S.W.A.T. has been un-uncanceled.
CBS and the show’s co-producer Sony Pictures Television made the announcement Monday, saying the police drama will return for a seventh and final season.
The decision came after the network sent out a statement on Friday evening, saying S.W.A.T. would end with the season 6 finale on May 19.
Hours later, series star Shemar Moore posted a video on Instagram urging fans to fight to help save the show because CBS was making “a f–king mistake.”
Related Story: Shemar Moore Swats at CBS for ‘S.W.A.T.’ Cancellation
Moore noted that S.W.A.T. has the most viewers on Fridays at 8 p.m. The actor also said he is the only African-American male lead on a network TV show.
He then said the 300 people who work on S.W.A.T were about to lose their jobs.
“I’m not worried about me. I care about my family — my crew, the writers, the producers, the caterers, the wardrobe, the sound mixers, the teamsters, the construction crew,” Moore explained. “That’s a whole lot of people that are abruptly being told that you don’t matter. Sorry. Thank you for your services. Good luck in finding a new job. To me, that’s not OK.”
In a statement to Deadline on Monday, CBS confirmed the series will return for another 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,” CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach and Katherine Pope, president of Sony Pictures Television, 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,” the statement continued. “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.”
Moore celebrated the renewal by writing on Instagram, “We did it.”
S.W.A.T. follows LAPD Sergeant Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson (Shemar Moore) and his team of highly-trained men and women. The cast also includes Alex Russell, Kenny Johnson, Jay Harrington, David Lim, Patrick St. Esprit, and Rochelle Aytes.
As previously reported, S.W.A.T has been averaging 6.8 million total viewers and a 0.7 rating this season. That’s up about six percent in viewers from season 5, according to Nielsen figures.
During a March interview with The Hollywood Reporter‘s “TV’s Top 5” podcast, showrunner Shawn Ryan said there was “pressure” to bring costs down on the series.
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