After 14 seasons,Blue Bloodshas ended on CBS, but given how its replacement is performing, perhaps the network is regretting its decision to cancel the Tom Selleck-led show. The police procedural series, created by Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess, premiered in 2010 and was an instant hit.Blue Bloodsbecame one of CBS' most consistent shows,pulling in impressive ratings (especially for a Friday timeslot) and solid reviews from fans and critics alike. So, it’s unsurprising thatBlue Bloodsran for 14 seasons and almost 300 episodes. What is shocking, though, is that it ran foronly14 seasons.
In February 2025, CBS announced thataBlue Bloodsspinoffwas in development and had received a straight-to-series order, meaning it will have a place on the network’s 2025–2026 TV programming schedule. The upcoming spinoff,Boston Blue, will feature Donnie Wahlberg reprising his role as Danny Reagan, following his move from New York to Boston and new adventures with the Boston Police Department.
Blue Bloodshad the potential to become CBS' version ofGrey’s Anatomy(without the medical aspect, of course). It could have lasted for 20-plus seasons and way more than 300 episodes. Instead, CBS let go ofthe Reagan family inBlue Bloods, deciding to move on from the popular TV series and focus on newer projects. Following its finale in December 2024,the network shifted one of its other established shows intoBlue Bloods' old timeslot on Fridays in early 2025,and its performance proves that canceling the police procedural was a big mistake on CBS' part.
SWAT Took Over Blue Bloods' Friday Timeslot For CBS
SWAT Season 8’s Second Half Has Replaced Blue Bloods On Fridays In Early 2025
More than a month aftertheBlue Bloodsseries finale,SWATtook over the police procedural’s timeslot at 10 pm ET on Fridays, starting on June 07, 2025.The action crime drama’s eighth season initially aired at 8 pm ET on Fridays. However, in the wake ofBlue Bloods' cancelation, CBS choseSWATas its replacement, likely in the hope that it could perform just as well as or even better than its predecessor.
SWAThas been unable to live up toBlue Bloods' success.
So,SWATseason 8 made its new timeslot debut during its midseason premiere(aka episode 9, “Open Season”). Meanwhile,NCIS: Sydneyseason 2 took over forSWATat 8 pm ET on Fridays, followedbyFire Countryseason 3at 9 pm ET. Unfortunately,SWAThas been unable to live up toBlue Bloods' success.
SWAT Ratings Dropped Significantly Since Taking Over Blue Bloods' Timeslot
SWAT Performed Better In Its Old Timeslot
If CBS' reasoning for movingSWATseason 8 from 8 pm to 10 pm ET on Fridays was to bump its ratings, the network is undoubtedly disappointed by the actual outcome. Not only has the action drama failed to live up toBlue Bloods' ratings, but it has also experienced a decrease in viewership totals compared to season 8’s first half. According toTVLine,SWAT’s ratings are down by 22 percentsince itreplaced CBS' canceled seriesBlue Bloods. Essentially, season 8 performed much better when it aired at 8 pm ET on Fridays compared to its current 10 pm ET timeslot.
SWAT’s viewership is also down 20 percent in season 8, compared to its season 7 ratings.
Blue Bloodsseason 14, part 2 averaged 5.07 million viewersduring its 10 pm ET timeslot on Fridays in the fall of 2024 (perTVLine). On the other hand,SWATseason 8, part 2 is averaging about 3.4 million viewers in early 2025, as of the writing of this article. So, it’s safe to say thatSWATis falling short of expectations previously set byBlue Bloods. It was never going to live up to said expectations, but it’s still surprising that the timeslot change has affectedSWATso drastically.
SWAT’s Season 9 Renewal Will Only Make Hondo’s Unsolvable Problem Worse
If CBS renews SWAT for a ninth season, the police procedural TV series will have to make a difficult decision concerning Hondo’s story.
CBS Has Canceled SWAT For A Third And Likely Final Time
SWAT Is Ending After 8 Seasons
Given its decline in ratings and failure to measure up toBlue Bloods,CBS canceledSWAT(again) in March 2025. This isn’t the first time the network has attempted to cut ties with the show, though.CBS canceledSWATjust ahead of its season 6 finale in May 2023,just to reverse the decision a few days later in response to fan uproar. The network renewed the action drama for a seventh and final season. However, when the season 7 finale came around, CBS announced thatSWAThad been renewed for an eighth season, undoing its cancelation a second time.
Annie Ilonzeh
Devin Gamble
However,CBS' third attempt at endingSWATwill likely stick.It’s quite improbable that the network will change its mind a third time. Unless the producers are able to find another home for the show (like Netflix, asSWATstar and executive producer Shemar Moore suggested),SWATwill conclude following the season 8 finale. Its ratings, which rank at the bottom of all 14 2024–2025 CBS dramas, aren’t good enough to warrant a renewal. As a result, CBS' effort to replaceBlue BloodswithSWAThas failed, further proving why canceling the Tom Selleck-led police procedural series was a big mistake.
SWAT’s Failure To Thrive On Its New Timeslot Proves Why Blue Bloods Should Have Continued
Blue Bloods Carried Fridays For CBS
AsSWATseason 8, part 2’s failures have demonstrated,Blue Bloodswas not successful because of its Fridays at 10 pm ET timeslot.CBS can’t just replace the police procedural with any show during that period and expect it to be as triumphant as its predecessor. IfSWAT(which has impressively survived two cancelations) falls short, no TV series can follow inBlue Bloods' footsteps and achieve the same accomplishments.
Perhaps the spinoff (tentatively titledBoston Blue) can carry onBlue Bloods' legacy, as it will likely take over the flagship show’s timeslot if CBS is smart.
WhatBlue Bloodsaccomplished on Fridays (which is known to be a slow day for network TV) is unprecedented. No other show in the modern era has come close to the success that the police procedural experienced during its timeslot, proving why CBS should not have canceled it. Unfortunately, there is no going back, though. The good news is that aBlue Bloodssequel with Donnie Wahlberg is happeninginstead of season 15. Perhaps the spinoff (tentatively titledBoston Blue) can carry onBlue Bloods' legacy, as it will likely take over the flagship show’s timeslot if CBS is smart.
