Netflix may have a reputation for cancelling shows without a second thought, but the story behind a non-original that’s still proven massively popular on the platform is even more bizarre, with S.W.A.T. being cast onto the televised scrapheap for all of 48 hours.
This past May, eyebrows were raised when the police procedural was given its marching orders completely out of the blue, a decision that shocked many people – including the cast – when ratings had seen a marked improvement. Apparently realizing the gun may have been jumped slightly, home network CBS quickly had a change of heart.
48 hours later, and S.W.A.T. was no longer canned, but renewed for a seventh and final run of episodes. It may not be a Netflix exclusive, but the show has proven to be a hit in any market where it’s been made available, with every single season so far having cracked the Top 10 in at least a handful of countries including the United States.
The penultimate run of episodes for Hondo and the crew wrapped up just weeks after its brief exit from the airwaves was announced, with What’s on Netflix now indicating that season 6 will be making its way to the on-demand circuit by the end of next month.
The fast-paced cop caper isn’t the sort of entertainment that requires your brain to be switched on, but having shown its credentials as a certifiable smash on both network TV and streaming, expect season 6 to do what all the rest have done and stake out a plum spot on the most-watched charts whenever it lands on Netflix.