SWAT Canceled For A Third Time At CBS, Showrunner Responds To “Heartbreaking News”

S.W.A.T. has been canceled for a third time at CBS. Based on the 1975 television series and the 2003 movie adaptation of the same name, the CBS police drama was originally canceled in 2023 after its season 6 run. However, the network would later reverse that decision within days of the first announcement, and ultimately reveal that the show would return for a seventh and final season. That decision was also overturned in May last year when CBS made a surprise S.W.A.T. season 8 renewal.

As shared by Deadline, CBS has now canceled S.W.A.T. for the third time, following quickly on the heels of both FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International also getting axed. Series showrunner Andrew Dettmann has referred to the news as “heartbreaking,” and has praised the show’s cast and crew, with whom he has worked for the past eight seasons. Check out his comments below:

It’s heartbreaking news, primarily because it’s been such an immense pleasure working with this cast and crew to put out a show that we’ve always been proud of. 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.

What S.W.A.T.’s Latest Cancelation Means For The Long-Running Police Drama

It Is Unlikely The Show Will Be Saved Again

Despite defying the odds and returning from cancelation twice previously, Deadline’s original report suggests that this latest announcement means that S.W.A.T. season 8 will be the show’s final outing. Suggesting that while the decision to reverse the previous S.W.A.T. cancelations was a result of Sony Pictures Television offering CBS more favorable financial incentives, this time CBS had reportedly opted out of engaging in renewal talks altogether.

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The S.W.A.T. spin-off TV show led by Shemar Moore has accumulated several seasons so far. Here are the 10 best episodes.

As such, audiences should probably not expect S.W.A.T. to receive the same kind of last-minute reprieve it has already received more than once in years past. Moreover, CBS is also currently in the position of having to make room in its schedule for the previously announced Fire Country and Blue Bloods spinoff shows, Sheriff Country and Boston Blue. The network is seemingly shifting its focus, which does not include room for S.W.A.T. season 9.

Our Take On S.W.A.T. Ending With Season 8

This Still May Not Be The End Of Hondo

Shemar Moore as Hondo talking to someone in SWAT

While this latest cancelation may prove definitive, the S.W.A.T. franchise has a long history dating far beyond the current show with Shemar Moore. With the franchise previously being led by the likes of Samuel L. Jackson and Steve Forrest, along with also spawning two loosely connected direct-to-DVD sequels, the franchise has consistently proven itself a rich source of storytelling material. As such, it’s possible that while S.W.A.T.’s latest cancelation may be the definitive end of one iteration, another version of Hondo and his team may still return to viewers’ screens at some point again in the future.

Source: Deadline