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.
I hate it when the networks don’t “wrap things up”. How hard would it be to film a final show and not leave people hanging.
Common just finish the series with a bang go for season five!!!! We all agree just one more season!!! And don’t say it would be a wast of money cause there are plenty of viewers!!!!!
Iam a serving British Royal Marines Commando and the unit has kept 800 serving Royal Marines very happy whilst on various deployments around the world the action is intense and the senarios very plauseable and not that fair from the truth its a very good way to show the civilian population what the Armoured forces from across the globe actually get up to and shows the ups and downs and preasures put on our partners whilst we are away doing what we do
Hoofing series ! thankyou but please bring it back and dont leave it on a unfinished ending
a network needs to pick up this show. i stop watchin cbs completly until they bring back the unit or something similar. its a great show im very disapointed that it was cancelled.
Although I loved all of the seasons of the Unit and want to see it come back, I don’t agree with the direction the final season was going to take the show. I would have liked a “few” character changes.. (i.e. Regina Taylor with Angela Bassett or Phylisia Ayers-Allen). I think I could have written a very good season involving only the actors that are there now! I’m not comfortable losing the “Heros” that I’ve become to care about. It took me a while to come to the reality of losing “Hammerhead.” So is Fox going to pick it up?… Read more »
I just started watching the Unit and I absolutely love it. I also just found out that the show was cancelled. I am really upset about that. I am 31 years old with no military experience but I still think it is one of the best shows. I hope CBS changes their minds and brings it back.
I LOVE THE UNIT!!!
It was a great show. Granted I just got into it but the show aired on Sunday Night. That was a terrible time slot. How about any alternate time from NCIS? With all of the reality shows we are being tortured with, it would’ve been nice to watch a show like that. Something different, exciting and with substance. I avoid regular TV channels mostly because there are way too many reality shows; which I am so sick of.
Please bring back the Unit. It has a great and loyal following.
One prime factor about those 9 million or more faithful watchers, I read this somewhere, is that they were mostly an older age group, 50 plus, and networks only care about the 35, or 25, and under age groups. Never mind that, the boomers age group, are still the largest group, we just don’t count. For another example of that, I once signed up to be part of testing for new products, which includes TV shows. Of the umpteen dozen calls I’ve had in the first several months, as soon as they asked me my age group it’s well sorry… Read more »
I don’t understand how you cancelled a great show. To gamble on a new series with no establish followers. At least you know you have almost 10 million follwers. I can see a series or sitcom and tell you it will be hit or not. Just like music you know what going to be a hit.
Has CBS thought about the fact that those 9 million viewers in the later years were mainly a military audience? I spent 21 years, 11 months, 15 days, 5 1/2 hours on active duty defending America and our way of life. The Unit was a show that hit home because of it’s realism as it relates to my job when I was active duty. Emergency Management, HAZMAT Response, WMD Specialized Teams and oh those military missions that we could not fully disclose to our spouses. Did I mention I’m told that I look like Jonas. My grand daughter loves the… Read more »
This movie has been the best so far and waiting for the fifth season only to hear that it has been cancelled, i urge you all to reconcile and continue for l’m waiting. if anything you contact me through the mail with some pictures of Hector and Bob.
thank you.
I’ve never even heard of the Unit, didn’t realize I was watching re-runs CBS needs to bring that show back. “I LOVE IT”
I can’t beleive The Unit is cancelled season 5. What is CBS thinking? It was the best thing on television!!!
It was a great show.how the hell can they just end season four like that. It’s been playing alot on sleuth,my wife and I got hooked on it and we need our season five fix please.