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.
Darn! The Unit was a great show. When I see the “crap” that some of the new shows are about, guess I’ll have to rent DVD’s or something.
Here I am waiting for this show to air and today I decide to search the internet to find out why it isn’t on. Why?????? Please don’t tell me it’s ratings. That’s a bunch of b.s.
This is as bad as the decision to cancel Star Trek the original series.
I can only hope that it has as much success in the future.
Very stupid short sighted decision. Too many kids running the business.
I am neither a military veteran, a flag-waving patriot, nor a man. I’m a college instructor in writing and the humanities, and “The Unit” was the ONLY show I watched on CBS. I would arrange my Sunday evenings around being home for its airing. My older sister, 2ooo miles from the Bay Area where I live, also loved and watched the show. I was waiting for the new season, unaware of the series’ cancellation. I’m shocked and angered. It is bewildering to me that the show has been canned. If CBS has the shortsightedness to regard a nearly 10,000,000-strong regular… Read more »
Please put THE UNIT back on! It was my favorite show!
The Unit is a really goood show. It was like a good book series you know that they ll get through it but the how was always the draw. I will miss it, it is one of a very few shows I watched with my husband. I t has backbone and heart. The wives were a strong part of the program and they were in my book the original Army Wives. I always felt Army Wives was like the flip side of The Unit, which was part of my original draw to them. The next question is will the progam… Read more »
I really honestly can’t believe you cancelled this show. I guesss cbs doesn’t know a good show when they see it. There had to be enough people who watched this for them not to cancel it.
Wow. I guess CBS doesn’t know good shows. I can’t believe they cancelled it. That was an idiot move, really.
Are you nuts?!!!! The Unit was an awesome show and CBS had to go screw it up. It was one of THE best shows on TV and now I have nothing to watch. Thanks!!! Now, please bring it back.
They did this to jag too. When will they think before moving a show all over the time slots.
I agree w/ Dave…duty, honor and country. Aside from NCIS the unit was one of the best shows on t.v. Great action & support of our country. I guess the pressure from the “rainbow club” & left wing nuts made you cave. Take ncis LA off & put the unit back on.
What a shame, another great show bites the dust while we are left with mind numbing, brainless reality shows and gross (not funny) shows that put down family values and marital relationships.
Very disappointing. The show was very entertaining and i think very well typecasted.
It was nice to have something a little different from forensics and lawyer/cop shows.
The reality shows are mostly stupid. But as always…money rules.
It is a shame that the show is being cancelled. It is the only show on T.V. that dipicts the way things really are in a Unit.
These days and times there is so much disillusion regarding our military the show was a real beacon of truth.
Again sorry it is being cancled for the love of money.
Neither my wife nor I are from military families or have ever been in the military, but we both think this is one of the best shows on TV. Even though often brutal in its honest portrayal of what it takes to protect people and survive against all odds, it was always a high point in our TV watching. The writers and actors (etc.) never compromised in portraying the grittiness and humanity of these folks. The inter-weaving plot lines of each show, action vs. what’s going on at home, were always fascinating. Perhaps that non-PC, honest portrayal of a very… Read more »