CBS cancels S.W.A.T. again: Shemar Moore reflects on the show’s unexpected end after beating the odds twice | Hollywood – Hindustan Times

📺 CBS Cancels S.W.A.T. Again After Eight Seasons with a Turbulent History

CBS officially pulled the plug on S.W.A.T. in March 2025, just weeks before Season 8 wrapped in May. This marks the third and final cancellation after earlier renewals in 2023 and 2024upi.com+15cinemablend.com+15bustle.com+15forbes.com.

Key timeline:

• 2023: Canceled after Season 6, then revived for Season 7 following Shemar Moore’s public campaign .

• 2024: CBS again extended the series by one season recordpatriot.com+1ew.com+1.

• March 2025: CBS confirmed Season 8 would be the last, citing strategic programming shifts and lack of renewal talks en.wikipedia.org+15forbes.com+15recordpatriot.com+15.

🎙️ Shemar Moore’s Emotional & Determined Response

1. Heartfelt Farewell

Shemar Moore, who has portrayed Sgt. Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson since 2017, took to Instagram to express deep gratitude to fans and the crew:

“…it’s been one beautiful, thrilling, and amazing ride… You guys allowed us to bring these characters to life for 8 incredible seasons!” m.economictimes.com+15cinemablend.com+15ew.com+15

Despite acknowledging his disappointment, he celebrated the show’s legacy and the team behind it .

2. Rallying the Community

Moore issued a rallying cry:

“It sucks. It’s sad… If you change your mind, I promise you’ll make a lot of people smile.”cinemablend.com+15upi.com+15bustle.com+15

He didn’t stop at CBS—he reached out to Netflix, Hulu, NBC, and others to consider picking up the showew.com+13m.economictimes.com+13ew.com+13.

✅ Defying the Odds Before — That Legacy Continues

• Successfully beat cancellations twice through renewal campaigns decider.com.

• Moore thanked fans for stepping up to save the show, stating it “defied the odds” and resonated globallydecider.com+2m.economictimes.com+2upi.com+2.

😞 Shockwaves from Showrunners & Crew

• Showrunner Andrew Dettmann admitted the cancellation was “heartbreaking news”, praising the cast and crew’s dedication over eight seasons reddit.com+6ew.com+6forbes.com+6.

• Co-creator Shawn Ryan echoed those sentiments, emphasizing the privilege of being part of the S.W.A.T. familydaytimeconfidential.com+15ew.com+15decider.com+15.

📉 Why CBS Finally Pulled the Plug

• Ratings: Average of ~4.9 million viewers in Season 8, placing near the bottom among network dramasforbes.com+6recordpatriot.com+6bustle.com+6.

• Business decisions: CBS opted not to negotiate further renewals despite Sony offering favorable termstribune.com.pk.

• Strategic programming moves, including new franchise launches, reshaped the lineup thesun.co.uk+1forbes.com+1.

🔍 What’s Next? The S.W.A.T. Legacy Moving Forward

1. S.W.A.T. Exiles Spinoff
   Sony has ordered a 10-episode spinoff continuing Hondo’s story as he trains a next-gen SWAT unitbustle.com+11cinemablend.com+11en.wikipedia.org+11.

2. Show Revival Efforts
   Moore is actively campaigning to revive the series elsewhere — Netflix remains the front-runnertribune.com.pk+15cinemablend.com+15nypost.com+15.

3. Crew & Cast Transition
   With the final season wrapped, there’s focus on helping the show’s crew transition as the industry pivots .

🏁 Final Takeaway

S.W.A.T. closes this chapter after eight seasons and multiple revival battles. However, thanks to Shemar Moore’s leadership and fan support, its spirit lives on—not just in reruns or the upcoming spinoff, but in the campaign for a new home.

Moore’s unwavering energy—from rallying fans to saving jobs—underscores his message: “This isn’t the end… not if we can help it.”