As the 2022-2023 broadcast TV season starts to come to a close, there are still many shows whose fates are up in the air. One of those shows is CBS’ S.W.A.T., which is still awaiting a Season 7 renewal (or cancellation), and its fate feels especially uncertain following the network’s recent wave of renewals. Executive producer Shawn Ryan went on the record to admit why the Shemar Moore-led series has yet to be renewed, and it’s similar to the reasoning for Blue Bloods.
S.W.A.T. has seen much success this season after shifting back to its Friday time slot, leading into successful freshman series Fire Country and long-running procedural Blue Bloods. Unfortunately, it has remained on the bubble, and as the series gets close to its May finale, it’s hard to tell what will happen. Shawn Ryan revealed the reason why that is while appearing on THR’s TV’s Top 5 podcast, and it’s not what you may think:
Right now, it’s up in the air whether S.W.A.T. will get picked up for a seventh season, and that has nothing to do with ratings.
The current season of S.W.A.T has averaged 6.8 million viewers and is in a five-way tie for third in demo on CBS, and if it were 15 years ago, Ryan said it would be a no-brainer for a renewal. It’s not exactly that cut and dry these days, as the EP admitted that negotiations between CBS and Sony Pictures Television are still going on, and it’s all about the money:
S.W.A.T. right now is the No. 3 show, I think, or tied for third, for CBS in the demo. There’s no reason why the show shouldn’t be picked up other than the economics of the business are changing, and CBS and [lead producer] Sony [Pictures Television] will or will not figure out a way to economically make a seventh season work.
While it is frustrating that S.W.A.T. has yet to be renewed, it is a tad of a relief knowing that, if not for economics, the series would be getting good news sooner rather than later. Considering all that goes into making a show like S.W.A.T. – including the ensemble cast, stunts, action sequences, and props (I’m looking at you, Black Betty) – it’s possible that we could see some budget cuts in order to get another season. But for now, that's only speculation, as nothing has been publicly confirmed at the time of writing.
Of course, even if the worst does happen and the show is cancelled, S.W.A.T. could go out kicking with a strong Season 6... as long as there could be a proper finale for 20-Squad, anyway. The series hit 100 episodes last season and said goodbye to series regular Lina Esco. Now, with Shemar Moore’s Hondo expecting a baby girl after welcoming one of his own in real life, it could be the perfect way to end the procedural if a seventh season doesn't happen.
With network Upfronts taking place in May and the WGA negotiations deadline on May 1, it’s possible we won’t hear anything until then, which is also just weeks before S.W.A.T.’s season finale on May 19. So it’s just going to be a waiting game. Luckily, S.W.A.T. Season 6 is still part of the 2023 TV schedule, so at least fans have that to look forward to for now.
