Schitt’s Creek producer wants "something similar" from The Big Door Prize
David West Read chatted to RadioTimes.com about his new Apple TV+ comedy series.
The Big Door Prize is set to be the kind of comedy series that leaves viewers thinking about some pretty profound life questions.
Based on MO Walsh’s novel of the same name, the new Apple TV+ show tells the story of the inhabitants of Deerfield, a small town that is forever changed when the mysterious Morpho machine appears in the general store, promising to reveal each resident’s true life potential.
Each episode explores a resident's life, back story and how the Morpho machine impacts their decisions going forward – but the small town feel of the series is all part of the appeal here.
It's also something that producer, writer and showrunner David West Read knows a lot about – having won numerous Golden Globes and Emmy awards for his work as a writer and executive producer on Schitt's Creek.
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The hit Netflix comedy series is similarly set in its titular small town, and when chatting exclusively to RadioTimes.com about The Big Door Prize, Read admits that he hopes to create something in the same vein with his new show.
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When asked about any parallels between writing the characters in these small town-set series, he said: “I love the idea of a geographically ambiguous small town whether it's Schitt's Creek or Deerfield, because you really focus on these people and what's happening in this very specific place, as opposed to what's happening in the country or the world as a whole.
"It becomes this microcosm, and Schitt's Creek, I think a lot of the success was that it was characters you wanted to spend time with in a place where you wanted to be. And I'm trying to create something similar with the the cast and setting of The Big Door Prize.”
When choosing to adapt the novel for the small screen, Read says the wider questions within the book were a dream for him to build a series on.
He explained: “I think The Big Door Prize, the novel, sparked with me immediately because of the theme, the question of: What is your potential? What if you could be told your potential? What changes might you make in your life as a result?
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"I was given the book at the start of the pandemic and it just felt more and more relevant as people in the real world were starting – and had some time at home alone – to think about where they were in their lives and where they might want to be when things started up again. So, as a jumping off point for a series, it felt like a dream to me.”
The comedy stars Chris O'Dowd as Dusty, who is joined by Gabrielle Dennis as his wife Cass and Djouliet Amara as their daughter Trina. But as well as following O'Dowd's character as he questions his own life's potential, the character-driven series gives us insight into how the Morpho impacts every individual.
The series also stars Ally Maki (Wrecked), Josh Segarra (Arrow), Damon Gupton (Prime Suspect), Crystal Fox (The Haves and the Have Nots) and newcomer Sammy Fourlas.
The Big Door Prize premieres globally on Wednesday 29th March on Apple TV+ – you can sign up to Apple TV+ here. Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight.
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