The CBS TV series S.W.A.T., currently heading for its eighth season, is the second-longest-running scripted show that’s currently airing on the network. As Season 8 approaches its winter premiere on Jan. 31, the show’s executive producer Shawn Ryan is talking about the odds of whether the show will return for a ninth season. Thus far, CBS has not been marketing the eighth season as S.W.A.T.’s final one.
“It’s been called the final season the last three or four seasons, hasn’t it?” said Ryan in an interview with Deadline about the show that stars Shemar Moore, Jay Harrington, David Lim, and Patrick St. Esprit. The last two seasons of the series were said to be the final ones at one point.
S.W.A.T. Has Survived Cancelation More than Once
The show was even canceled in May of 2023 and again in 2024, but CBS changed its mind just days later. At that time, the network announced that the seventh season would be the last for the show. In May of 2024, S.W.A.T. was picked up for an eighth season in a surprise move by CBS.
“The show I think is beloved in the executive ranks at CBS, the show is beloved by our audience,” Ryan said. “The show, creatively, I’m happy and somewhat embarrassed to say, hasn’t dropped a step since I handed over the showrunning reigns to Andy Dettman,” added Ryan, who had been showrunner up until Dettman took the position in the seventh season.
Things are Up In the Air
Ryan added that they “also understand that a corporate change is happening in that world. I know David Ellison, I wrote a movie for him back in the day.” Ellison’s Skydance is moving forward with acquiring CBS’ parent company, Paramount Global. “I don’t know what the plans are. I don’t know what the criteria for renewal is going to be. It seems like it could be much different than years past,” Ryan said about CBS deciding on which shows will get renewed. Deadline stated that many of the renewal decisions are not expected until the Skydance deal closes in March-April.
“I don’t know if it’s an advantage or disadvantage that we’re produced by an outside studio this year,” Ryan continued. “I think economics are going to play into things, so it’s all uncertain, but we’re just going to continue to make the best show we can that our audience loves, and we’ll see where the chips fall. And that’s what we’ve done the last few seasons. We’re really proud of the legacy of that show,” he said.
S.W.A.T. is produced by Sony Pictures Television, which co-produces with CBS Studios. The fact that an outside studio produces the show played a part in previous negotiations regarding the series’ renewal. In 2023, Deadline reported that Sony TV was credited with finding ways to make “offers CBS couldn’t refuse” that have kept the show on television longer also while keeping the production of the show in Los Angeles. Sources say that talks between Sony TV and CBS have yet to begin.
Tracker is returning to CBS in 2025 with the second half of its second season, hopefully wrapping up the big mystery from part one.
S.W.A.T. Star Wants Season 13
In November of 2024, Moore told People that he would love to play his Sergeant Hondo character beyond Season 8. “Everybody at S.W.A.T. wants Season 13,” he told the publication. “To get canceled twice in a row and to get uncanceled twice in a row, I give kudos to me running my mouth on social media. Nothing lasts forever, but I fight,” Moore said.
