Spring is the time of year when the fates of TV shows large and small are often decided, for better or worse. While CBS had already renewed series like The Equalizer and all three FBI installments last year, S.W.A.T. was cancelled after six seasons in a move that star Shemar Moore said “makes no sense.” Fortunately for Moore and fans, the show has quickly been rescued from cancellation, but two other dramas have gotten the axe. S.W.A.T. will be back for another round of episodes, and that’s not the case for True Lies and East New York.
S.W.A.T. Renewed For Season 7
Just three days ago, CBS announced that S.W.A.T. would end with the upcoming Season 6 finale, which would leave fans with nothing to do for a fix of Shemar Moore’s show other than revisit old episodes streaming with a Paramount+ subscription. The Friday night drama wasn’t on our list of 2023 TV shows that could get cancelled unless something changed, and now it has indeed been renewed despite the initial cancellation. There is a catch, however, as CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach and Sony Pictures TV Studios president Katherine Pope said in a joint statement (via THR):
We have listened to our viewers and their outpouring of passion for SWAT and we have reached an agreement to renew it for a final season of 13 episodes to air during the 2023-2024 broadcast year. SWAT has aired for six seasons on CBS and garnered a devoted following. We are pleased that we found a way to bring it back and give closure to the show’s storylines and characters, which audiences deserve. Once again, we appreciate the talents and efforts of the cast, writers, producers and crew and everyone who has contributed to the success of SWAT. We look forward to its return next season.
S.W.A.T. will return for a seventh season, but it will be the last and the shortest of the series’ run with a total episode count of 13. Still, a shortened seventh season means the drama will be able to tie off any loose ends that are left dangling when the Season 6 finale airs on May 19 in the 2023 TV premiere schedule.
True Lies And East New York Cancelled
Sadly, two freshman series won’t be as lucky as S.W.A.T. this month, as both True Lies and East New York have been cancelled, according to THR. The news comes less than a week before the East New York finale on May 14 and just over a week before the two-part True Lies finale on May 17.
The cancellations aren’t altogether shocking; although East New York got off to a strong start with some great news early on and True Lies received a heavy promotional push from CBS as a reboot of the beloved 1994 film of the same name (with movie actor Tom Arnold even appearing as a troublesome guest star), neither has been enough of a winner in the ratings in the long term, and I was speculating about True Lies getting the axe before Season 2 not too long ago.
The cancellations also come in a spring season that hasn’t been great for some of CBS’ veteran series, with drama Blue Bloods getting budget cuts for Season 14 and prompting star Donnie Wahlberg to share his outlook on the show’s future. Comedy Bob Hearts Abishola had to demote every cast member except for the two leads to recurring status to cut costs for Season 5. This is the end of the road for True Lies and East New York on CBS.
CBS isn’t unique in cutting costs; Fox cancelled 9-1-1 and will send it over to ABC because of that series’ high price tag, and NBC’s six Dick Wolf shows will reportedly feature less of certain series regulars in the 2023-2024 TV season. For now, TV fans can just wait and see if any more shows across network TV get bad news (or surprise good news like S.W.A.T.) before the end of the spring.