Common Sense Media Review
By Ashley Moulton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Entire town has an identity crisis in sci-fi dramedy.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Big Door Prize
What's the Story?
In THE BIG DOOR PRIZE, an arcade-style console mysteriously shows up in small town Deerfield's general store. For just $2 in quarters (and a fingerprint scan and a Social Security Number), anyone can "discover their life potential." The Morpho machine dispenses little blue cards that have job titles (like "male model" and "teacher"), identities ("biker"), and roles ("hero," "superstar," "liar") written on them. When Deerfield residents learn their supposedly true potentials, they begin questioning everything about their lives; people begin making drastic life changes. The Morpho especially confuses main character Dusty, an affable high school history teacher, who up until the machine's arrival thought he was pretty happy with his run-of-the-mill suburban life. Dusty's wife Cass is enchanted with the potential future life path Morpho has printed for her, and begins exploring a change. The teenagers Dusty teaches, including his own daughter Trina, get wrapped up in the Morpho hysteria. Can anyone in Deerfield figure out who they're really meant to be?
Is It Any Good?
Fans of Schitt's Creek will notice some similarities between the Emmy-winning comedy and this dramedy by the same executive producer. The Big Door Prize takes place in a very small town where everyone knows each other's business, and something unusual happens to shake up the status quo. Like Schitt's Creek and fellow Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso, The Big Door Prize mixes universal human themes with an absurd premise. The ensemble cast gives great performances, including some true laugh-out-loud moments skewering life in middle class suburbia. However, this show's driving conceit falls a bit flat: Having a machine deliver one's "true potential" is an interesting plot twist for a movie or perhaps miniseries, but it's a flimsy premise for an entire series. Teens might enjoy the show's interesting questions around self-identity, but the primary audience is mid-life adults who stare wistfully at different ways their lives could have turned out.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the questions the Morpho machine brings up for characters in The Big Door Prize. Have you ever wondered what living an alternate life would be like? Have you ever thought about how different decisions have set you on different paths?
If you lived in Deerfield, would you get a card from the Morpho machine? How do you think it would or wouldn't change your outlook on life?
TV Details
- Premiere date : March 29, 2023
- Cast : Chris O'Dowd , Gabrielle Dennis , Djouliet Amara
- Network : Apple TV
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : School ( High School )
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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