The US action crime series SWAT has been delighting numerous German fans on the pay channel Sky 1 since February 2018. In each episode, the elite team, led by Sergeant II Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson (Shemar Moore), solves dangerous missions, from hostage situations to gang violence. In addition to action-packed cases, the series also covers social issues such as racism and police violence, while the team members deal with personal challenges.
But it’s not just the series’ plot that always attracts attention, but also its multiple aspects Discontinuation and sudden resumption. It’s easy to lose track here, which is why we’ve summarized the entire spectacle in a timeline.
Chronology of Events: SWAT Cancellations and Extensions
Financial disagreements would lead to the first ending after Season 6
But how did this chaos even come about? As is so often the case, money played a central role here. According to Collider, after there was a dispute between the production company Sony Pictures Television and US broadcaster CBS over license fees, the series was supposed to be canceled after the 6th season. But after loud protests, both sides resumed negotiations.
Ultimately, the companies agreed on a final 7th season – but only with 13 episodes instead of the usual 18 to 23 episodes.
High ratings could be the reason for a further extension
The series producers were actually right with their decision: the 7th season of SWAT was a great success. According to Screen Rant, the premiere drew 5.12 million viewers and the season overall reached an audience of 8.8 million. For comparison: Season 6 only had an average of 5 million viewers.
The high ratings could also be a reason why the series did not end with the 7th season as planned, but was extended for an 8th season.
The series stars were happy about the renewed extension
The main actor Shemar Moore was particularly happy about this: “This is still a dream job for me… I love my SWAT crew, the actors, writers and producers – we have created an incredible, funny, exciting, provocative and heartwarming series that… can make the world happy.”
Andrew Dettmann, co-showrunner and executive producer, adds: “Shemar and I had many conversations during the production of Season 7 and were confident that our amazing fans would remain loyal to us.”
The departure of popular characters raised questions – but the 8th season is already running
But there were discussions about exactly this, because the departure of popular characters like Kenny Johnson as Dominic Luca raised the question of whether viewers would remain loyal to the series. Screen Rant warned that this could lead to disjointed storylines and a decline in ratings.
After all, the first episodes of the 8th season have already been shown on the screen, also in Germany. In this country you can watch the brand new episodes every Tuesday on Sky One and then stream them on Sky or WOW.