There’s another casualty on network TV. CBS’ military drama, The Unit, has been cancelled after four seasons on the air.
The Unit revolves around an elite military unit and their civilian loved ones. The series features the talents of Dennis Haysbert, Regina Taylor, Audrey Marie Anderson, Robert Patrick, Max Martini, Abby Brammell, Michael Irby, Scott Foley, Demore Barnes, Alyssa Shafer, Danielle Hanratty, Kavita Patil, and Rebecca Pidgeon.
Created by acclaimed director and writer David Mamet, the series debuted in mid-season 2006. An average audience of 15.5 million viewers ensured a second season for the drama but year two didn’t go as well, attracting 11.1 million viewers. The show has continued to decline in the ensuing years and season four has averaged an audience of 9.67 million. Though the overall viewership isn’t too low, the series does skew older. The average age of The Unit’s viewership is about 55.
The series has been “on the bubble” for awhile and many took it as a bad sign when showrunner Shawn Ryan signed on to helm FOX’s Lie to Me. Ryan however maintained that he would continue on both shows if The Unit was renewed. He’d previously performed double duty while working concurrently on The Unit and The Shield.
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Like most of the networks’ actions these days, the decision to renew or cancel came down to finances. CBS had asked for all of its shows to reduce their budgets. The Unit is actually already cheaper to produce than it looks. Shot primarily in Southern California, it costs less than $3 million per episode to produce. That’s about half as expensive as other primetime dramas.
A couple weeks ago, Haysbert told the LA Times that he was unsure if he wanted the show to come back if it meant making too many creative and salary concessions. He said, “There are a number of factors that go into whether I want it back or not. It’s been a great ride and, if I don’t work with these people again, I’ll certainly play golf with them.”
In an age when the networks and studios have to watch every dollar, they’ve all been favoring renewing shows that are created by sister or in-house production companies. Since 20th Century Fox TV produces the show, the network wouldn’t benefit if the show went into syndication.
Prior to the cancellation news, Gary Newman, chairman of The Unit’s studio, said, “For the CBS viewer, this show is unique. The audience may not be huge, but there’s going to be enormous disappointment if it goes off and it’s replaced with one more procedural or forensics show.”
Image courtesy CBS.
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I am a big of fan of the Unit as anyone, it had a great cast. But in later years the writing was not up to par.
Folks it ain’t coming back…
We want the UNIT BACK SO PUT IT BACK ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
bring back The UNIT!!!!!
I don’t see how one network would think that people would want so many different csi’s. My family watches NCIS, Survivor, and Medium. In my opinion these are the only shows on CBS that are worth watching. To cancel The Unit to air NCIS Los Angeles was the worst decision CBS could have made. I agree with earlier commets that we don’t need anymore forensic based shows. At least the unit had action and drama which made it such a good program to watch.
Please bring its back The Unit, the show is number #1
The unit is by far the best show I have watched in a long while, I just recently became aware of this show through an advertizment first time I saw one for this show. Then was looking for new episodes and found out it was cqancelled think that’s crap and that if they wanted more veiwers they should have advertised it better and more instead of advertising those dumb csi shows
The Unit is the best show on TV. A one of a kind show. Bring it back you MORONS……
Agree 100%. As many have said, they keep the crap on. CBS I want nothing to do with you, or any of your crap shows. Friggen reality shows, how many more do we need? CBS you suck!!
Wish they would keep “The Unit”, it is by far more intriguing than any of other shows on t.v. . I am so sick of all of the forensic shows and medical shows (there are several already), but how many do we have like “The Unit” that touches on current events ?! Come on.
CBS is worthless and I agree with others I have been waiting since they left us on that cliffhanger. CBS I am done with and I’m 30 not average age viewer of 55 I was a marine and this is as close as it gets. Just bring it back and button up the season promote it for 3 weeks and get 15 million viewers to at least watch the last 5 episodes. Btw this is somewhat true in it’s nature and would love to see it again but tv is bs forensic science shows that you can’t even get into because they can’t even solve a local murder these shows are worthless. Show us how a car seat solves jon does murder but show me us killing bad guys to save the lives of Americans I’m in. Tell the critics to show us how to find osama bin laden with all of there cool technology. Bring back the unit.
furious from end of the unit. this is a huge dissapointment for many…
i can think of countless other shows that could be expendited but this was a great show. unlike ncis, this show was action packed and not using forensics to solve the cases but actually giving us the military part of it. i love it and will miss it. But this is why, i have now limited myself to 2 dramas a week and both of them are going off the air this season, LOST and Ugly Betty. They (network) come over for dinner and then eat and run. So, i don’t watch many shows because just as i think to invest my interest in them, it’s cancelled. oh well, look for it in syndication.
The Unit was such a good show!!!! i have no idea what they were thinking taking it off…. when shows like this one get the boot its no wonder why TV is for the ignorant and Gossip Girl garbage shows.
The Unit should have never been canceled. It was such a great show and they are going to start Miami Medical, another crappy medical/forensic/reality show that they already have 12 of. Please bring back The Unit. At least have one last season and have a real season finale instead of the junk they tried to call a season finale.
the Unit should never have bben canceled. They need to bring it back. Instead, they are deciding to show Miami Medical, another crappy medical/reality/forensic bulll crap shows that they have 12 of. Bring back the Unit! At the very least have a real season ending instead of the junk that they tried to call a season ending.
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