I don't know if I'm asking the wrong people or the wrong questions, so out of everyone I have asked, I hope you can help me. I have only seen the first episode of Prodigal Son, but not sure if I should get invested because the last few shows on Fox I liked were canceled after one season. Should I keep watching and do you think it will get renewed? Thanks.
hey! first of all, I’d definitely recommend you keep watching it. the episodes just keep getting better after the pilot imo.
as for it’s odds for renewal, I am caustically optimistic. obviously nothing is guaranteed and fox does have a history of making weird choices in this regard (like canceling all their new series last season) but if any new show is looking good for a renewal on fox it’s prodigal son.
for one thing, they already canceled their other new crime drama deputy, which means it won’t have to compete against a show the network might feel is too similar. prodigal son was also the first series of the 2020 season to get a full 22 episode pick up after only 2 episodes, which is another good sign that fox is invested in it. the show has also been heavily advertised by the network (superbowl advertising, winter line up advertising, strong presence on fox’s social media) and the actors have even been used in promo for other shows, again demonstrating a desire by fox for the show to do well and a willingness to put more resources in to promoting it.
looking at ratings, by far the best indicator for what is going to be renewed, prodigal son is doing well. it’s not a smash hit but there weren’t really any new series hits this year. when you compare the ratings of PS to other shows on fox, it’s actually doing better than some shows that have already been renewed.
and then ofc there’s the issue of pilots being delayed bc of COVID 19, which could possibly mean networks are more likely to renew shows just bc they already have a cast and crew ready to go once shows are allowed to start filming again. coronavirus has definitely made this a TV season like no other and we won’t know what effect it will have on renewals until at least may, but for now, it’s probably working in PS favor.
finally, every website that does renewal predictions that I’ve seen has had PS as a likely renewal. again, these people can’t predict the future but these websites tend to have a good track record of being right (like ~80-85% accuracy rate) and often use algorithms based on ratings to make their predictions. so it’s not just me being biased bc I’m a fan of the show lol!
TLDR I do think the show is going to be renewed and I’d recommend you keep watching if you enjoyed the pilot! the show’s ratings could definitely improve some, but combining it’s strong performance with audiences 18-48 (aka the main demographic networks look at), the amount of promotion fox is doing for it, and uncertainty of pilot season due to COVID 19, I think that calling a renewal likely is a good bet.
