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.”
 Loading ... |
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.
Sorry to see it go. Season five sounds like it would be exciting.
the unit was a great show. so i say they should start showing it on fox
Cancelling this show was a mistake, and hopefully CBS has lost views and because of this they will permit Season 5.
i love the unit. season 4 recently came out in australia and i have just finished it. i loved the last season, from the very begining it had me hooked right in. probably the best season thus far, and left me wanting more. we need season 5 to finish it off. i rather wish it didnt finish but if it must it should happen in seasin 5. there are things that still need to be eplained and finished off. please finish season 5
Those behind the unit went about season 5 all wrong. Season 5 should’ve been a two hour or three part mini series or even a movie to sum everything up. It not only would’ve brought all of the fans together but it would’ve went out with a big bang. If I were a writer this is how the finale would have went. Jonas is temporarily side lined due to his medical records but is forced back into action when whiplash is captured by columbian rebels, meanwhile Mac and tiffy prepare their new home (from Season 4) but Mac is having… Read more »
The Unit ha been one great show, it was not only entertaining, but also giving out skills of life, showing how to care for ur friends as unit members do, so sad it has been put to an end. but am still hoping for the best.
I have a lot of friends who like THE UNIT which i introduce to them and i love the show very much. You should start and end the show properly then leave it handing. This is not a professional job.
Such a shame they don’t get through with it….
We’re from Holland and we like The Unit as well !!
Maybe this is just some news to attract more attention ( and earn some more money on it), enough to make a fifth season …..
We keep on believing there will be a next season :-)…!
Rgds from Holland
Someone, please bring it back!!!!!
the unit is amazing and definetly, for the sake of both the actors/crew and the viewers deserved to end on the bang it deserved!
please bring back the unit ts the only thing on tv worth watching you should have sacked medium it like every other show on tv the unit was different.it was that good my girlfriend even liked it and she hates anything to do with military.
I loved the unit too but let me tell all of you from experience–no amount of us wanting it, is gonna change their decision. I experienced this with another TV show I loved called Jericho. Even after the massive action but us fans, they only brought it back for half and season and said it still wasn’t making them enuff money! It’s the law and orders and such that bring them money so they cancel the more expensive shows like our’s!!! I hope to see all the actors from The Unit continue their successful careers and the the writers keep… Read more »
Fu*k you CBS, this was an AWSOME show! another chanel should buy it out and at least end the show right!!! The viewers deserve to know how it ends.
the unit is (1) of the best season of the history it is a shame that it was cancelled
its like everything with the big run companies they just leave us people out in the cold. They don’t care what we want if it’s not going to line someone’s pckets or at least the right someone they won’t listen to the people. The unit was a great show and the people want it back, hell i don’t want it to just end with the fifth season keep it going its a good image of what goes on in the real world.