SWAT experienced a mediocre, albeit anemic existence its last 4 seasons spread over the 10:00 timeslots on Thursdays and Wednesdays its first 4 seasons. And then, CBS moved it to Fridays leading the procedural timeslot, and the ratings surged! It helped power up Friday night, even besting prior showpiece Magnum PI. So how does CBS repay the show for improving? It ships it to the desolate desert on Sunday evenings at 10pm.
While the January 2 showing retained impressively from its Friday windfalls registering a 0.42 on an evening which its lead-ins Equalizer and NCIS: Los Angeles were frosty cold, the drastic move shows SWAT appears to be a lower priority on the CBS schedule. Often network spin doctors spin these moves as "successful in several timeslots" and other bullshit phrases to kicking a show around like an afterthought. Where this is alarming for SWAT is CBS has experienced a surprise and sudden axing of successful shows in recent years. That slot incidentally became the hot plate where 10-year veteran Hawaii Five-O sat when it was canned late in the 2019-20 season. The next season, MacGyver, strong and durable, was also roasted. And SWAT sat in the frying pan and, incidentally improved and bested lead-out Magnum PI.
Ratings for the 2021-22 season have proven strong for SWAT, which is why it remains a Likely Renewal. But CBS' battering/afterthought treatment leaves viewers wondering why they shipped it to a timeslot known to dead-shows-walking such as NCIS: New Orleans and Madam Secretary. They could perhaps be testing stability, but appear to treat SWAT as a lower priority. The January ratings will lead to more to talk about, but for now SWAT remains a Likely Renewal despite CBS treating the show as a low priority
