Much to the dismay of the show’s loyal followers, The Unit was cancelled by CBS in May. The series’ viewership had declined in its later years but, despite being preempted several times, still attracted 9.67 million viewers in season four.
The Unit was supposedly being seriously considered to continue in first-run syndication but the deal didn’t work out, likely because of production costs. Sadly, while the military drama and Dennis Haysbert, Regina Taylor, Robert Patrick, and Scott Foley will be around in syndication for years to come, we won’t be seeing season five of The Unit.
It turns out that the writers had a full plan for year five which Executive Producer Shawn Ryan was expecting to be the show’s last. He pitched the storyline ideas to the CBS execs but ultimately they weren’t interested.
At the recent TCA press tour, Ryan shared with The Futon Critic what would have happened. He said, “It was going to be a whole new show in the sense that we were going to be training some young people, Bob was going to be training some people for a whole new organization. Jonas was finally going to be seeing his run end.”
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Ryan continued, “The final season was going to be, I figured the fifth season was going to be the last… It was going to be a long, sort of final mission for Jonas. He’s not medically cleared, Mac has to go in and sort of change the medical records so that Jonas can keep on [going on missions]. We had a whole thing planned, it was going to be good.”
Of the cancellation, Ryan points to CBS’ last-minute decision to save NBC’s discarded Medium series. If things had been reversed and The Unit “had been owned by Paramount and Medium had been owned by 20th Century Fox, we’d be making the fifth season of The Unit right now. I don’t know how else to say that.”
What do you think? Do the plans for season five sound like a good way for the military drama to finish?
Image courtesy CBS.
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I would definitely sign a petition to get this show back.
Still sick and tired of Reality Shows and the rest of the crap on TV.
I don’t care which channel picks up this show as long as it comes back!
I still watch all of the reruns of the Unit… I bought seasons 1-4 this show is the best show i have seen in a long time… I don’t even watch regular t.v any more because its filled with reality t.v crap.
Why would they take the best show off t.v for something fake like medium.
Bring back the Unit
I agree. I’m totally not even interested in regular tv BECAUSE of all of the reality crap! It’s gone on way too long. How can they have eight seasons of LOST and not even renew The Unit for a fifth and final season? My wife used to LOVE Lost and she’s been ready for it to end for 2 years. These TV execs don’t even know what we want or what makes for a good show. It’s wealthy politicians thinking that they speak on my behalf when they have no idea what’s important to me or those in my age or income bracket.
I couldnt agree with you more Joe. But the execs want what sells and there is this silent majority there that has a strong influence. But what mainstream America are shows that can make us laugh, wonder and enjoy watching, Here’s some examples.
Star Trek the original series-need i say more it brought a lot of things that we wouldnt dream possible back in the sixties to what is possible now.
MASH.
Magnum PI- The ONLY show ever, next to CHINA BEACH that shows Vietnam Vets in a positive and true way..
What’s needed folks are shows that shows average American’s working on life’s problems. Look at what we’re facing now. Recession, Iraq and Afghanistan, the health bill god knows what. we need shows that can make light of or bring the message of what is happening around us today. We need to laugh again. find something to really laugh at or for familes to be brought back toghether again.
Now comes the other mitigating factor. Opposition groups, And there are a HELL of a lot of them who would probably protest the programs saying that we arent showing THIER message or their way..hey folks..shows are meant to ENTERTAIN! Not give political messages or tell us how to live. they are meant for ENTERTAINMENT.
Hello All!
I have created a support The Unit Website to include pictures of memroable moments from thi great series! You are all kindly invited to visit the site at http://alpha-team.webs.com/
Support The Unit!!
Matt
Please feel fee to explore the dicussion boards and pictures I have posted on the unit!
I will sign too. I love the show. I will get everyone I know to sign too. We have to get the show back on.
This was the best show on tv.
There are already petitions going to bring The Unit back for a season 5 found some here,
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/
You can search by name here http://www.care2.com/find/petition
This is one: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/bring-the-unit-back
This is another: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/6/save-the-unit
There was even one started in Russia: but it’s closed now.
I would suggest everyone posting comments here go sign both of them and then pass this along to everyone you know or think would sign. And if you find any other online petitions post the links here and on Matt’s new web site too.
And we should all sign into Matt’s new web site, see above comment from him with the link. If you have a blog put the link on it, or any web sites you own, and all your social networking pages as well; spread the word if you want this to continue and to provoke some positive action. The Unit wouldn’t give up, on you, and neither should you, on them.
Hey; this is exactly how things get started and then get done.
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