Prodigal Son: Michael Sheen plays murderous doctor alongside Tom Payne as his criminal psychologist son in hit American crime drama

From Emmy Award-nominated executive producers Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter (Riverdale, You), Prodigal Son is a fresh take on the crime drama franchise.

Starring British actors Michael Sheen and Tom Payne, Prodigal Son is coming soon to Sky One and NOW in the UK.

The hit American series, which premiered on Fox, features a provocative and outrageous lead character and is underpinned by a darkly comedic tone. 

Find out all you need to know about the show’s UK launch.

Plus, don’t miss the best of what to watch on NOW this month.

When is Prodigal Son out in the UK?

Watch Prodigal Son season 1 on Sky One with NOW Entertainment Membership.

Season 1 of Prodigal Son consists of 20 episodes.

What is Prodigal Son about?

Prodigal Son follows criminal psychologist Malcolm Bright (Tom Payne) as he uses his twisted genius to get inside the minds of murderers to help the NYPD solve cases.

Bright’s best resource for solving crimes is his dear old dad, the homicidal-yet-oddly-loving Dr Martin Whitly (Michael Sheen), whose expertise he must reluctantly call upon. 

As Bright helps track down the city's most dangerous criminals, he also battles his own demons - and it doesn't help that his mother, former leading socialite Jessica Whitly (Bellamy Young), can't seem to accept her fallen status and has an opinion on every aspect of Bright's life. 

Luckily for Bright, he has the support of his annoyingly normal sister Ainsley (Halston Sage), a news reporter with a soft spot for her brother and all his eccentricities. After all, Bright isn't a serial killer - he was just raised by one.

Who’s in the cast of Prodigal Son?

The series stars English actor Tom Payne (Waterloo Road, The Walking Dead) as Malcolm Bright, a disgraced former FBI profiler who now works for the NYPD. 

He possesses the unique ability to view crimes from the perspective of the killer, allowing him to pick up on things that other cops might miss. 

Acclaimed Welsh actor Michael Sheen (Good Omens, Masters of Sex) plays Dr Martin Whitly, Malcolm's father who is currently incarcerated in an asylum after committing twenty-three murders as "The Surgeon".

Bellamy Young, Lou Diamond Phillips, Halston Sage, Aurora Perrineau, Frank Harts and Keiko Agena also star.

Will there be a season 2 of Prodigal Son?

It was announced in May 2020 that Fox had renewed Prodigal Son for a second series.

According to Variety, the series will premiere sometime in 2021 - later than anticipated due to the coronavirus production shutdown.

In a statement, Fox president of entertainment Michael Thorn said: “From the moment Prodigal Son premiered, fans have been captivated by the astounding performances turned in by Tom Payne and Michael Sheen, as they go head-to-head in one of most unique family relationships on television.

"Adding to these searing dynamics are the equally compelling portrayals from Bellamy Young, Lou Diamond Phillips, Halston Sage and the entire cast in a brilliant premiere season as told by Chris Fedak and Sam Sklaver.  

"We’d like to thank our friends Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter, and everyone at Warner Bros. Television for helping make a series that left everyone wanting more, and we’re thrilled to have Prodigal Son return for our 2020-21 slate.”

Prodigal Son - reviews round-up

The Independent's Sean O'Grady gave the show four stars, calling Michael Sheen "brilliant" as the Surgeon: "He combines the face of a Blue Peter presenter with the mind of the Yorkshire Ripper." He also rates Tom Payne's performance as Malcolm Bright, writing that he's "very much at ease in Malcolm’s jittery skin."

Lucy Mangan from The Guardian calls Prodigal Son "bonkers" and "insane", but says it's a fun watch - pointing out the show's unsubtle allusions to the Silence of the Lambs. She also credits Michael Sheen's performance, calling out the charater's "lightly comic elements" as more convincing than Whitly's menace.

Adam Sweeting from iNews.co.uk says the show is "instantly addictive... and poses some fascinating questions behind its fast-moving action". He credits the "battle of wits" between Sheen and Payne's characters as the core of Prodigal Son.

The Hollywood Reporter's Daniel Fienberg was more a fan of the show's performances than the crimes that take place in each episode. Praising Sheen alongside his fellow TV critics, he calls the Welsh actor a "malevolent delight", alongside the "believable and funny" Payne.

And Daniel D'Addario from Variety agrees that the performances carry the show here, with Payne "edgy and hopped-up as a young man in a perpetual state of ultra-anxiety" with Sheen "cleverly carrying off a character with all the urbane wit of Hannibal Lecter, but evil buried further under the surface."

Watch the Prodigal Son trailer

Watch Prodigal Son season 1 on Sky One with NOW Entertainment Membership.