Shemar Moore Fights to Save S.W.A.T. Again—Will Fans Be Heard This Time?

One of the most shocking news drops of the week came when it was announced S.W.A.T. was being canceled by CBS after its eighth season, and both stars and fans of the show alike have shared their discontent with the decision. S.W.A.T. star Shemar Moore has taken to his personal Instagram to react to the news, saying that he doesn’t think CBS is “making the right choice” by canceling the series, but he isn’t ready to give up yet. S.W.A.T. has already been canceled twice, and if it is picked up by another network or a streaming service, it wouldn’t be the first time a canceled series has been revived after being left for dead. Moore is already hard at work, campaigning to see S.W.A.T. brought back to life by the biggest streamer on the market:

“I don’t think you’re making the right choice. Hey Netflix, how you doing? Let me just remind you that in a very short period of time, once upon a time ago… it took us about two weeks to go from number 15 to number one. And then we stayed in your top 10, top 15 for about six months, nine months, maybe a year. So Netflix, if you’re interested in a show that is on autopilot that the world is watching, we would love to come play. NBC, Fox, ABC, hey, you want to come flirt with me? You’re invited to the barbecue. Pick your favorite restaurant. I will pay the bill.”

S.W.A.T. has been one of the more popular shows on TV since it premiered in 2017, and while many series now take years between seasons, the gripping police procedural has gifted its fans with eight seasons in eight years. In addition to Shemar Moore in the lead role of Sergeant Daniel ‘Hondo’ Harrelson, S.W.A.T. also stars Jay Harrington as Sergeant David ‘Deacon’ Kay, David Lim as Officer Victor Tan, and Patrick St. Espirit as Commander Robert ‘Bob’ Hicks. The show has also added and lost veterans over the years, but two of the more recent additions are Anna Enger Ritch, who stars as Zoe, and Annie Ilonzeh, who portrays Devin. S.W.A.T. was created for television by Shawn Ryan and Aaron Rashaan Thomas.

Streaming Services Like Netflix and Max Are Getting More Into Procedurals

Streaming services have largely focused on delivering original content that didn’t quite fall in line with things like medical or police procedurals, but that’s beginning to shift as platforms such as Netflix and Max have realized the potential to expand their audience. Max has already found success with The Pitt, the latest medical procedural drama starring ER veteran Noah Wyle that has been one of the most popular shows on Max for more than a month now. Netflix also recently debuted the first trailer for its debut English medical procedural, Pulse, which premieres next month and stars The Boys veteran Jessie T. Usher.