Prodigal Son
I tend not to ask for much for Christmas, which often drives my family mad. In truth, there is little I truly want. One of the things I truly desire however, would be for the TV show Prodigal Son to return for a third series.
Prodigal Son is an American TV show exploring the lives of Malcom Bright and his dysfunctional family. Bright works as a profiler for the FBI and NYPD, which is ironic considering how his father is a notorious serial killer locked up in prison. The show begins with Bright consulting on a murder case mimicking one of his father’s victims; the case requires Bright to visit his father for the first time in a decade, which kickstarts a twisted and yet fascinating relationship which remains at the core of the series.
My attention was first drawn to the series because of the premise and the fact that it stars Michael Sheen as the serial killer father - who plays an excellent part might I add. I ended up staying for the family dynamics, the adorable mess that is Malcom Bright and the extraordinary crimes to be expected in TV shows of this particular genre. I became invested not only in the titular characters, but the supporting cast too. I was overjoyed at how series 2 was progressing and its cliff-hanger ending - until I learned that the network were dropping Prodigal Son from our screens.
I am aware of how cliché it sounds, but you just can’t leave the show there! Luckily fans of the show are keen for it to return, as are the cast! So Santa, if you could return Prodigal Son to our TVs, that would be swell. If not, could you at least tell Michael Sheen to hurry up with Good Omens series two?!
The Simpsons
D'oh! You might be thinking hold on... isn't The Simpsons still on air? The answer is yes; but it's just not the same. Now airing season 33 in the U.S, America's favourite family has been on our screens since 1989.
Since I was a kid I've absolutely loved the show. From quoting it every day to naming two of my guinea pigs after the characters (Homer and Bart), my love of The Simpsons is through deep rooted sentimentality.
This is why its hurt me so much to see the show deteriorate. Due to writers changing, character voices passing and a whole mix of other reasons, the show just isn't what it used to be. Re-watching on Disney+, I find myself unable to get through the newest seasons.
It just doesn't have that same zing that it used to. You just don't get lines like: 'Chewy?' from the episode: Guess Who's Coming to Criticise Dinner, 'Your name is Homer Thompson' sketch from the episode You Only Move Twice, and Hans Moleman productions presents: Man getting hit by football... just to name a few of my favourite references.
Of course I could list hundreds of my favourite moments yet they all have the same thing in common - they're from the early seasons of the show. To do some research for the article I decided to watch the first episode of season 32. It was... sub-par to say the least.
The jokes were okay yet I found myself laughing way less than I would at an older episode. I miss the older days with better episodes, better jokes and a more enjoyable experience. This Christmas, all I want is The Simpsons back.