CBS Plots ‘S.W.A.T.’ Season 8 Premiere After Cancellation Fears

‘S.W.A.T.’ Season 8 will premiere on Friday, Oct. 18 on CBS.

July 13, 2024, 4:31pm

Twice-saved is returning in just a few months for its surprise eighth season. The CBS procedural has had a tumultuous last couple of years after initially getting canceled by the network in May 2023, which only lasted for just a weekend before getting renewed for a seventh and final season. Star and producer Shemar Moore remained optimistic that Season 8 would be happening. Over a month before the series finale, CBS gave the series the surprise renewal for Season 8, which will premiere on Oct. 18.

After having just 13 episodes for Season 7, which was the plan before the strikes, Season 8 will be back up to 22 episodes, which is a tall order for a show that was nearly canceled twice. With Blue Bloods , 20-Squad will be taking over the Reagans’ spot come midseason, moving to the 10 p.m. slot on Fridays. S.W.A.T.‘s current 8 p.m. slot will be replaced by NCIS: Sydney Season 2 in early 2025. Fans shouldn’t worry about the later time, though, because if Blue Bloods can do it with no problem, S.W.A.T. can handle anything.

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swat-good-for-nothing-jay-harrington-shemar-moore-cbs.jpg — “Good for Nothing” – 20-Squad must leap into action when Yakuza Assassins descend on L.A., targeting a number of mysterious Japanese ex-pats. Meanwhile, Nichelle finds her job on the line at the Inspector General’s office when a colleague accuses her of taking bribes, on S.W.A.T., Friday, March 1 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs)*. Pictured (L-R): Jay Harrington as David “Deacon” Kay and Shemar Moore as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson. Photo: Bill Inoshita / © Sony Pictures Television Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Not too many details have been released about Season 8, but the cast will likely be looking a little different than in previous seasons. Alex Russell and Kenny Johnson departed last season, but there’s always the possibility that they could return on-screen, even if briefly. Jay Harrington was also close to leaving when his character, Deacon, was going to retire from S.W.A.T. but ended up reversing his decision, at least for now. He is expected to return next season, along with Moore, David Lim, Patrick St. Esprit, and Anna Enger Ritch. Moore’s on-screen wife, Rochelle Aytes, will appear in a recurring capacity due to her new role on on CBS’ mystery medical drama Watson.

Filming for Season 8 of S.W.A.T. should start soon, meaning more information should be revealed in the coming weeks. As of now, Season 8 is not being treated as the final season. The first six seasons are streaming on Netflix, and Season 7 is streaming on Paramount+. There will be a lot to look forward to this fall, and knowing that S.W.A.T. will be coming back in October will be enough to keep fans excited. S.W.A.T. Season 8 premieres on Friday, Oct. 18 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.