The Hollywood Reporter has brought word that freshman serial killer drama Prodigal Son has scored big at Fox as the network has picked it up for a full season just two weeks into its premiere outing, scoring nine extra episodes for a total 22-episode season.
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Prodigal Son centers on a criminal psychologist named Malcolm Bright (Payne), who knows how killers think because his father, Martin Whitly, is a notorious serial killer known as “The Surgeon.” Malcolm will use his twisted genius and razor-sharp instincts as a forensic profiler to help the NYPD solve crimes and stop killers, all while dealing with a manipulative mother, annoyingly normal sister, and a homicidal father still looking to bond with his prodigal son and his own constantly evolving neuroses.
The series stars Tom Payne (The Walking Dead) as the brilliant crime profiler Malcolm Bright, and Golden Globe-nominated actor Michael Sheen (Masters of Sex, Good Omens) as Malcolm’s father, Martin Whitly, who was once a devoted family man and a successful cardiothoracic surgeon with high-profile patients. He’s also a predatory sociopath who’s in prison for murdering more than 20 people.
It will also feature Bellamy Young (Scandal) as Jessica Whitly, Oscar nominee Lou Diamond Phillips (Stand and Deliver) as Gil, Aurora Perrineau (Jem and the Holograms) as Dani, Halston Sage (Before I Fall) as Ainsley Whitly and Frank Harts (The Leftovers) as JT.
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Chris Fedak (Chuck) and Sam Sklaver (Deception) wrote the pilot and are executive producing alongside Berlanti Productions’ Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter as well as director Lee Toland Krieger. Fox Entertainment is a co-producer. Berlanti’s other pilots this season include The CW’s Batwoman and Katy Keene.