Shemar Moore has got his wish, as CBS u-turn on their decision to cancel ‘S.W.A.T.‘ for a second time, and hand it an 8th Season!
Inspired by the television series and the feature film, ‘S.W.A.T.’ stars Shemar Moore as a former Marine and locally born and raised S.W.A.T. sergeant, tasked to run a specialized tactical unit that is the last stop in law enforcement in Los Angeles. Torn between loyalty to where he was raised and allegiance to his brothers in blue, Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson strives to bridge the divide between his two worlds.
“Here at CBS, we always ‘stay liquid’ and love a good dramatic twist, especially when it leads to an eighth season of S.W.A.T.!,” said Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment. “The show continues to resonate with viewers thanks to our talented cast led by Shemar Moore and our amazing writers and producers who keep the show relevant and action-packed. We’re very pleased to renew it again and incredibly grateful to our partners at SONY, CBS Studios and Shemar for working so closely with us to bring it back for next season.”
It’s been a rollercoaster for the procedural drama over the last 12 months, when last May, CBS announced the series would be cancelled after six seasons. Following an outcry from fans, and a very cheesed-off Mr Moore making their feelings known to the network, CBS reversed that decision and renewed the show for a shortened 7th Season a few days later.
Last month, Geektown Radio co-host, and creator of Hollywood North News, Darryl Ley, interviewed Shemar about the supposed final 7th Season. The star made it very clear he was not happy about the series coming to an end, and was not giving up hope that they would still get the renewal. Now he has his wish! You can watch the interview below.
The problem for ‘S.W.A.T.’ has been that is not made internally by CBS, but by Sony Pictures Television. CBS then pays a license to Sony to air the show. As a show gets older, generally, the costs go up for the cast, but the license fee gets reduced. Last season, they eventually came to a financial agreement but CBS reduced the number of episodes, and also moved some of the cast from series regulars to recurring roles – notably Alex Russell (Jim Street), and Kenny Johnson (Dominique Luca). It’s not clear what deal Sony and CBS came to for this season, but not only is it back, it is being reported that it will also have a full 22-episode run for Season 8!
“S.W.A.T. IS BACK! BELIEVE IN MIRACLES! I am so proud of this show and the people and variables it has taken to make this show what it is and has become,” adds Shemar Moore, series star and executive producer. “I am so grateful to the fans around the world who have supported, watched, enjoyed and rooted for S.W.A.T.! It is entirely because of this support that S.W.A.T. will continue to shine! This is still a dream job for me … I love my S.W.A.T. crew, cast and writers and producers – we have made an incredible, fun, exciting, provocative and heartwarming show for the world to enjoy. Thank you to CBS and SONY for believing in S.W.A.T. and giving us this opportunity to shine!”
Shemar Moore, Jay Harrington, David Lim, Patrick St. Esprit, Rochelle Aytes and Anna Enger Ritch star. Shawn Ryan, Andrew Dettmann, Justin Lin, Neal H. Moritz, Marney Hochman, Pavun Shetty, Billy Gierhart, Shemar Moore and James Scura serve as executive producers. S.W.A.T. is produced by Sony Pictures Television in association with CBS Studios.
‘S.W.A.T.‘ Season 7 is currently airing on Sky Max in the UK.
