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.
Drivel and drab rules the airways of America. The Unit didn’t proclaim the greatness of the military or the U.S. of A. It was a good show with a bit too much of the personal that no one cared about. However the action of the missions were well done and if they had been continued the show would have been well rec’d. If they had followed the direction of BBC’s Ultimate Force it would still be on the air. A show that’s also ironically off the air. Face it the networks are ***** mongering profitering money grubbing ******* who could… Read more »
Wow!! I can’t understand why they would end such a great show with really good actors!!! SMH. It sickens me to hear this news. I agree with Tara if you brought back the Unit the and stop changing the channel it comes on so we as fans can adjust, the viewers will come and stay!
Its CBS’s fault that they didn’t have as many viewers as they would have liked to have. They moved “The Unit” to sunday nights at 10pm. If they would have put the show on Tuesday nights at like 8 pm they would have had twice as many viewers. And the show could have ran for 10 years like Law and Order:SVU. Everybody these days have a DVR or Tivo. If they have 2 shows that they like on at the same time they would have recorded one of them and watched it after their other show was over. All I… Read more »
Perhaps the viewership would not have declined had it been in a different time slot. I can’t tell you how many times I was dismayed to check my DVR, and find that I had recorded the last half of Cold case Files playing first. Maybe Fox should bring back the show on their network.
Another great show cancelled. Now there is more time for reality shows about divorce,psychos and lousy parenting…… !
NBC doesn’t have a clue what most of the American people want to watch. If they di they wouldn’t run so many reality and sit -com shows . The Unit was one of maybe twelve shows on Tv that was really good and interesting to watch each week. You all at CBS executive headquarters suck and deserve the worst ratings you can get. Maybe with shows like Medium you’ll get them. Thanks for nothing>>>
The Unit was unlike any other show and, I too, looked forward to it every week. I’ve never seen Medium and can’t say I have any interest to. Not all of us has cable and finding anything decent on network TV is a struggle. I’m disappointed one of the few shows I actually made time for is cancelled.
Gene – I’m with you!!! I can’t believe CBS would cancel a show this popular. Who did they ask anyway. Talk about ratings… where do they get those numbers because I don’t know anyone that has ever been asked or polled about t.v. shows. I guess it might make sense to cancel a show that showed families trying to fight together, strong military men and women who are strong and mostly principaled and moral, all of whom are defending and fighting for our country but I sure don’t know where it would make sense to to whom!
Such a pity, a really enjoyable show, action all the way, the end of season 4 didn’t do it justice. The Unit deserves and it’s fans deserves a memorable end to a fantastic series.
The Unit was my favorite show on TV. I looked forward to it each week. Awesome actors, great writing. CBS exec need to get some “Joe the Plumber” advise on what to cancel and what to keep. Talk ratings, I’m not watching one CBS show this season. Does that help the advertisers?
Gene
The Unit was one show I truly looked forward to every week. Cbs should have canceled the redundant Medium and kept The Unit. They would have had higher ratings if they kept The Unit.
Living here in Thailand you see many Vietnam vets that live here like me
All are pro military and liked the show very much but keeping with the views
that CBS has against a strong military it is hardly surprising!!!!!!!!!!!!
As a former Army Veteran, I really enjoyed The Unit and I could really identify with the characters and the roles they played. CBS really has done those who love the show and the country a real disservice. PLEASE BRING THE SHOW BACK!
This news is no surprise. Yet “The Practice” goes on and drivelous sitcoms come and go. One of the best shows and storylines bites the dust.
I believe The Unit was cancelled due to political correctness. Heaven forbid, we actually have a show that is Pro-America and praises our nation’s military. Shame on CBS. Bring THE UNIT back!!!!!