CBS' latest announcement to replace Blue Bloods with another popular network TV show is bittersweet news. After more than a decade on the air, CBS decided to cancel Blue Bloods. As Blue Bloods season 14 is still airing, with a few more episodes left in its run, there are a few things that still need to happen before the show ends, but time is running out for the beloved police drama. Hence why the network has made moves to replace it in its lineup.
Blue Bloods has followed the Reagan family for 14 years and has consistently been a widely popular and well-written show. It puts a unique spin on the police procedural by following a specific family. While CBS' replacement for Blue Bloods will also be a police series, the Reagan family's drama will be severely missed. Despite Blue Bloods' popularity, it is still being canceled, which makes me worried about its replacement too.
S.W.A.T. Season 8 Will Replace Blue Bloods On CBS, And It's A Smart Choice
The New Time Slot Could Lead To More Viewers
Following the Blue Bloods series finale in December, S.W.A.T. will take over the 10 p.m. ET time slot on January 31st, 2025. S.W.A.T. currently airs at 8 p.m. on Fridays, but the new time slot could lead to more viewers for the already popular show. So far, Blue Bloods season 14 has had 4.8 million viewers at 10 p.m. whereas S.W.A.T. has only had an average of 4.2 million in its 8 p.m. slot. After Blue Bloods is canceled, viewers could seek out a new show to watch and S.W.A.T. is the perfect replacement.
With Blue Bloods leaving, S.W.A.T. would also become the only police procedural that airs on Friday evenings on CBS. More attention could be drawn to the show, which could then draw in more viewers. It is also unlikely that S.W.A.T.'s new CBS time slot will affect its viewership negatively, as it is still remaining in a highly sought time slot.
While I will miss watching Blue Bloods at 10 p.m., S.W.A.T. also features a close team, which can try and fill the spot in Blue Bloods' absence. It will not be the same, but I have enjoyed watching both shows and I think CBS' decision to replace Blue Bloods with S.W.A.T. will turn out to be a great decision. There is something special about the 10 p.m. spot continuing to be filled with a police procedural that makes Blue Bloods' replacement at least a little bit less hurtful.
Blue Bloods Was Wrongly Canceled & I Worry S.W.A.T. Will Be Next
S.W.A.T. Has An Unlucky History
Even though Blue Bloods has remained popular over its 14-year run, the network still decided to cancel it as a result of budget cuts. Its wrongful cancelation has even been criticized by the Blue Bloods cast, as an interview with TV Insider has revealed that Tom Selleck, who plays Frank Reagan, is frustrated with the show's cancelation. In the interview, Selleck speaks out how Blue Bloods' was ranked in the top 10 shows of the 2023/2024 season. He also speaks warmly of his costars and how the Reagan family has felt like a family off-screen as well.
After watching the Reagan family for years, I am particularly disappointed in the show's ending because Blue Bloods has become part of a routine for me. Almost every episode has featured a family dinner and watching those scenes so consistently made me feel like I was sitting in with them and participating as well. Not many police procedurals feature such as a close-knit family unit as the protagonists of the series, so Blue Bloods was truly unique. Its popularity makes its cancelation even more frustrating and sets a bad precedent for S.W.A.T.
The replacement of Blue Bloods worries me because S.W.A.T. already has a history of cancelations. It was first canceled after its sixth season, but then was renewed for its seventh and final season in 2023. After writing character endings to give each S.W.A.T. team member the perfect finale, CBS reversed its decision to create S.W.A.T. season 8. S.W.A.T.'s instability concerns me because if Blue Bloods was canceled with excellent views, then it already faces a huge risk with its several reversed cancelations.
Is There Hope For S.W.A.T. After Blue Bloods' Cancelation?
Blue Blood's Cancelation Could Be Good News For S.W.A.T.
There is some hope for S.W.A.T. after Blue Bloods' cancelation, however. Even though S.W.A.T. was canceled twice, it was still renewed each time. Blue Bloods' longevity also means that it was on the air for years before it was ultimately canceled, which gives S.W.A.T. more time and leeway as well. After CBS gave away Blue Bloods' time slot to S.W.A.T., I would like to see the network nurture S.W.A.T. and keep it on for some time before ending it, otherwise, the time change would not make much sense.
With CBS canceling a long-running show, it also gives them the potential to move Blue Bloods' funding onto S.W.A.T. With 10 p.m. being a popular television spot, CBS would not put just any show there without it promising some sort of reinvestment for the network. I hope that Blue Bloods' cancelation has some benefit come out of it, and an increased focus on S.W.A.T. could be just what CBS needs.
Source: TV Insider
