In a shocking plot twist, S.W.A.T. has been renewed for an eighth season.
CBS announced the decision on Thursday, April 11, just days after saying the final episode of the police drama would air in May.
Series star and executive producer Shemar Moore praised CBS and thanked fans for supporting the series.
“S.W.A.T. is back! Believe in miracles! I am so proud of this show and the people and variables it has taken to make this show what it is and has become,” Moore said in a statement. “I am so grateful to the fans around the world who have supported, watched, enjoyed and rooted for S.W.A.T.! It is entirely because of this support that S.W.A.T. will continue to shine!”
“I love my S.W.A.T. crew, cast and writers and producers – we have made an incredible, fun, exciting, provocative and heartwarming show for the world to enjoy. Thank you to CBS and Sony for believing in S.W.A.T. and giving us this opportunity to shine!” Moore added.
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The series about an elite LAPD squad is produced by Sony Pictures Television in association with CBS Studios.
“Here at CBS, we always ‘stay liquid’ and love a good dramatic twist, especially when it leads to an eighth season of S.W.A.T.!,” Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment, said. “The show continues to resonate with viewers thanks to our talented cast led by Shemar Moore and our amazing writers and producers who keep the show relevant and action-packed.”
In addition to Moore, the cast includes Alex Russell, Jay Harrington, David Lim, Patrick St. Esprit, Rochelle Aytes, Kenny Johnson, and Anna Enger Ritch.
This season S.W.A.T. is the #17 overall primetime broadcast drama. The show currently averages 8.8 million viewers an episode in live plus 35 days after multiplatform viewing on CBS, Paramount+ and CBS TVE (CBS.com/CBS app), per Nielsen figures from CBS. The show’s viewership is up 11 percent year over year.
CBS first canceled the drama in May 2023. But after pushback from Moore and fans, the network opted to bring the show back for a final season and a proper sendoff, saying “we have listened.”
Earlier this week, CBS said the final episode would air on May 17.
Thanks to fan support, the show just got another reprieve.
“All of us at S.W.A.T. are thrilled by the news of a season eight. Shemar and I had many conversations throughout the production of season seven, confident that if we continued to tell great stories punctuated by S.W.A.T.‘s signature action, our amazing fans would stay with us, giving us a good shot at another season,” said Andrew Dettmann, co-showrunner and executive producer. “At the end of the day, this is the well-deserved payoff for all the time, energy and effort put in by an incredible cast and crew working with the constant support of our partners at Sony Pictures Television and everyone at CBS.
S.W.A.T. airs Fridays at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on CBS and streams on Paramount+ (live and on-demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on-demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after it airs).
A new episode will be available Friday, April 12.
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