Amazon Spikes ‘Romanoffs,’ ‘Patriot,’ ‘Too Old to Die Young’

Amazon will not make more episodes of anthology series The Romanoffs, funky spy drama Patriot or crime drama Too Old to Die Young. Amazon broke the news at TCA in Beverly Hills.

The Romanoffs came from Mad Men alumnus Matthew Weiner and the cinematic series was about people who claim to be descendants of the Russian royal family, which was wiped out by the Bolsheviks. With eight episodes, the cast included Amanda Peet, John Slattery, Aaron Eckhart, Diane Lane and Christina Hendricks.

Eckhart was in the pilot, which was set in Paris and had the star speaking a lot of French. “I read the script and said, wow!” Eckhart told B&C. “Matthew is a wonderful writer with a great sense of humor. It really was, wow, you’re gonna say that?”

Too Old to Die Young starred Miles Teller as a grieving police officer who shifts to an underworld filled with shady types. Augusto Aguilera, Cristina Rodlo and Nell Tiger Free were also in the cast. “Soon he finds himself lost on a surreal odyssey of murder, mysticism and vengeance, as his past sins close in on him,” Amazon said.

Season two of quirky intelligence drama Patriot began November 9. The latest season had U.S. intelligence officer John Tavner, played by Michael Dorman, focused on Iran’s presidential election as the nation works to go nuclear. He also dabbled in folk music, and put his body in all sorts of precarious positions.

Terry O’Quinn plays Tavner’s father, and his boss, and Debra Winger his mother.

Several critics are sad to see that one go. The Hollywood Reporter back in November said, “Arguably the best drama you're not watching, or haven't even discovered, Amazon's gem returns for more existential spy action, laughs and folk songs.”

Steven Conrad created Patriot. “It’s not so much a TV show but a movie that comes to you all at once,” Conrad told B&C before season two began, “every 18 months.”

Alas, no more.

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.