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.
They need to let this series properly close!!! Bring back Season 5.
I posted a request on cbs.com to bring back The Unit. So we’ll see if they respond.
My husband has been in the military for over 5 years now, we are stationed in germany as of right now. EVERYONE that i know here owns all of the unit seasons and want a 5th one really bad! Our BX/PX are sold out of the seasons within a week that they arrive. There are thousands of bases and i bet we are not the only ones addicted to that show. We can somehow, in one way or the other, relate to that show. If you go to cbs.com on the very bottom, second line, it says USERS FEEdBACK, klick… Read more »
Please bring “The Unit “! It was one of the best shows on TV. Always looked forward to it! Always a good plot! We watch it in Canada . Please make a movie if you can’t bring back the TV show with the same cast! The women were as good as the men! It’s too bad that you always cancel the best shows! So what if the ratings are lower. It was a different show, good actors, great plot! Looked forward to all the shows! You producers always cancel the best shows! You suck!
This is SOP ( standard operating procedure ) for the liberals. They discover that they might be airing a show that promotes loyality to our country, or promotes the idea of freedom for the subjects of dictators, or possibly may show america as a heroic nation, cannot be allowed. My God, those right wingers like this, shut it down. You miserable socialists at CBS (Communist Broadcast Service) need to file chapter 7, and get out of this country, move to China, where you will be embraced by the government dictators. You can’t even tell the truth on your news hour.… Read more »
yes the unit needs to return. if not on t.v. atleast on dvd.
Please bring back the Unit. You would have to be insane to throw out that good of a t.v. show. It was truely one of a kind and had a great all star cast. Please bring it back for it’s last season.
I can’t believe it… This is really ridiculous.
BAD MOVE!! The UNIT was a GREAT series.
they need to give me closer i need season 5 i have spoken
The Unit should have never ended just yet. This was a great show to watch with a woman as well. It has a mix for both genders. The show in my opinion was the best on tv for a long time. I will miss it for sure.
CBS ur completly and totaly wrong and u don’t knw how many people like watching the unit here in Africa specially in my country Malawi u don’t knw the amoun of viewers that watch this series oh com on wat is da difrence between 24 and the unit it’s basicly the same only the unit missions r international while 24 is American it’s like building a house with evryfin inside but not puting a roof CBS knws dat dis is da last season why den r u stopping it from goin ahead com on I’d urge da directors of the… Read more »
the unit is the only show that came in the mail from netflix, i held up and my husband came running to. i cant belive they ended it like that in season 4 and wont make a 5 come on. there has got to be a 5 pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease
wow bib business ******* killed the unit damn now i did not see that comming. those guys in the unit have the scum of the earth shoot at them have people capture and toucher-ed them and the one thing that killed them was some paunchy bald guys in suits who were probably teased in high school damn the world aint fair
The ones that want the show cancelled. Are nothing but anit-American, and hate the men and women who have fought and died for thier freedom. People have forgotten how they get thier freedom.By the blood shead of my brothers and sisters. So if you dont like The Unit you also have the freedom not to turn on the tv. I say bring the final season back and screw you all that hate America and what She stands for Ill be glad to send you to another country where you dont have this freedom and laugh when your crying to come… Read more »