Surprise! S.W.A.T renewed once again after supposed final season

Nothing can keep Sgt. Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson and his expert S.W.A.T team down — not even potential series cancelations, then shocking reversals, and supposed final seasons. 

On Thursday, CBS surprised fans of the hit police procedural starring Shemar Moore by announcing that it had renewed S.W.A.T for an eighth season. The decision comes after the network previously billed the show’s current season, which ends in May, as its last.

“Here at CBS, we always ‘stay liquid’ and love a good dramatic twist, especially when it leads to an eighth season of S.W.A.T.!,” CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach said in a press release. “The show continues to resonate with viewers thanks to our talented cast led by Shemar Moore and our amazing writers and producers who keep the show relevant and action-packed. We’re very pleased to renew it again and incredibly grateful to our partners at SONY, CBS Studios and Shemar for working so closely with us to bring it back for next season.”

Moore, who also serves as an executive producer on the series, expressed his own delight at being able to dive back into the action as Hondo for another season. 

“S.W.A.T. IS BACK! BELIEVE IN MIRACLES! I am so proud of this show and the people and variables it has taken to make this show what it is and has become,” he said. “I am so grateful to the fans around the world who have supported, watched, enjoyed, and rooted for S.W.A.T.! It is entirely because of this support that S.W.A.T. will continue to shine!”

He added that starring as Hondo is “still a dream job for me” even after playing the Los Angeles S.W.A.T. lieutenant for the last seven seasons. 

“I love my S.W.A.T. crew, cast and writers and producers – we have made an incredible, fun, exciting, provocative and heartwarming show for the world to enjoy,” he concluded. “Thank you to CBS and SONY for believing in S.W.A.T. and giving us this opportunity to shine!”

S.W.A.T follows Hondo as he balances his dedication to his task force and the people he is sworn to protect and serve. Despite having a shorter season this year, the series still remained a top 20 broadcast drama with over 8.8 million viewers tuning in to catch each episode — that’s up 11% from its last season. 

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

Related content:

• CBS reverses S.W.A.T. cancellation and moves ahead with season 7
• S.W.A.T. canceled at CBS after 6 seasons
• Shemar Moore calls S.W.A.T. cancellation a 'f---ing mistake,' hits back at CBS