Actor Shemar Moore spoke out against CBS’ decision to cancel “S.W.A.T” after six season while also being one of the network’s top-rated shows, saying Saturday, “It makes no sense.”
Moore took to Instagram to air his grievances and even admitted he might get in trouble for doing so. Nevertheless, Moore said he was hurt by the decision and hope the powers to be see they made the wrong choice.
“I’m a little bit sad. I’m a lotta bit sad. We got canceled. ‘S.W.A.T.,’” a freshly-shaven Moore said in the video. “‘S.W.A.T’ got canceled. It makes no sense. … We’re the best show Friday nights at 8 o’clock for CBS. The last two years, we’ve been killing it.”
The show averaged 6.41 million viewers per episode over the first seven days on the air last season, and this season the viewership went up to 6.82 million, which placed the show among the Top 20 TV dramas, according to ScreenRant.
“Let me tell the truth — we’re diverse,” Moore said. “Did you know that I am the only African American male lead on network television? Not streaming. Not cable. Network television. I am the only African American male lead on network television.”
Moore noted that CBS was criticized for its lack of diversity and said “S.W.A.T” was the most diverse show on the network.
“When I got hired to be Hondo on ‘S.W.A.T.’ [CBS] was getting a lot of flack for lack of diversity,” Moore said. “If I post this and I think I might, I will get in a lot of trouble with CBS because I’m calling them out.”
Moore added, “They’ve been wonderful to me. For 26 outta my 29 year career, but to abruptly get told that ‘you’re canceled,’ when you led us to believe last week and the week before and the week before that, that we would have some semblance of a season seven to at least say goodbye, if not, continue, and to abruptly be told, you’re done.”
He told his viewers there are a lot of “politics” that went into the decision and said he’s more concerned about everyone else on set from writers, directors, to caterers and everyone else in between.
“I’m not bitter. I’m a little bit sad,” Moore said. “I understand it’s not personal, it’s business. But I still, I still have faith that ‘S.W.A.T’ will live to see another day.”
But Moore hopes “S.W.A.T” fans rally and let CBS know their opposition to the show being dropped. “My brothers and my sisters make some f–king noise and let ’em know that canceling swat is a f–king mistake.”
On Friday, the network announced “S.W.A.T” will end its run on CBS after six years with its current season’s finale. The episode is set to air on May 19 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
