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.
This was a fantastic show! It dealt with real world issues and addressed them (love, marriage, sacrifice, patriotism, loyalty, etc). It makes sense that it would be cancelled. It wasn’t so called “reality” or “hollywood.” It made sense for the normal viewing audience. I guess that’s why the average age of viewer was 55. It was too good to last.
Maybe Fox will have the good sense to pick the show up – I think Fox is the only network that has leadership in touch with what people really want.
Stupid, stupid, stupid. That’s all I can say. The Unit was one of the best shows on TV in the last 20 years. But it had morality, courage, love for people’s children and showed the results of people that have integrity. Instead they’ll probably put a series on us that will have homosexuality, fornication, anything that will get people’s attention other than good, fruit bearing, God fearing people who love their country. Welcome to Hollyweird, or sometimes called the 21st century’s Sodom and Gomorrah. God help us.
I was devastated when I found out The Unit was cancelled, I waited all summer long for the new season to start, to be royally disappointed. I grew up in 70’s, so I guess I’m old-school now, and we didn’t have really shows. Really shows are simply WORTHLESS TRASH. If I want to see really situations, I’ll video tape some of my friends and their dysfunctional family members. Television networks have been using this age-old tactic of manipulating and preempting, changing times of targeted TV shows to fail, in the name of poor viewership, so therefore the program is cancelled.… Read more »
Just found out The Unit got cancelled. Been waiting all summer and was looking forward to finding out what was going to happen next! I guess the powers at be really do hold the puppet strings after all. Absolutely fantastic show, patriotic, great storyline, relevant to the times this country is living in just doesn’t fit into the bottom line. What a shame! I’m boycotting CBS!
Are you guys serious? Well the knuckleheads in charge proved once again that they are clueless. Just another reason not to watch CBS. There was a time there that I thought this series was on another network because it was so good…, but you guys came through in true dunder-head fashion & canceled a winner! Show some intelligence and bring it back before another network picks it up and beats you guys in the ratings with your own canceled show.
Why cant you all cancel one of the best shows? Its not like any of us little people have any say, Kyle XY was also cancelled, it being one of the few shows that was a family viewing programing, if they can do that, whats next? Letterman, not likely, for its not one we watch…. So heck there not there for us viewers, if so The Unit would still be on.
It figures, the idiots at the networks have little to no clue what they are doing!!
This. Sow was awesome and it was a real show and the people who stopped it are dumb all they had to do was advertise more and it would have been a hit with all ages I’m only 25 and served in Iraq and this show was the reAl Deal but o well I will miss it and so will the other 9.8 million viewers **** I’m pissed now
I was so shocked to find out that this show, The Unit, had been cancelled. especially after voiting on this site and seeing 99% said not to cancel it. What is CBS thinking? Oh I know , “Let’s put on another comedy that is filled with either sex or gay couples.” You really have made a huge mistake this time. You need ratings to go up not down. I am really sorry that you cannot see a great show, when it is right in your face.
Really disappointed. The Unit was one, if not THE best show on CBS! Nothing will place it. My family and I watched it every week. BRING the UNIT back!!!!!!!!!!!
What was the problem, too Patriotic, all these show like Biggest Loser, Survivor, Amazing race, they are all terrible.
The Unit was the only reason I watched CBS. I am very disappointed to hear it is not coming back. This is evidence that the network execs are REALLY out of touch. I guess they are like all execs these days; they run the company into the ground with poor decisions and then cash out with a golden parachute.
After coming back from down range; it’s the only show worth watching! It deals with real issues in the world.
I love the unit. It is one of the best show on tv. the acter and actress are great in this show.
what a load of nonsense! the finest to come along in years, intelligent,patriotic,filled with self-reliant characters, lessons in real life, and cbs takes it off the air! did it offend their political sensibility? so much other crap that they continue to fund, and they cancel quality! guess there won’t be much reason left to watch that network…