To most of the world at large, the CBS drama S.W.A.T. is one of many shows ending in 2024, with its Season 7 premiere arriving just after Valentine’s Day. The drama was canceled back in May 2023, sparking an angry reaction from star Shemar Moore, and was then “renewed” for a final season just as it became available to stream with a Netflix subscription. Moore still isn’t necessarily aligned with that way of thinking, though, as he’s spouting optimism about the future, and his reasoning makes a bit of sense.
Ahead of Season 7’s arrival on the 2024 TV schedule, Shemar Moore spoke with Entertainment Tonight about kicking things off in Mexico City, and how this season will be a satisfying swan song if that ends up being how things play out. And that’s a big if for the Criminal Minds vet, who had this to say:
[It's been] seven years of a really fun show. And the word on the street is it's our final season -- but, you know, I'm an optimist. . . . Numbers matter, you know what I mean?
I love how Moore uses “the word on the street” to describe what was a fairly formal and publicized cancellation from CBS, as if it was more of a whispered rumor. Which makes me think S.W.A.T.’s cast and crew didn’t spend a whole lot of time talking about or mourning the impending conclusion. Which would probably be the most ideal way to remain in the moment while filming.
For all that he and David Lim and other co-stars have loved bringing the show together on a weekly basis, the most important thing from a network perspective is viewership and reach, which is why Moore’s comment about numbers mattering is key. We'll dig a bit more into the numbers below, but that he brought them up at all indicates how aware he is of how closely execs are paying attention to such stats.
Moore continued, to the point where he straight up confirmed knowledge of attempts being made to save the show. As he put it:
We're little kids playing super cops. I mean, we really are having a good time. So we hate to see it go. But again, I'm not quite sure it's the end, but that's just me. . . . I know that the door is not completely closed.
One of S.W.A.T.'s biggest bargaining chips following the first cancellation was the drama's arrival on Netflix, where it quickly became a big winner, reaching #1 on the streaming service's Top 10 TV shows. Other series' fates have definitely been decided based on streaming popularity, sometimes with Netflix itself being the one to save canceled shows like Lucifer and Manifest.
But even if Ted Sarandos & Co. aren't the ones to show interest, I still think S.W.A.T.'s stats from Netflix, CBS, Paramount+ and every other viewing platform will be highly valuable in convincing other networks/studios to step in and keep Team Hondo living large and in charge.
Having released the first look at new episodes recently, S.W.A.T. Season 7 will premiere on CBS on Friday, February 16, at 8:00 p.m. ET, with new episodes available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription.
