Prodigal Son Season 3 Release Date, Cast And More - Digital Spy

Prodigal Son season three is anything but a done deal. In fact, it's more likely that it won’t happen than it will. The series has been canceled by Fox, with the network giving the concept (an NYPD cop has to work with his incarcerated serial-killing dad) just 33 episodes to prove itself.

This means that many threads have been left hanging, not least the excellent idea that our cop lead is so good at putting himself in the shoes of murderers, he's worried the condition might be genetic.

But there is hope! Creators Chris Fedak and Sam Sklaver confirmed to Deadline that the production company behind the series, WBTV, is "shopping it as we speak".

That means Prodigal Son could easily pop up on another network or streaming service. And, as it's kind of in the job description for a prodigal son to, well, 'return,' we’re not betting against it.

But if the show does come back, what will it involve? We're glad you asked! Here's everything you need to know about the possible future of one of the best high-concept procedurals to be cancelled before its time.

Prodigal Son season 3 release date: When will it air?

So, that’s the big question here. Especially as there's a fairly major cliffhanger to wrap up – though the showrunners do seem to think that if it does have to be the final sequence, the sight of Malcolm Bright (Tom Payne) seemingly stabbing his serial-killing father Martin 'The Surgeon' Whitly (Michael Sheen) to death is a satisfying ending for the series as a whole.

"We were approaching it as, 'What's the most exciting way to end season two?' We also feel, like you do, that it is not a series finale that doesn't work because we've been cancelled. It still does work... This isn't like ALF being captured by the government before they were cancelled. It's still a good and exciting story," Fedak said (via TVLine).

Sklaver added: "The finale really feels like we've earned everything that happens in that moment, but it's pretty crazy to know, in 13 episodes, we were able to tell this story. We found it very satisfying."

"We have a whole season three story locked and loaded, and we don't want to stop telling this story. But we're feeling good about how this ended on Fox."

As for when it'll actually air, that's currently fairly impossible to guess, but we'll be sure to update you when the show is picked up by a new network or streaming service.

Prodigal Son season 3 cast: Who's in it?

Despite the fact Bright stabbed Martin to apparent death in the finale, there's not much chance of Michael Sheen being written out of the series.

"I mean, he could be dead," said Fedak. "But we'd be really bad writers if we did anything that means Michael Sheen couldn't be a part of the show going forward."

So, Michael will return – but would season three finally give us some all-important backstory for Martin?

"We've had conversations about that," Michael said (via EW). "We've got lots of different ideas of things that we could explore. It sort of depends on what the big picture is for the show and what is useful to go into and what's not."

"A lot of the time it's quite useful for people to not know his past. We know more about him than the audience does, and as to how much we reveal about that — who knows… We'll see."

The showrunners also said they envisioned Catherine Zeta-Jones' Vivian returning, if the show were to continue. "We hadn't pitched Catherine our plan for S3, but yes…" Sklaver said. "We have a totally sane and not at all crazy story for her in S3."

Prodigal Son season 3 plot: What will happen?

Sklaver said that he and Fedak had already pitched Fox on their 'big' ideas for season three before the show was cancelled. "The spine of the season was Bright becoming his own man," he explained. "The Dani-Bright relationship was key, along with a new 'venue' where Martin could shine.

"We don't want to give too much of it away because we're still hopeful of being able to tell that story. But Bright stabbing Martin at the end wasn't going to make anyone's life easier, and I think our show flourishes when all of our characters face adversity.

"Bright and Dani just kissed, but they're not going to be able to get past this. Gil and Jessica are in a good place. There's so many places that we could jump off from the ending of this season, and that's what's so exciting for us."

Prodigal Son season 3 trailer: When can I watch it?

View full post on YouTube

Well, that’s a big question – first, the show has to be re-commissioned.

"I don't know what our chances are," Fedak said, "but writing for these actors and this crew was a great privilege. I hope we get to work together again."

"It's not really Sam and I having those discussions," commented Fedak. "Those conversations are being had. I can't speak to them, because it's more of a studio thing.

"The one thing we'll say is Warner Bros has been an incredible advocate for the show. They've been great to us, and they've been very supportive, and they love the show. And Fox loves the show, too.

"The executives that bought the show and championed the show were all advocates and all gutted by the situation we've found ourselves in. So we're hopeful, but it's a studio thing now."

As soon as the trailer lands, wherever it lands, you'll be able to find it here. So do keep us bookmarked.

Prodigal Son airs on FOX in the US, and on Sky One and NOW in the UK.

Digital Spy's digital magazine is back – and we've got an EXCLUSIVE interview with Dave Bautista. Read every issue now with a 1-month free trial, only on Apple News+.

Interested in Digital Spy's weekly newsletter? Sign up to get it sent straight to your inbox – and don't forget to join our Watch This Facebook Group for daily TV recommendations and discussions with other readers.

Sam Ashurst

Freelancer writer

Sam is an entertainment writer with NCTJ accreditation and a twenty-year career as a film journalist.

Starting out as a staff writer at Total Film, moving up to Deputy Online Editor, Sam was responsible for Total Film’s YouTube channel, where he revolutionised the magazine’s approach to video junkets, creating influential formats that spread to other outlets.

He’s interviewed a wide range of film icons, including directors such as David Lynch, Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, Sofia Coppola, Ridley Scott, Michael Bay and Sam Raimi, as well as actors such as Meryl Streep, Nic Cage, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Anne Hathaway, Margot Robbie, Natalie Portman, Kermit the Frog, all of the Avengers and many more.

Sam has also interviewed several comic creators, including Stan Lee, Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, and he has a zombie cameo in The Walking Dead comic. In 2014, Sam went freelance, working directly for film studios including Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox and Disney, as well as covering red carpet events for film marketing company PMA Productions.

Sam is the co-host, producer and editor of the Arrow Video podcast, which has seen year-on-year growth since its creation in 2017, gaining over half a million listens in that time.

His byline has appeared in outlets such as Yahoo, MTV, Dazed, Esquire, Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Elle, and Good Housekeeping among others.

In 2012, Sam made it to the final of the Leicester Square Theatre New Comedian of the Year competition, and went on to become a filmmaker himself, directing three features that have all played major festivals, and secured distribution – starring in two of them.

Jim Carrey once mistook Sam for Johnny Cash, and John Carpenter told him to ‘Keep up the good work.’ He promises to try his best.

linkedIn