Showtime has pulled the plug on one of its most loved originals

Image via Showtime

Showtime’s The Man Who Fell to Earth is certified fresh at 87% on the Tomatometer, with critics praising Chiwetel Ejiofor’s lead performance, the expertly paced writing, and its well-developed themes and takes on modern life. Audiences seem to have agreed, with the show finding a dedicated fan base for its offbeat Bowie-inspired tale.

But, despite all that, ten episodes is all we’ll ever get of the show. The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that The Man Who Fell to Earth will not be picked up for a second season. A Showtime spokesperson commented that:

“Our thanks to the extraordinary Alex Kurtzman, Jenny Lumet, John Hlavin and Sarah Timberman who did a great job of turning the David Bowie film into such a resonant tale for our times. And kudos to a wondrous cast led by Chiwetel Ejiofor, Naomie Harris and Bill Nighy for bringing it to life. “

Fortunately, viewers haven’t been left on a cliffhanger, as the story nicely wrapped up with the first season finale. It appears that the team “flirted” with the idea of a second season, but chose not to go down that path. The spokesperson continued:

“Alex and Jenny originally intended The Man Who Fell To Earth to be a close-ended story. While we flirted with the idea of expanding it into a second season, we all ultimately decided to embrace it as a one-season story well told.”

Fans who’ve followed the show’s long development might not be so surprised at this news. The Man Who Fell to Earth was originally meant to be a Hulu show, though after Disney purchased Fox conflicts over co-production meant it was then moved to CBS All Access. That didn’t work out either and it eventually premiered on Showtime and on Paramount Plus.

Perhaps we should just count our lucky stars that The Man Who Fell to Earth made it to screens at all, though given how much fun the first season was, we wish the story could somehow have been extended further.