Jeff Bridges starrer The Old Man canceled by FX after two seasons that were hit with a string of delays
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The Old Man, an acclaimed series starring Jeff Bridges and John Lithgow, has been canceled by FX after just two seasons.
Although the program was warmly received by critics and earned strong ratings for its first season, the second run of episodes failed to capture the same numbers.
There was a two-year delay between the seasons, owing to production being held up by the Hollywood strikes of summer 2023.
Season one had previously been beset by its own postponements, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and 75-year-old Bridges' battle with cancer.
Now the show has reached the end of its rocky road and will not be renewed for a third season, a report in Deadline confirmed this week.
The Old Man was based on a 2017 novel of the same name by the thriller writer Thomas Perry about a retired CIA operative who retreats to a life off the grid.
The Old Man, an acclaimed series starring Jeff Bridges and John Lithgow, has been canceled by FX after just two seasons; Bridges pictured on season two
When season one reached the airwaves over the summer of 2022, it earned the best ratings of any season premiere on cable since January 2021.
However the second season - which arrived two years later thanks to the Hollywood strikes - failed to net the viewership of its predecessor.
It is thought that the long gap between the two seasons contributed to the decline in ratings between them, since fans were less likely to be able to sustain their interest in a relatively new show over such a protracted period off the air.
Bridges stars on the series as Dan Chase, the new pseudonym of the ex-CIA man Michael Kohler, living in seclusion in Vermont.
Lithgow plays the FBI's Harold Harper, who worked with Chase/Kohler as a spy in Afghanistan during that country's war with the Soviet Union.
The Wire actor Gbenga Akinnagbe appeared as hit man Julian Carson, whom Harold Harper enlists to assassinate Dan Chase.
Among the regular cast were also Arrested Development alumna Alia Shawkat, NYPD Blue star Amy Brenneman and The Leftovers actor Bill Heck.
Meanwhile, the recurring players included such names as Succession actress Hiam Abbass, Suspiria star Jessica Harper and Cabaret icon Joel Grey.
Bridges, who announced his diagnosis with cancer in 2020 before revealing the following year that the illness was in remission, is pictured at the CMA Awards in Nashville last month
The Old Man was based on a 2017 novel of the same name by the thriller writer Thomas Perry about a retired CIA operative who retreats to a life off the grid
John Lithgow plays the FBI's Harold Harper, who worked with Chase/Kohler as a spy in Afghanistan during that country's war with the Soviet Union
There was a two-year delay between the seasons, owing to production being held up by the Hollywood strikes of last summer
Among the regular cast were also Arrested Development alumna Alia Shawkat (pictured), NYPD Blue star Amy Brenneman and The Leftovers actor Bill Heck
The Old Man began production on its first season in 2019, but was shut down with just three episodes to go by the COVID-19 pandemic - during which Bridges himself suffered a near-fatal bout of the disease.
Then, in October 2020, Bridges announced on Twitter that he had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which he fought until well into the next year.
In September 2021, he revealed the cancer was in remission, writing on his website: 'This brush with mortality has brought me a real gift: Life is brief and beautiful. Love is all around us, and available at all times.'
The Old Man premiered on FX in June 2022, earning success in the ratings, a season two renewal and a warm response from the critical fraternity.
However the second season was held up by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which caused union productions in Hollywood to be shut down until a deal was reached.
Ultimately the second season was only able to premiere in September of this year, earning just eight episodes through late October.
Season two ended on a cliffhanger, but when Bridges was asked in October whether a third was in the works, he cryptically told The Hollywood Reporter: 'I don’t know, the show hasn’t been picked up yet.'
