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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It will be mismanagement when ‘The Unit’ stays of the screens.
I was a big fan of ‘The A-Team’ from my childhood 1983.
Now 27 years later ‘The Unit’ is something from that!!
It’s the same old chauvinistic American thought over the years,
always compartmentalized thinking but never creative.
Be sensible and rational and go on to season 5 and more.
The series could easily have five more seasons.
Until than CBS will have one viewer less.
Greetings from the Netherlands
Onno Koster
The Unit was actually a show with content and character. Something that is lacking in 87% of today’s television shows. Has CBS completely lost their minds? They wonder why their ratings are falling? I would have thought that the upper echelon of CBS would have more sense than that. Make a 5th, 6th, 7th, etc…. Season, and you will have more viewers again.
Frankly, The Unit is the first show to demonstrate the military life in it’s whole. This show, though every soldier’s life is not the exact day to day, told of the hardships most military families go through. The Unit let us know that somebody in America knows what we are going through. Funny thing is, the real reason CBS’s viewer base went down, was because we had a surge in deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. In my mind, the only thing that CBS did was say “to hell with all the soldiers, let’s just take the only thing they have to relate to off the air”. While everyone came out with a movie about soldiers for the civilians, The Unit was the only thing positive out there for the actual soldier. Thanks for the slap in the face CBS.
My military Captain friend turned me on to The Unit. We would watch a whole season in less than a week. Our entrie family is addicted. Now we will have to go through withdrawal knowing that there is no Season 5. There are too many medical and detective shows. Especially with the middle east wars going on, I want to be informed and feel more connected to what life is like for the soldiers. I also appreciated the strong character demonstrated in the show. The characters were all interesting and portrayed by excellent actors. Please bring it back. We miss everybody!
Yeah thanks for ending duch a great show CBS this show was the only thing i would have to look foward to every night as i sit waiting to go on missins to keep this country safe all i have to say is thank u and @$#% you for ending a soldiers entertainment CBS and good night to all of u trying to get them to start it up agin BYE!
MISS THAT SHOW lOWE THAT SHOW
ALMOST 22 THOUSAND PEOPLE WOTED THAT THEY WANT THE UNIT BACK
I am so saddened by this cancellation. I was so looking forward to the next season (I’ve watched since the beginning). There are so few good shows out there and this one was an exception. I absolutely loved it! I’m tired of getting hooked on good shows and then they disappear. I think I’m going to quit watching TV.
I agree with each and every one of these comments.
Makes u not want to get into any show!
this show is the best ever. aint nothin like it and never will be…heck id dish money out of my own pocket to put this show back on.
I read that Mr. Haysbert has bought the right to the stories and shows. Perhaps, with that, we will see a return.
it’s been the only tv series i watched now!!!! very amusing yet taunting to my brain… show must go on FOREVER !!!!!
I WANT MY “THE UNITE” BACK DAMMIT !
I love the Unit I not only watch it on the sleuth station but I have all 4 sesons on vhs. They always cancel the good show and the Unit every one can realy get into it. I think they should bring it back, I know I am kooked and I would continue to watch it and buy the vhs.
what a sad shame … I felt very frustrated to say the least when turning the tube on to see the Unit and instead got the senseless nauseating version of a “show” instead …. was this some sort of political power pressure move to suddenly drop a series so vividly intelligent, informative and a realistic portrayal about the realities of military life ?????????? I consider this a form of censorship that unfortunately is just one more thing that the American public who pay dearly just to have available TV has to endure .. another reason why the freedom of “cable” TV is more appreciated due to it’s freedoms from the likes of CBS (Corrupted Bull S*** TV).. even Oprah has had enough and will soon just be on “cable” …too bad The Amazing Unforgettable Unit got so stuck in the karma of CBS crash and trash … don’t you just wish something could be done to bring the exceptional Unit back..
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