Questioning more delicately: Apple TV+ series ‘THE BIG DOOR PRIZE’ fascinatingly and humorously explores people’s untapped potential

Preston Barta // Features Editor

What if you walked into a grocery store and noticed a flashy new machine that could somehow reveal your life’s full potential?

It’s intriguing to consider but scary to think about how it could disrupt your current way of doing things. Would you walk up to a piece of biometric-capturing tech and engage with its readings?

That’s the premise of David West Read’s new Apple TV+ series. 

Based on M.O. Walsh’s novel of the same name, The Big Door Prize centers on the story of a sleepy little town turned upside down. One day, a mysterious machine appears in a store. With $2, it can show inhabitants their untapped potential for greatness. Maybe it’ll print out a card that simply reads, “Health.” Vague, yes, but it’s people’s interpretations of their given words are the spice of the series. One person may read it as a nudge to get into shape. Others may think it means they need to quit their current job to become a doctor. Or, maybe something wildly different than any of the low-hanging fruit options.

The series focuses on different characters throughout the season, but we launch with Dusty (Chris O’Dowd) and his wife Cass (Gabrielle Dennis), who are unsure what to make of it all. But as more and more people put their hands on the console and radically alter their lives for better or worse (it’s up for debate), consideration turns the burner to a higher setting.

Showrunner David West Read (Schitt’s Creek) has a knack for balancing emotions in his work. You’ll crack a smile and laugh in one instance (every time O’Dowd’s Dusty reacts to absurdity) and then find yourself surprisingly weepy in another (like when Dennis’ Cass discusses motherhood with her daughter). The questions brought to the table are the show’s driving force. It’s an exceptional series that gathers brilliant talent to deliver a narrative gift that speaks on so many levels. 

Q&A

Ahead of the series premiere, Fresh Fiction virtually sat down with showrunner David West Read and stars Chris O’Dowd and Gabrielle Dennis. In the video chat below, we discuss the series’ most challenging questions and their impacts and how they wrangle all these ideas into one cohesive story.

Four episodes of the ten-episode half-hour comedy are now available to stream exclusively on Apple TV+. One new episode will be released every Wednesday through May 17.