The Big Door Prize

We watched Season 1 and quite enjoyed it mostly because of the excellent character work by a strong ensemble. Yes, you had to suspend belief, but that seemed obvious from the premise before watching a single episode. We are loving Season 2. If you enjoyed the characters in Season 1, you will really love how they are developed in Season 2. You see so much more of the hearts of each character and the connections between the characters in really lovely ways. No, it's not a comedy like Schitt's Creek, but if you loved the small town sense of community and connectedness from Schitt's creek, you will really love Season 2 of The Big Door Prize.

Not sure why they promoted/labeled this as a comedy.

I guess the marketing people saw Chris O'Dowd and they assumed it was a comedy (and not in the Greek sense)?

You will not laugh with this. You might smile a bit during some sweet and tender moments, but no funny moments.

Expect comedy-seekers to be very dissapointed and give real bad scores.

Sci-fi people will give a fair score (as mine).

A machine shows up in a town, which uncovers people's "potential".

You'll have many theories about how it determines the "potential", but it definitely shakes these people's small-town lifes.

It's well paced, keeps you watching without boring you, throwing a bone now and then, being smart (not "really smart", but smart enough), it doesn't feel gimmicky, all flows fine,...

It's not rivetting, and it's very definitely not a comedy.

It's not brilliant, but it does feel sincere and is well done.

Clearly better sci-fi than most of the stuff out there.

Will watch future episodes.

Thanks to the guys making it.

You're going to either really like it or find it dull. I think it'll depend on how old you are. If you are young, the future and your life's potential seem limitless, and a show about a machine that tells you your life's potential seem trivial and perhaps stupid, that people in this town would be so impacted by it. But if you are older, and looking back at your life more than looking forward, one may understand there's more to it. There is a reason why many people want to know if they've lived a full life, before the end comes.

The show doesn't tackle this subject with a heavy hand. It's light hearted, but serious when it needs to be. For some, it's satisfying to know you've achieved your potential, while others would find that upsetting; and some are excited by the possibility of something different, while others fear it as doubts and second guessing sets in. Each episode so far covers these aspects of "what if"through various characters who live in this town, and while these first episodes feel slow at times, it's thought provoking at the very least to watch them unfold.

While the show could certainly turn dark and more sinister, I rather enjoy the humor and the mysteries of how some people's lives are going to change and others who are trying to change.

It's slow and building and I've been really enjoying it. You don't exactly know where it's headed and that's the beauty of it. It's supposed to be a comedy and it's funny, similar to Shrinking kind of way. Subtle humour, not a ha-ha laughing out loud needing a laugh track like a sitcom. It's a mix, it's different and I'm here for it. I can totally relate to the characters, what they're going through and how they struggle with things, life, relationships, questioning future or the past...

It's life of a small town where people know a lot more about each other than in a big city and I could imagine it happening in mine. It's fun, quirky and wholesome. Try it, you might enjoy it 🙂

It starts off a bit slow but with so many characters invested in the story, it ramps up quickly. Really strong cast and great conversations about how people might react and perceive life changes when given one word. No spoiler alert, but the last word is very thought provoking. Great writers! Chris as always is such a wonderful, likeable person that is so gentle with his thoughts and words that I want to sit and have coffee with him. All the school students' different personalities and perspectives give the show a lot to work with in future episodes and I hope it keeps its momentum for more seasons.