CBS won't be re-upping with The Unit.

The show has been teetering on cancellations almost from the time it jumped out of the starting gate in March 2007. The Unit posted a respectable audience of 15 million before dropping each season to about 9 million viewers.

But despite some tawdry affairs depicted in the series, it's never been a particularly sexy show for CBS. And CBS wants to have some flash, and to keep far away from its former image as the network drawing the most viewers over the age of 50.

The intense fan base has tried to keep the show on the air, but unlike the Chuck Subway campaign, where fans prompted the sandwich chain to actually sponsor the show, there were no big sponsors willing to go to bat for The Unit.

So in the words of Blane, "You, you, and you ... panic. The rest of you, come with me." And we'll give you five reasons why The Unit should have stayed on the air.

5. There are few scripted shows that parade a banner of nobility and love of country like The Unit. While it doesn't shrink from controversy, it tells a story that isn't being explored in a TV landscape that loves dark heroes. House may save your life, but you don't want to invite him to the neighborhood barbecue. These are good ol' boys serving their country, and darn proud to do it.

4. Ratings for the show weren't horrible, but while the ratings were higher than other CBS shows that were picked up, the audience skewed towards older viewers. The median age was around 55, which might just as well spell dead zone to advertisers. But we contend that this is exactly the group that probably has money to spend right now, and isn't squirreling away every last cent for fear of getting booted from their jobs.

3. CBS has become the home of the procedurals. We've got ghost whispers -- and soon another talkin'-to-dead-people crime fighter. We've got crime scene investigations in three different cities, and even a military crime team. And, as is the case with all the networks, you can't swing a stethoscope without hitting a doctor show. Two of the new CBS series are doctor shows. But what is in short supply around the eye-land is a straight drama like The Unit.

2. Before Barack Obama, there was President David Palmer, the honorable man who served as our nation's president. OK, it was just on 24, but Palmer set a tone. So when the actor, Dennis Haysbert, was recruited to head up the team at The Unit, you knew this was a man to be reckoned with. We could use a few more good men like Jonas on TV.

1. The Unit was written and produced by Shawn Ryan (The Shield) and created and written by respected Tony and Oscar-nominee David Mamet (Glengarry Glen Ross, Speed-the-Plow, American Buffalo). Mamet's got a distinctive dialogue style. So when you want to brush this off as just a conservative-bent military show, save the dismissive attitude and remember that two of the best dramatic writers around, Ryan and Mamet, helmed The Unit. They served proudly. They never talked down to their audience, and while leaving the door open just in case of a last minute stay of execution, they gave a satisfying season ender to their fans.

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