuts down S.W.A.T.
In a video shared on Instagram on Friday, Moore said, “We are cancelled again. It sucks. It’s sad.” He continued, “Uncanceled twice, two years in a row. Now I don’t know my history, but how many shows get to say that? I’m going to say none. Or we’re one of the none. We did that and we are so proud.”
He recalled, “I had to give a speech today to my crew and say ‘they, we’re done. There’s nothing I can say to make this sound nice, good, optimistic, nothing,’. But I said ‘be proud,’ because we defied the odds and we made a hit television show that the world loved to watch,” as reported by The New York Post.
S.W.A.T., centred around LAPD SWAT Sergeant Daniel “Honcho” Harrelson, played by Shemar Moore, and his elite team in Los Angeles, initially gained solid traction with multiple renewals in its early seasons. However, in 2023, CBS made the surprising decision to cancel the series after its sixth season.
Shortly after, the network reversed its decision, greenlighting a “seventh and final season.” Yet, the show’s fate was sealed when CBS failed to engage in contract talks with SONY Pictures Television, breaking from the usual pattern seen in previous years, as reported by Deadline.
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Moore’s subtle plea to network to bring back S.W.A.T.
Moore, addressing the network, said that they could change their mind anytime. He said, “I say to CBS if you’re done – I know its about money, optics, politics – I don’t think you’re making the right choice. But if you are done, I say thank you, genuinely, honestly from my heart.”
He gave 90 per cent of his 31 years of credit to the network where he worked on shows like Criminal Minds, Young and the Restless and SWAT. Moore added that if executives could think about the show’s future they would make “a lot of people smile.”
Executive producer and showrunner Andrew Dettmann expressed his heartbreak over the cancellation, acknowledging the dedication of the cast and crew throughout the show’s run. While he emphasised that the series was beloved by network executives, Dettmann hinted at a broader “corporate change” within the industry, suggesting that shifting priorities could have influenced the types of shows being greenlit or renewed moving forward.
Dettman told Deadline, “They are truly an extraordinary group of people who have all worked so hard and have been so dedicated for all these eight seasons, overcoming countless challenges. I can’t give them enough credit. I feel so privileged to have been a part of the ‘S.W.A.T.’ family.”