The plotline of "The Immortal" is quite different from that of the book on which it is based (the protagonist of the book was a vagrant, not a test driver, who discovers his immortality when he sells his blood). Instead, "The Immortal" bears more than a superficial resemblance to the then-recent, very popular TV series, "The Fugitive", which still aired in syndicated reruns. That series had ended its four-season run three years before "The Immortal" began. It is also the mirror of the series "Run for Your Life" about a man suffering from a terminal disease who wants to experience everything because he is going to die soon, while Richards has to run because he will live virtually forever. "The Immortal" was cancelled before a proper finale episode could be filmed.