SWAT Will Take Over Blue Bloods’ Time Slot After It Ended

CBS Will Shuffle Its Friday Night Programming

CBS worsened Blue Bloods‘ cancelation by announcing S.W.A.T. season 8 would take over Blue Bloods‘ time slot when Shemar Moore’s show returns from its midseason break. S.W.A.T. aired the first half of season 8 on Friday nights at 8 pm Eastern, and the second half of Blue Bloods‘ final season aired on Friday nights at 10 pm. After its midseason return, S.W.A.T. will slide into Blue Bloods‘ former 10 pm Friday time slot. The network’s decision means that Sergeant Daniel Harrelson, aka “Hondo,” will come to fans a few hours later on CBS’ programming roster heading into the weekend.

S.W.A.T. season 8 and Blue Bloods season 14 previously flanked the popular firefighting drama Fire Country, which holds CBS’ time slot at 9 pm Eastern. The schedule shuffling won’t affect season 3 of Max Thieriot’s drama about Bode Donovan and his firefighting journey. While S.W.A.T. could lose some viewers in the shuffle, the transition could ultimately garner more viewers in the long run. Alternatively, CBS’ Friday night programming could lose some appeal in general without Blue Bloods, which proved to be one of the network’s heaviest hitters, anchoring the evening.

SWAT’s Cancelation Was Reversed A Couple Of Times (Blue Bloods Wasn’t)

Movements To Save Blue Bloods And SWAT Existed

Considering what’s been happening with S.W.A.T. and Blue Bloods‘ renewal statuses, CBS’ schedule update is downright perplexing. Now airing its eighth season, CBS first canceled S.W.A.T. ahead of season 7. However, CBS reversed S.W.A.T. season 7’s cancelation due to unrest from fans and its leading “Hondo” actor over the decision. The network said it was bringing back the show for season 7 to bring closure to storylines and characters. However, instead of closing the series at the end of season 7, CBS returned the show for season 8.

Blue Bloods’ Ratings Ranked Higher Than SWAT’s

Blue Bloods’ Ratings Overpower SWAT’s

A Variety report about the season’s most-watched TV shows made CBS’ cancelation choices all the more bizarre: Blue Bloods was the ninth-most-watched network television show overall in the first half of the TV season. S.W.A.T. paled in comparison, coming in at 29 out of the 100 most-watched programs. The results proved that the network ignored the viewership numbers that followed the Reagan family gathering around the dinner table. With Blue Bloods rounding out season 14 and Moore’s series partly through season 8, S.W.A.T. has half its predecessor’s lifetime, yet it took priority.

Another report from TV Line confirmed that Blue Bloods is more popular than what’s coming. The report gave numbers for the total audience of each CBS series over a weekly period. After network frontrunners like Tracker and Matlock, Blue Bloods was CBS’ sixth-most-popular TV show and fourth-most-popular drama. Meanwhile, S.W.A.T. ranked 16 out of the 20 CBS shows listed, bolstering fans’ claims that CBS could have benefited from reconsidering its Blue Bloods cancelation. The Reagan procedural trumped its successor, so doubt that viewers would tune in didn’t factor into CBS’ decision to cancel Blue Bloods.

Why Blue Bloods Deserves To Be Saved (But It Likely Won’t)

Blue Bloods Has The Favor Needed To Succeed

Blue Bloods deserves to be saved because its viewers and cast members aren’t ready to say goodbye yet. Moreover, the numbers prove that the Reagan family’s audience wants the show to continue. However, rather than following the millions of viewers tuning into Blue Bloods season 14, CBS reportedly followed other numbers regarding Blue Bloods‘ cancelation. The show’s termination came down to budget cuts and salary negotiations, with the salaries to employ the Reagan family far surpassing what it takes to produce a newer series. Therefore, Blue Bloods‘ best asset could be blamed for CBS’ cancelation.

Of course, none of this is S.W.A.T.‘s fault. The CBS series has a passionate base that wants to see its favorite characters continue. Sadly, in the case of Blue Bloods, fans have to say goodbye to characters who have comforted them for 14 seasons. While it’s sad to bring the current era to a close for many, there’s still hope that the Reagan family will reunite in a Blue Bloods spinoff spawned from the season 14 finale. Still, a Blue Bloods spinoff could do little to quell the woes of fans who feel CBS has not heard their case.