INDIANAPOLIS — How often do you sit and think if you're reaching your potential in life?
In the Apple TV+'s latest comedy series, "The Big Door Prize," a mysterious machine appears in a small town and promises to reveal everyone's true life potential.
"This town gets upended — the relationships, the marriages — the dynamics change because of the information given in this card," said actor Chris O'Dowd ("Bridesmaids," "The IT Crowd").
And just days after its series premiere, Apple TV+ renewed the half-hour comedy series for a second season.
"I feel like sometimes you're eating a nice slice of apple pie, and other times, it's making you think and looking at relationships," said Josh Segarra ("Scream VI," "The Other Two") when asked about the feel-good show's inevitable comparisons to "Ted Lasso." "At the end of an episode, you're sitting there, looking at your partner, looking at your friends, and it hopefully brings up discussions — nice, fun topics for you to think about, figure out — and I think both of those have that in common."
Showrunner David West Read, who previously co-wrote and co-produced "Schitt's Creek," took a character-driven approach to "The Big Door Prize," as each episode showcases a character in the town and what their card reveals about them.
"It's based off a book by M.O. Walsh, and the book itself goes into those themes as well. What would you do if you spent your entire life on one path, and all of a sudden, a card tells you that maybe you should pursue something else?" Segarra said. "I think David's done an incredible job of taking that and making an episodic television and allowing each character to find their own path."
New episodes of "The Big Door Prize" debut Wednesdays on Apple TV+.