Earlier this morning, Fox announced that it would be increasing its series order for the show Prodigal Son for the new Fall TV season. The serial-killer drama starring Michael Sheen and Tom Payne now has an order for 22 episodes, rather than its original 13.
Prodigal Son burst onto the scene a few weeks ago in September, and received significant critical praise. A report from Deadline lists the show among the top shows of Premiere Week immediately following the Primetime Emmy Awards. The audience response for Prodigal Son was also largely positive; the show ranked the highest in viewership during Premiere Week, with an estimated 4.2 million viewers. Deadline notes that this could mark positive shift for Fox, a network which has lacked a scripted tentpole series for a while, instead focusing on sports and its series The Masked Singer. Fans of the show have been active on Twitter with the hashtag #ProdigalSon, and cast members from the show have been celebrating the news of the increase in episodes:
The series itself follows the story of ex-FBI profiler Michael Bright, played by Tom Payne, who recruits his serial-killer father, played by Michael Sheen, in order to solve a mystery and catch another killer. The cast of Prodigal Son also includes Lou Diamond Phillips (La Bamba), Bellamy Young (Scandal), and Halston Sage (Paper Towns, Neighbors). The series was created by Sam Sklaver and Chris Fedak, who both previously worked on the ABC series Deception.
Fox President of Entertainment Michael Thorn commented on the increased series order for Prodigal Son earlier this morning. “Prodigal Son delivers a fantastic crime procedural with a complicated and compelling father-son relationship at its core, thanks to the stellar performances from Tom Payne and Michael Sheen. The series has razor-sharp writing, cinematic visuals and is an inventive twist on the genre.”
Prodigal Son airs Mondays on Fox at 9pm. You can also watch the most recent episode online on the Fox website. The official trailer for Prodigal Son can be found below.