After years of navigating renewals, reversals, and surprise extensions, S.W.A.T. has officially been canceled—again. But star and executive producer Shemar Moore isn’t ready to let the show go quietly.
In a candid and impassioned video shared with his 4 million Instagram followers, Moore expressed gratitude for his 31-year career with CBS while making it clear that he believes the network is making a mistake. And, in a move that could spark new life for the action drama, he sent an open invitation to other networks and streamers, including Netflix, to pick up the series.
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“I don’t think you’re making the right choice,” Moore said, addressing CBS directly. “But if you are done, I say thank you, genuinely, honestly from my heart.”
CBS first pulled the plug on S.W.A.T. in 2023 after six seasons, only to uno-reverse the decision days later and renew it for what was then billed as a final seventh season. But in an unexpected twist, the network renewed the show yet again for an eighth season in 2024. Now, CBS has seemingly made its final call, announcing that the series will wrap in May 2025.
Moore, who has been vocal about his commitment to the series and its impact, didn’t hold back about the unusual trajectory of the show’s survival.
“We were canceled twice, two years in a row,” he said. “Now I don’t know my history, but how many shows get to say that? I’m gonna say none, or I’m gonna say that we’re close to one of the none.”
While Moore acknowledged the end may be near, he also made it clear he isn’t giving up just yet. He put out a direct call to Netflix, referencing the show’s strong streaming performance in the past.
“Hey Netflix, how you doing?” he said. “It only took us about two weeks to go from number 15 to number one [on Netflix]. 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’d love to come play.”
And it wasn’t just Netflix he was eyeing. He extended the invitation to NBC, Fox, and ABC, telling them they were “invited to the barbecue” and joking, “Pick your favorite restaurant. I will pay the bill.”
If S.W.A.T. doesn’t find a new home, Moore made sure to take a moment to honor the cast and crew who have made the series what it is.
“I had to give a speech today to my crew and say, ‘Hey, we’re done.’ But I said, be proud,” he reflected. “We defied the odds, and we made a hit television show that the world loved to watch.”
While CBS may have officially canceled S.W.A.T., Moore and his team aren’t quite ready to accept that this is truly the end. And if there’s one thing this show has proven, it’s that you can never count it out for good.
For now, S.W.A.T. will conclude its eight-season run in May 2025—but whether Hondo and his squad are gearing up for another mission elsewhere remains to be seen.