After scoring an additional nine episodes in October and being one of the remaining series hanging on the bubble for the network, Fox has chosen to greenlit the freshman crime thriller procedural Prodigal Son for a second season, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
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“From the moment Prodigal Son premiered, fans have been captivated by the astounding performances turned in by Tom Payne and Michael Sheen, as they go head-to-head in one of most unique family relationships on television,” Fox Entertainment president Michael Thorn said in a statement. “Adding to these searing dynamics are the equally compelling portrayals from Bellamy Young, Lou Diamond Phillips, Halston Sage and the entire cast in a brilliant premiere season as told by Chris Fedak and Sam Sklaver. We’d like to thank our friends Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter, and everyone at Warner Bros. Television for helping make a series that left everyone wanting more, and we’re thrilled to have Prodigal Son return for our 2020-21 slate.“
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.
