Fans of war dramas and military programmes have been given a fantastic opportunity to watch a 'captivating' series completely free of charge. The show, inspired by real-life Delta Force operations, centres on a covert US Special Forces team that officially does not exist. The team is tasked with classified military operations ordered directly by the President — missions they can never publicly acknowledge or take credit for.
The Unit now free on UK TV
The series in question, The Unit, ran for four seasons on CBS from 2006 to 2009, with devoted fans still calling for its revival. UK viewers can now watch the series for free for the first time ever on Freeview channel 34 - Great TV, and on the Great! Player. The series stars Dennis Haysbert as Sergeant Major Jonas Blane, a former Ranger and Green Beret who commands Alpha Team with a quiet authority that earns the respect of his men, reports the Express.
Throughout the course of the series, his team recover a radioactive component of a Chinese satellite, rescue missionaries in Indonesia, assassinate a terrorist financier in Spain, recover stolen Stinger missiles from Brazilian arms dealers and apprehend a Serbian war criminal in the Balkans. The show, which also stars Scott Foley, Robert Patrick and David Harbour, resonated with fans due to its focus on the home front and the wives safeguarding their partners' cover stories. With its dual narrative, the show possessed an emotional depth that kept audiences hooked.
Fan reactions and legacy
Yet despite a loyal following, The Unit was cancelled in 2009 owing to network budget cuts. The series did air on Bravo in the UK during its original run, but has not been made available to view for free since then. Fans took to IMDb reviews to share their thoughts on the series, with one hailing it 'captivating', adding: 'An excellent show! After I started watching, I couldn't stop!' Another viewer added during its initial run: 'This is an amazing show, the production values are top-notch. The team that puts this show together goes all-out for a gritty, realistic experience full of more intrigue and excitement than I have ever seen in any TV show in recent memory. Nothing else comes close.'
Sixteen years after it last aired, The Unit remains alive in online communities like Reddit. One fan wrote: 'What I love about this show is the closeness that you grow to feel with these men, like you almost actually know them yourself.' Another described a fan-favourite Season 2 episode as 'pure action and cool insight into the team training aspect of Delta Force'. The show regularly surfaces in chats about forgotten TV shows, with viewers calling it one of the most underrated military dramas ever made, with continued frustration about its cancellation.
Availability and statement
Kate Gartland, Marketing Director at Great TV, said: 'The Unit is exactly the kind of show that deserves to be rediscovered and remembered. It’s sharp, intense and brilliantly made, and the fact that it still has such a passionate following twenty years on tells you everything about the quality of the writing and the performances. We are thrilled to be bringing it back to UK screens this July.' The Unit is available on Great TV, on channel 34 through Freeview.
