FX’s The Old Man, the riveting new drama starring Jeff Bridges, John Lithgow, and Amy Brenneman, has been picked up for a second season following its stellar premiere performance on FX and streaming on Hulu in its opening weekend; it was announced by Eric Schrier, FX Entertainment President.
Dating back to January 2021, The Old Man on FX was the most-watched cable series premiere (premium and basic cable; drama, comedy, and limited series) of 61 scripted series bowing in that span. The Old Man was also the most-watched FX series debut on Hulu in its opening weekend.
“Jonathan E. Steinberg, Dan Shotz, and Warren Littlefield have done a fantastic job with The Old Man, which delivers on the powerful intrigue and breathtaking action of Thomas Perry’s book,” said Schrier.
“The stellar cast led by Jeff Bridges, John Lithgow, Amy Brenneman, and Alia Shawkat is really connecting with audiences, and we are excited to get to work on season two with our colleagues at 20th Television and this fantastic team.”
“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,” added Karey Burke, President of 20th Television.
“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, Dan, and Warren to the spectacular star turns from Jeff, John, Amy, and Alia, this heart-racing series delivers, and we thank FX for the incredible support.”
Executive Producers Jonathan E. Steinberg, Warren Littlefield, and Dan Shotz stated, “We couldn’t be more excited to begin the next chapter of this journey. Our partners at FX and 20th Television showed us such unwavering patience, faith and support in getting Season 1 completed, we can think of no other way to repay that support than to go deliver a Season 2 that raises the bar yet again.
“On behalf of the producers, our extraordinary partner Jeff Bridges, and our stellar cast led by Jeff, John Lithgow, Amy Brenneman, and Alia Shawkat, we are incredibly grateful for the response the show has received and can’t wait to get back to work.”
The seven-episode first season continues Thursday, June 30, with episode “IV” beginning at 10 p.m. ET/PT on FX and streaming the next day on Hulu. Both Chase and Harper try to move forward with their plans, but their choices backfire.
The episode was written by Jonathan E. Steinberg & Robert Levine and directed by Greg Yaitanes.
Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Thomas Perry, The Old Man centers on Dan Chase (Jeff Bridges), who absconded from the CIA decades ago and has been living off the grid since. When an assassin arrives and tries to take Chase out, the old operative learns that to ensure his future, he must reconcile his past.
With Dan Chase flushed out of hiding, the FBI’s Assistant Director for Counterintelligence Harold Harper (John Lithgow) is called on to hunt him down because of his complicated past with the rogue fugitive. Working alongside Harper is his protégé Angela Adams (Alia Shawkat) and CIA Special Agent Raymond Waters (E.J. Bonilla).
When Chase proves to be more difficult to apprehend than the authorities expected, Julian Carson (Gbenga Akinnagbe), a highly-trained special ops contractor, is sent to pursue him as well.
While on the run, Chase rents a room from Zoe McDonald (Amy Brenneman), who draws on reserves she never knew she had in order to survive the day when she learns the truth about her new tenant. Bill Heck, Leem Lubany, and Pej Vahdat also star in the drama series.
Teleplay and created for television by Jonathan E. Steinberg & Robert Levine, The Old Man is executive produced by Warren Littlefield, Steinberg, Dan Shotz, Levine, Jeff Bridges, David Schiff, and Jon Watts, who also directed the first two episodes. The series is produced by 20th Television in association with The Littlefield Company.
The series will soon be available on Star+ in Latin America and Disney+ under the Star banner in all other territories. Season one of FX’s The Old Man has drawn strong critical acclaim and is currently Certified Fresh with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 94%.
Mirko Parlevliet has been reporting on the entertainment industry since 1998 and founded Vital Thrills in 2018 to cover the latest news on streaming, movies, TV, and video games.