CBS’ The Unit ran from 2006 to 2009, four seasons and 69 episodes. It follows a covert military unit, its members risking their lives on missions around the world while their wives keep the home front and protect their husbands’ secrets. The show was created by David Mamet, and it starred Dennis Haysbert as Jonas Blane, with Regina Taylor as his wife Molly Blane, and a cast that included Scott Foley, Audrey Marie Anderson, Max Martini, Abby Brammell, Michael Irby, Robert Patrick, and Nicole Steinwedell.
Trailer, via CBS.
The Premise
The series is based on Eric L. Haney’s book Inside Delta Force, about America’s elite counterterrorist unit. The show’s producers were David Mamet and Shawn Ryan, and it was made by The Barn Productions Inc., David Mamet Entertainment, and Fire Ants Films, in association with 20th Century Fox Television. The premise describes the daily lives of Delta Force operators during training and operational missions, alongside their families back home.
Ratings and the End
At the time of its original broadcast, The Unit was one of CBS’ most successful shows. It earned high television ratings and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. On May 19, 2009, CBS cancelled the series after four seasons.
International Premiere Dates
Internationally, the show premiered on several networks across multiple countries:
- October 3, 2006, in the United Kingdom on Bravo
- October 11, 2006, in Australia on the Seven Network, and on FOX8 and Arena on Foxtel/Austar pay-TV network
- January 11 in Spain on La Sexta
- January 25 in the Netherlands on RTL 5
- March 7 in Germany on Sat. 1
- September 23 in Bulgaria on bTV
- March 9, 2008, in Russia on DTV
- June 13, 2009, in Vietnam on VTC7-Today TV
- In Sri Lanka by Hiru TV in 2012
- In Turkey by TNT
- In Indonesia on Global TV
The theme music for the first and second seasons was “Fired Up” by Robert Duncan, an adaptation of a Marine Corps running cadence called “Fired Up, Feels Good.” Duncan also created “Walk the Fire,” a 22-second segment used as a theme in seasons three and four.
The Cast and Its Role
Dennis Haysbert played Jonas Blane, and Regina Taylor played his wife Molly Blane. Scott Foley played Bob Brown, and Audrey Marie Anderson played Kim Brown. Max Martini played Mack Gerhardt, and Abby Brammell played Tiffy Gerhardt. Michael Irby played Charles Grey, Robert Patrick played Tom Ryan, and Nicole Steinwedell played Bridget Sullivan.
The show split its attention between the unit’s operations and the wives who waited for them at home. That dual focus gave the series a distinct identity within the action-drama genre.
Our Verdict
The Unit was a solid, steady entry in the military drama field. It held its own against other CBS hits of its era, and its reach into multiple countries shows how widely the series traveled.
The show’s strength lay in its commitment to both sides of the story: the men in the field and the women holding the fort back home. That balance gave the series a broader emotional range than many similar shows manage to find.
The show’s ending came suddenly, with no warning from the network. Even so, the series delivered consistent quality across its run.
Score: 7.3 of 10.
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