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.
Unbelievable! Dropping The Unit instead of Medium. I started watching Medium when it started but couldn’t stay awake. It is so predictable and for the plain minded. The Unit may have been a ‘manly’ show but I enjoyed it as much as my husband. Exactly what do the stations think we want?
Why not take all good programming off. You are pushing me to not want to even watch TV.The best shows are cancelled and you keep the shows that only air heads would watch. I like the shows that keep you on the edge of your seat like THE Unit…Keep making the bad choices of cancellation and I will stop watching completely!!!!!!!!
I can’t believe CBS cancelled a show with substance…..cancel some of the stupid sitcoms directed to silly teens!
I just found out that The Unit was cancelled. Noooo!!!!!!! What a terrible decision; CBS sucks A$$!
this is #*$%?!!!! I just found out that its cancelled and here I have been waiting and waiting for it to return. I AM SOOOOOO ANGRY!!! CBS STIFFS SUCK _ _ _ _!!!!
I have watched the unit from the start of season one to the end of season four and have never missed an episode. It is the only show on tv that I have ever cared about watching on tv. CBS has deprived me and so many people that love the Unit. Bring it back!!!
I am sorry to see the show end. I really liked the show and its characters. Sad to see such a great show disappear it leaves a blah evening for Sunday night television. Guess the ratings mean nothing if you can cancell this show and keep the Medium which holds no interest to me!!!!!!!!!! Bring Back the UNIT!!!!!!!!!
canceling the unit was the dumbest decision cbs ever made! i loved the unit from the first episode i watched and was instantly hooked. the unit is my heroin…i need another hit! please bring back the unit…BRING BACK THE UNIT…BRING BACK THE UNIT…BRING BACK THE UNIT…BRING BACK THE UNIT…BRING BACK THE UNIT…BRING BACK THE UNIT…
I’m so disappointed! My son and I are fanatatics about “The Unit.” If the executives for CBS are reading this, please reconsider your decison and allow “The Unit” to continue. I will greatly miss the action and drama. Betty Blue what’s your . . .
I was shocked and very disappointed by the Unit’s cancellation. Not only was it a great action show, it depicted so much of what many of us long for – the show of bravery and patriotism. It depicted these highly intelligent, highly skilled special forces soldiers as patriotic to a fault, but also human. The country needs a show like this. I am so sick of how touchy feely we have all become. There is a balance and we’ve gone beyond equilibrium. This show reminds us of one part of what has made America great!
I can’t believe CBS dumped “The Unit” and keep Medium ( a boring mediocre show to say the least). I’mm staying wiht NBC!!!!!!!
Please keep the The Unit going. It’s one of the few interesting and entertaing action shows on the air.
PLEASE, ——– John Pineda
Are you kidding me! Bring back the show. How can you ignore 9.67 million viewers. Do the math again. IT’S 9.67 MILLION VIEWERS! SOMEONE PLEASE SLAP ME!
I’m so disappointed, this was my favorite show. I loves me some DH! But I should have guessed this show was coming to an end when they killed Hector. CBS strikes again… usually making poor choices about which shows to cancel. This was the only strong-male cast on tv and now nothing.
just like jericho, cbs fails again. they should look into retirement