S.W.A.T. has been making headlines as of late, as the CBS procedural famously got canceled and then uncancelled in a very short period of time. And shortly after, it found a new streaming home via Netflix, where the series is flourishing, seemingly doing better than ever. As of now, the series is still in the Top 10 on the streamer, which is a significant accomplishment. And it may help explain why the network gave in and gave the show one final season.
When S.W.A.T. was canceled, fans took to social media and called for it to be saved, whether by CBS or another network. Lead actor Shemar Moore even said the move made "no sense,” considering how well the series was apparently performing. Just a few days later, CBS ended up reversing the cancellation and handed the procedural a seventh and final season consisting of 13 episodes. Given the popularity of the show, it may not be all that surprising that it's now trending high on Netflix. Moore, for his part, posted to Instagram two weeks ago when the series started topping the charts:
Amidst popular Netflix shows such as Manifest and Never Have I Ever premiering dropping new seasons, 20-Squad has comfortably settled into its spot in the platform's Top 10. It's currently the seventh-highest trending series in the U.S. One would think that a sum of these viewers are established fans, but others may be people who are just curious and want to check out the show for the first time. It's wild to think that just months ago, the Shemar Moore-led drama's Season 7 chances were up in the air due to budget cuts and that it's now sitting pretty.
When CBS announced that the show would return, the execs mentioned that they'd listened to the fans. That may be only one of the reasons why they decided to renew S.W.A.T., though. While the drama didn't actually land on Netflix until after the cancellation debacle, one would think that the actual deal between the streamer and Sony Pictures Television (the series' production company) was struck somewhat earlier. This could be a leap, but maybe both entities predicted a strong debut for the show on the platform. And as a result, the studio could've reasoned that because people might seek out the show there, it would tee up a theoretical final season nicely and provide some nice ratings upon its premiere. I mean just imagine how many of the subscription holders (first-time viewers or otherwise) may now feel compelled to check out the new episodes when they eventually drop.
There have certainly been other cases in which streaming has played a role in a show's survival. The chart was one of the main reasons why Netflix saved Manifest in 2021, as the missing plane drama was crushing as the #1 show for almost an entire summer. Though it should be said that in that case, the series had already been dominating on the platform whereas with the procedural, the show didn't hit the web until after its renewal.
Regardless of what exactly caused the powers that be to have changes of heart, I'm just glad that S.W.A.T. will have the opportunity to close things out properly. It may be a while before the final season arrives due to the ongoing WGA writers strike. But in the meantime, you can certainly catch up on the show via streaming!
The first five seasons of S.W.A.T. are available to watch using a Netflix subscription. You can also stream it with a Paramount+ subscription. All the while, be sure that you're checking CinemaBlend's 2023 TV schedule for information on upcoming premieres.
