Showtime’s American Gigolo has come to a premature end, with the series being canceled after just one season. The surprise merger between Showtime and Paramount+ has already caused a wave of cancellations, with American Gigolo being one of the first casualties in a year that has already seen many original series cut short. The series starred Jon Bernthal, who was joined by a talented cast that included Gretchen Mol, Lizzie Brocheré, Rosie O’Donnell, Leland Orser, and Wayne Brady.
The series was a reimagining of the 1980 film of the same name, directed by Paul Schrader and starring Richard Gere. The show picked up after Julian, the male escort played by Gere in the film, serving a fifteen-year prison sentence for murder. After being let free, Julian makes it his mission to put the pieces of his life back together and seek down the people responsible for his imprisonment.
The Making of American Gigolo
The road to bringing American Gigolo to television was not smooth. The series was first greenlit in 2016, with Neil LaBute writing, but only came to fruition several years later, with Ray Donovan and Heartland producer David Hollander as showrunner. Hollander was eventually fired amidst allegations of misconduct and replaced with David Bar Katz. But Bar Katz departed weeks later, resulting in a two-week production shutdown.
At the same time, The Offer’s Nikki Toscano and Russell Rothberg, who had been brought in as consulting producers after Hollander’s departure, took over. The series’ original ten-episode order was ultimately cut to eight, and the series debuted late last year.
Canceling American Gigolo
The cancellation of American Gigolo disappoints the fans of Bernthal and the cast and those looking forward to exploring the story in more depth through a television series. The series had the potential to delve deeper into the characters and the world of the film, but that potential will now remain unfulfilled. The show’s cancellation is a reminder of the fickle nature of the television industry and the fact that even the best shows can be canceled, regardless of their popularity or critical acclaim.
In a year that has already seen many original series canceled too soon, American Gigolo joins the growing list of shows that were cut short before they could fully realize their potential. The consolidation of Showtime and Paramount+ has had a major impact on the industry. It remains to be seen what the future holds for the rest of the original series that have survived this latest round of cancellations.
The show’s cancellation is a blow to fans and its talented cast. Still, it is also a testament to the television industry’s fickleness and the business’s harsh realities. Despite the disappointment, Bernthal and the rest of the cast are sure to continue to work on new and exciting projects, and fans will continue to follow their careers and look for their next.
Source: Variety
