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 is a farce, all that is on now is Hospital shows that can’t hold a candle to E.R..
Now you take away the best real show out there! The general public needs to see shows like this to continue to appericate the strong and dedicated Military that you have. Politics aside this is a part of the world that we live in. Cancelling this show for a lesser product is just wrong. I was looking forward to the new season and you did what you do and copped out on good programming. CBS you let us down once more.
Very sorry to see such an excellent show, well written, well acted, exciting, be cancelled. CBS and the other networks as well are misguided in their programming decisions. They are catering to a younger audience while the viewers are older. If older viewers are watching the dirth of reality shows, it’s because there are no other choices. They may be cheap to produce, but appeal to the lowest common denominator. To all the decision makers out there :We the over 50 crowd are the ones with money to buy the advertised products, and are the ones at home in the… Read more »
I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU CANCELLED IT!! THE ONLY TRUTH ABOUT THE MILITARY!!!!!
CBS if you don”t like my comment just remove it from the post.
what? Of course you cancelled the show. It was about the Military,Duty, Honor.
And the Unit didn’t get the bad guys and try to understand their feelings while holding hands and crying on the Oprah show. What else would we expect Waterhead Liberals to do, but cancell the show. Duty, Honor, you should try it sometimes,,,it feels good.
Dave (Vietnam Ranger)
Please bring The Unit back!!!! Get rid of NCIS L.A. – it is a bad version of a 007 film. The two main actors are great but the whole story line is ridiculous. The Unit was very different from anything else on tv, really opened my eyes to what actually goes on behind (military) closed doors. Excellent writers and excellent cast!
I’ve been waiting for The Unit to return and just got online to see what was up. I CAN’T believe it’s been cancelled. I am in my 30’s, not 50’s and loved the show. I watched it religiously and hated it when it moved to Sunday nights always having to set up the DVR to tape the news because I knew it wouldn’t start on time. Bad move putting in that time slot. If you moved it back during the week, I bet the viewer #’s would increase. CBS always wants to cancel the good shows. Cancel something else and… Read more »
This suck! Here I am waiting for the season to start and wow there it goes, it is cancelled. Bring it back!!!
Bring it back, Bring it back, Bring it back!!!!!
I AM NOT A HAPPY CAMPER. I HAVE A SEASON PASS FOR THE UNIT AND I JUST THOUGHT THAT I WAS MISSING IT BECAUSE OF FOOTBALL RUNNING OVER. NOW THAT I KNOW IT WAS CANCELED, I AM VERY UPSET. GOOD SHOWS LIKE THE UNIT IS BEING TAKEN OFF. BUT STUPID SHOWS ARE REPLACING IT. THE NETWORK NEEDS TO KNOW THAT NOT EVERYBODY WANT TO SEE FEMALE IN THERE UNDERWEAR AND THE USE OF PROFANITY. I LOVED THE SHOW. I LOOKED FORWARD TO IT EVERYWEEK. CAN SOMEONE TELL ME IF MOLLY LEFT JONIS FOR GOOD.
The Unit was a well written show that will be sorely missed. I hope either CBS reconsiders or its picked up on cable.
Is there even a chance of it coming back? I would only hope that CBS would take into consideration how many people are responding to them cutting the Unit. I wish ABC could pick it up and run with it. Maybe if they placed on another night other than Sunday. But, I liked Sunday nights, I am usually home then anyway.
Not that this will do much good (CBS is not known for listening well to their viewers) but this was one of the few TV shows that my wife and I could watch without me switching to another channel during commercials. We are both 33, non-military, and absolutely loved the show. Unlike CSI Miami, CSI Las Vegas, CSI New York, CSI Birmingham (ok, so no Birmingham yet, but wait for it!), I did not grow tired of the predictable writing because it was so unpredictable! It really is a shame to see this show go, and although pleading will get… Read more »
ONCE AGAIN THE POWERS THAT BE DECIDE THAT OLD FOLKS,40 ,AND ABOVE,ARE UNIMPORTANT.I SAY THIS BECAUSE THEY CLAIM THAT THE UNIT CATERS TO AN OLDER AUDIENCE.COULD IT BE VETERANS?PROBABLY,AND THE YOUNGER AUDIENCE,VETERANS OF MORE RECENT CONFLICTS,WHO WATCH THIS TERRIFIC SHOW, THAT SHOWS THE FIGHTS THAT AMERICA WINS WHEN THEIR HANDS ARE NOT TIED,POLITICS,AND OFFENDING THE SENSIBILITIES OF OUR SO CALLED ALLIES,AND ENEMIES DON’T MATTER,AND WE WIN.A CAST THAT TO ME FIT THIS SHOW TO A TEE.THE LADIES OF THE SHOW ALSO.REPLACE IT WITH WHAT?A PROGRAM THAT WILL FLOP?MAYBE.OR,PERHAPS,ANOTHER GREAT,ACTION-DRAMA,LIKE THE UNIT,THAT WILL TAKE OFF TO THE STARS,AND BEAT EVERYONES EXPECTATIONS.WELL,WILL… Read more »
Why did they have to cancel this show it was very good I aways made time to watch it and I’m not 55 my whole family injoyed it please bring it back. Ther could be alot of things they could do that would keep it on air. Don’t cancel NCIS, CSI, those are are so shows I like.