The resurrection of 'S.W.A.T.' demonstrates how TV fans still hold sway

The ninth annual SeriesFest recently took place in Denver, Colorado, where I attended the event for the first time.

A celebration of episodic TV, the festival gathers creators and fans for several days of screenings, workshops and more.

I was there to moderate a discussion after the screening of the "Peak TV" episode of CNN's new limited series, "The 2010s." The conversations showcased how much we as a culture love television, and that's the theme of this week's newsletter.

A showcase for stories by and about people of color, women, the LGBTQ+ community and people with disabilities were, for me, one of the highlight's of SeriesFest.

The importance of inclusive storytelling for audiences may be one of the reasons CBS reversed course on a decision to cancel one of its more diverse shows, "S.W.A.T." Its star, Shemar Moore, headlines in one of the few series on network TV (meaning, outside of streaming) to feature a Black male lead.

"We have listened to our viewers and their outpouring of passion for 'S.W.A.T.' and we have reached an agreement to renew it for a final season of 13 episodes to air during the 2023-2024 broadcast year," CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach and Sony Pictures Television Studios president Katherine Pope said in a joint statement this week.

"S.W.A.T." fans will now get a seventh and final season to bid farewell.