This is a difficult series to pin down. It's a primarily dramatic show, but its episodes only run 30 minutes. It's based on a novel by M.O. Walsh, but apparently a quite polarizing novel -- you don't have to look far to find a sizeable number of passionate detractors arguing against the book's ardent fans. Where you can perhaps begin to get a handle on the series is the fact that it was developed by David West Read, one of the executive producers and writers of Schitt's Creek. While the two shows are quite different in tone and execution, it feels like they're both walking toward the same guiding star: an exploration of characters who knowingly undertake a journey of self-improvement.
The Big Door Prize follows the residents of the small town of Deerfield, where a mysterious arcade-like machine one day appears out of nowhere. This "Morpho" machine is able to tell you your "Life Potential" on a little blue card, and soon the whole town is affected. People dabble in hobbies they've never indulged. Others explore potential new career paths. Some are awash in sorrow about a life missed that they didn't lead. Still others are troubled by how seriously everyone else seems to be taking things.
The show mostly centers on married couple Dusty and Cass, played by Chris O'Dowd and Gabrielle Dennis. Their relationship begins to falter a bit when Dusty gets an usually bland and on-the-nose "life potential" as Cass gets a shockingly outlandish one. This also draws focus away from their teenage daughter Trina (played by Djouliet Amara), who was already going through difficult things her parents knew nothing about.
As the season tracks their family story line, each new episode also throws a spotlight on one particular resident of the town and their "Morpho card." The show admittedly isn't in top form right out of the gate, but what soon emerges is a wide-ranging look at characters presenting a false face to the world while hiding the truth for themselves. This manifests in a variety of ways, both literal and figurative, and for a variety of reasons. But I soon found myself swept up in the stories of particular characters and wanting to know more.
As with all streaming services, figuring out what it takes for a show to be renewed can be something of an impenetrable black box. But The Big Door Prize was renewed by Apple TV+ just a few episodes into its 10-episode season. That season just concluded a few weeks ago, so it will be a while before new episodes arrive (especially with the writers' strike still unresolved). Perhaps making the series a harder sell: you'll spend that waiting time on a cliffhanger, as season one concludes in a far-from-final place.
Still, I'd say it's worth the journey and give The Big Door Prize a B+. I won't re-list every top notch show on Apple TV+ yet again, as I often do in these posts; I'll just say that if you add the service for one of those, you might also check this one out while you're there.
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