Police action drama S.W.A.T. Season 8 release date announced; deets inside

The final season of S.W.A.T. starring Shemar Moore and his team has an official premiere date announced by CBS. After a turbulent few years, fans unexpectedly helped the police action series avoid cancellation by securing a second season renewal. CBS revealed that Season 8 will be the final one and that it will debut on Friday, October 18, from 8 to 9 p.m.

The thrill and action set to begin  

The ABC program from 1975–1976 and the 2003 film starring Colin Farrell served as the inspiration for the CBS series, crafted by Aaron Rahsaan Thomas and Shawn Ryan.The program centers on LAPD Sergeant Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson, portrayed by Moore. Hondo, a Los Angeles native and former Marine, is in charge of the S.W.A.T. team.

With 22 episodes, Season 8 will carry on from the previous finale, in which Hondo made amends with the community and improved his team’s lineup.

Moore, who is also an executive producer, has been a steadfast supporter of the program, making sure that the LAPD’s Special Weapons and Tactics unit has a proper sendoff. Moore has been referred to by show creator Shawn Ryan as the “secret sauce” (Clider). Stephanie Sigman, Kenny Johnson, Alex Russell, David Lim, Patrick St. Esprit, Amy Farrington, and Rochelle Aytes are a significant part of the team.

Inclusion of new cast members 

There will be major cast changes in Season 8. Moore and Harrington are still there, but Russell and Johnson were let go by the team the previous season, and Aytes departed in June to work on Watson, a different CBS series. As the premiere draws near, more characters will be added to the cast, including a new female team member.

As part of their announcement of their Fall 2024–2025 schedule, CBS made this announcement. New episodes of Fire Country season 3 and Blue Bloods season 14 will premiere at 9:00 and 10:00 p.m., respectively, after S.W.A.T.