It seems like Jeff Bridges is on the run no more. The Old Man, which ran for two seasons on FX, has been canceled according to reporting in Deadline. The series followed Bridges as a former CIA agent who now lives off the grid, and goes on the lam after an assassin tries to kill him.
Over the course of two seasons, The Old Man faced a ton of behind-the-scenes issues that limited its ability to succeed. The show had filmed seven of its 10 episodes in 2019 when it had to shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic and later because Bridges had to be treated for cancer. The show didn’t debut until 2022, but when it finally did air, it was a modest ratings success for FX, which is what earned the show its second season.
The gap between seasons proved to be long, though, as the writers’ strike shut down production in the middle of season 2, leading to more than two years between the two seasons. When the show returned for its second season, it failed to recapture the ratings it had for season 1.
The lengthy delay between seasons is a problem that has infected much of TV in recent years. Whether it’s because of production-related delays or simply the amount of time it takes to write and produce a new season of TV, shows are often off the air for two years between seasons, leading viewers to forget that these shows even existed in the first place. If they do remember, they can’t remember who the characters are or what happened. There’s a reason that shows usually just take the summer off.
