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.
Bring The Unit back!!!!! If we raise a big enough stink they will open their eyes. Hopefully!
The article talked about falling ratings. I had a hard time finding what time it came on last season. I don’t know if it was our local station that kept moving it or if it was a network decision but they can’t expect people to tune in every week if they don’t know when it’s on. No wonder the ratings dropped.
I think they just need another time slot for a moronic reality show.
This show stands out over all the reality shows and stupid sitcoms. It is the only show that I watch in the fall and will greatly miss it. They say the average person watching the show is 55, well I’m a 29 year old female who has been hooked since the first season. CBS has mad a huge mistake.
I am so not believing CBS is taking “The Unit”off the air! It is the best show on television as well as Criminal Minds and NCIS. Jag was also a great show and look what happened to it. Are they next? I refuse to watch the B.S. show they will put on to replace The Unit. I will turn my TV off and read a book, something will stimulate my mind instead poisoning it with crap! We are becoming a nation of ignorant and lazy people and I refuse to become one of them. CBS, you suck!!!!!!
This proves that quality television is going to be history soon! This was one of a very few shows that you could watch and not have your morals insulted! I have heard that there is a possibility that one of the cable channels is toying with picking this show up!!!! PLEASE, PLEASE let it be true! That would justify paying for 500 channels of junk on cable so that my husband has all of the sports channels!
Snake Doc, I will mourn you!
I’M DONE with network TV. This was the final straw for me. Look at all of the junk on TV and then they cancel THIS show? This was the best show on TV. Then they cry “no one watches network TV any longer and we can’t figure out why!” MORONS.
I was stationed at Ft. Bragg during the late 70’s when the orinigal Unit came into being and some of my fellow MP’s went onto S.F. and into the Unit. I will miss this show and I think CBS has made a great disservice to todays Warfighters and the public. To my younger brothers in Arms “Shoot True, Come Home Safe”.
Can you believe these morons? Everyone has pretty much expressed what I think and feel. If anyone knows how to start a campaign let’s do it. There are some truly idiotic shows on and they dump this one? I am so sick and tired of hearing how shows like this are geared to older people and they don’t spend as much as younger people. Where do they think they get the money to spend? The popularity of some of these shows just shows just how stupid people are becoming. They simply want to watch shows where they don’t need to… Read more »
I can’t believe that CBS a show like ‘Survivor: whatever’ and cancel a show like The Unit. Who wants to watch a scripted “game show”, full of egotistical jerks? I don’t. I also can’t believe they’d bump The Unit over The Mentalist, another dumb, unrealistic show.
They always take a good showw off the air and replace with another reality show. They are so retarded and not worth the money that has been used to produce them, when they should be using that money to keep the good shows on.
I went into shock when I read the Unit would be cancelled. I have never wrote for any other show to be put or to stay on the air. But I’m so disappointed in the big wigs always taking away these good shows.
The Unit was real and well written and Its a shame if you guys dont put this show back on the air. Listen to the little guys for once.
Dumb move.
Please bring it back.
Thanks.
Please DO NOT CANCEL the Unit. My husband and I can hardly wait each week for the new episode. I DO NOT watch any of the comedy shows on CBS. They’re not worth wasting my time and effort on. The reality shows are so stupid. I would be embarrassed to tell anybody that I watched those things! CBS has some of the best shows–NCIS, The Mentalist, Criminal Minds, CSI Miami, Cold Case, THE UNIT–but if you cancel it, that will be one less hour of CBS that I will be watching. Don’t trade quality for quantity!! I know the bottom… Read more »
I just realized that “The Unit” was cancelled….I agree that last season was a bit weird bringing the wives into a situation/operation. BUT in these days, we never know if that could happen (I highly hope it would not), but it could be military reality. Half way through premiere week, setting my DVR for my shows I am already deleting NCIS Los Angeles (which was very bad) and begging for The Unit to come back. I am sure the production costs for one more season to wrap up Jonas’s career and see a transition would be a lot cheaper than… Read more »
REALLY, REALLY DUMB
Just great, another show that takes a “brain” to watch has been cancelled. I am sure a “mind-numbing” reality show will replace it. How sad. I am a CBS share holder and re-thinking my position.