Just three episodes into its first season, FX has given a second season renewal to their Jeff Bridges-led series The Old Man. The series has pulled in both strong reviews and viewership in a short amount of time, making this announcement a no-brainer. Bridges leads the thriller as Dan Chase, a former CIA operative who is rapidly pulled back into the life he tried to leave behind.
According to FX, the series premiere on June 16 drew in 975,000 viewers on its premiere. With streamers like Netflix and Hulu drawing attention away from scripted cable premieres, this number is massively impressive. The Old Man also collected solid three-day viewing numbers, leading to the first episode becoming the most watched cable premiere since the beginning of 2021. Episodes of the series air Thursdays on FX, which then land on Hulu the following day. Combining cable views with streaming views is common practice, especially with the partnership between FX and Hulu.
20th Century Television President Karey Burke had the following to say about The Old Man's success:
"This terrific series has had a long journey to the air, which makes the reaction from critics and audiences these past few weeks all the sweeter. But the truth is, no one who has worked on it these past three years is surprised it's resonating so deeply. From the brilliant creative execution by Jon [Steinberg], Dan [Shotz] and Warren [Littlefield] to the spectacular star turns from Jeff [Bridges], John [Lithgow], Amy [Brenneman] and Alia [Shawkat], this heart racing series delivers and we thank FX for the incredible support."
This kind of love for the series only becomes more telling given the series' long road to air. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic initially created difficulties (as was the case for all shows), with the show being two-thirds of the way through filming. Just as production was about to resume in fall 2020, Bridges was diagnosed with lymphoma. Thankfully, his cancer went into remission this past September, and production was able to restart this past February. Scenes that did not feature Bridges' character were filmed as he was undergoing treatment.
The Old Man also stars Amy Brenneman, John Lithgow, Alia Shawkat, E.J. Bonilla, and Gbenga Akinnagbe. The series is based on a novel of the same name by Thomas Perry which was released in early 2017. Jon Watts (Cop Car, Spider-Man: No Way Home) directed the first two episodes, with Jonathan E. Steinberg and Robert Levine writing all seven episodes.
The Old Man airs new episodes Thursdays on FX, which land the next day on Hulu. Check out the trailer for the series below: