Prosper (2024– ) User Reviews

Good, with a strong understanding of the perils of its subject matter, but ultimately far too humourless to live up to the Succession billing.

[chriskeeling-76634 · 8/10 · 19 January 2024]

The accuracy with which the show captures the performative faith and lack of self awareness of Megachurch incredibly accurately to be quite honest.

The preaching and coded language has drawn some ire in other reviews for being cringe-worthy, but frankly that is astonishingly true to Megachurches and the people that run them. The Megachurch jargon is also accurately captured, and much like real life the characters use it to deflect their predatory behaviour.

There's a surprising amount of good in this show for Christians who are to put it politely disenchanted with Megachurches. The show is certainly not anti religion, and it easily could have gone that way which is a credit to the writers.

The main weakness of the this show is the utter lack of humour within it. If you're going to compare yourself to Succession, one of the funniest shows of the last decade or so, there needs to be at least an attempt to engage in humour in some form. Given the actors involved, this is certainly a surprise, with Roxburgh in particular having done Rake in the past, which struck the balance of comedy and bleakness in the way Prosper desperately needed.

I'd definitely recommend the show to anyone interested in the subject matter and all it entails, but if you're looking for something funnier, this show probably isn't for you.

Strong potential but let down by some clunky writing

[Green-Neon · 6/10 · 31 January 2024]

Prosper is blessed with an outstanding cast of respected Australian actors and is based on a timely and relevant premise given the unsettling influence megachurches and pentecostal Christianity more broadly claim to wield in many secular societies, despite their overall insignificant numbers.

However as an ex-Pentecostal with an all too familiar understanding of the whys and wherefores of that strange world, I feel Prosper's writers and actors would have benefited from developing a deeper knowledge and understanding of the language, cultures and idiosyncrasies of both the on-stage performances of celebrity preachers and the jargon and deluded self-assurance that those people employ in their everyday lives.

There are definitely moments in Prosper where Richard Roxburgh's talents as an actor are allowed to truly shine, particularly during some of Cal's darker moments. But when Cal is "in character" as a celebrity man of god in front of his congregation or praying on his own, his portrayal becomes more wooden and inauthentic. Rebecca Gibney is in fully Lady Macbeth mode for much of the series which I think is also a missed opportunity given the public role of the typical Pastor's wife in this world is to be a happy, shiny accessory. More juxtaposition between the persona and the person would have made her character richer and given Gibney a wider repertoire to work with.

My other reservation with this show is the number of subplots going on in each episode. Some end up feeling undercooked as a result. I would have preferred to see a slower build and more nuance and more tension around fewer threads of the story.

Hopefully if a second series is made, the will be opportunity to bring on writers or consultants who really, truly know how the murky world of pentecostalism works and thereby add a sorely needed layer of authentic credibility to this show which will reduce some of the cringe.

Great portrayal of flawed fundamentalism

[cfrogwoman · 8/10 · 20 January 2024]

Enjoyable, all to poignant depiction of an evangelical church. So much glitz and glamour, with Rebecca Gibney once more displaying excellence in her character portrayal of the family Matriach.

Richard Roxborough managed to convince me that he indeed thinks God speaks to him and he has deep seated beliefs that he is making the world a better place despite being so flawed.

I can see links to Hillsong, Sheila and the oOrange people to name two.

Great music, written by great local musicians.

Characters are so extremely and wonderfully flawed

Everyone has their own agendas and foibles.

I certainly hope there will be a season two.

Thinly Veiled Expose of Hillsong Church.

[gdqm-52593 · 9/10 · 25 January 2024]

I attended Hillsong Church in Sydney for 6 years and this is a very accurate portrayal and quite insightful. The writers have obviously done their research, and it's quite surprising how on point they are! The thinly veiled George Aghajanian (HS general manager) character (Eli) is particularly accurate. It must have taken some good research to reveal the type of person he is, considering how guarded they can be.

The series also depicts Brian Houston (Cal) very well, highlighting his struggles with drugs, money, power, infidelity, and his overall disingenuousness. They did well to show the 'wizard' behind the curtain. I guess this is the problem with all rich 'celebrity' pastors, where eventually their growing hubris gives them a self-rationalised clear conscience to break ethical and Biblical boundaries. Congregants are isolated and marginalised as the money raising intensifies and people at the top get rich. Eventually this same hubris brings them tumbling down.

There is also the exploitation of staff, volunteers and Hillsong College students, which has led to a revolving door of burned out, disillusioned assistant pastors, leaders and church members.

Don't get me wrong, Pentecostal/Charismatic churches are a real true blessing (so maybe don't binge-watch this?). Technically, any church that has a membership of over 1500 people is a "megachurch", but if you happen to be a member of a charismatic megachurch this series will help you be more critical and less naïve; simply because of the large amounts of tax-free money changing hands with no external accountability.

It should also motivate you to question and hold to account the ethics of any large Pentecostal/Charismatic church (regardless of size) that mimics/models the methodology of Hillsong. Question your Pastor's motivation and ethics. Check the percentage of tithing actually going directly to the needy and not just 'building funds' and hidden tax-free fringe benefits for elite leaders and payments to/from your pastors to reciprocating guest speakers.

Definitely worth watching but please don't let it turn you off finding a good, ethical Bible-based Pentecostal/Charismatic church to attend!! But if you are already attending one as a congregant and you feel you are either being marginalised, disconnected or exploited, then you should probably find another church.

Quality Drama thats so relevant

[timsmeallie-60851 · 9/10 · 21 January 2024]

This show took my surprise, firstly with the quality of cast involved & secondly, the timeliness of the subject matter. The focus on the inner workings of a commercial church provide a "fictional" & credible insight into such organisations.

The quality of the script & the "master-class" interpretation & delivery of the script by Richard & Rebecca was a true testament to Australia's uniquely gifted actors. Ewen Leslie & Jacob Collins-Levy were stand-outs from the supporting cast, with Ewen's portrayal of a highly conflicted heir apparent living in his fathers shadow delivering a truly remarkable insight into the mental anguish of the character. Jacob delivers a brilliant performance of being both caring son but also the skeptic mirroring the views of many who will enjoy the benefit of this great series.

Lets hope they can secure the same quality cast for Season 2 🤞🏻

Can someone apologise to Rebecca Gibney and Richard Roxburgh

[philhayes80 · 6/10 · 20 January 2024]

Ah.. Here we go again. I did manage to watch this in one night and while I thought it was ok, I just want someone at Rebecca and Richard's agencies to apologise to them, oh an apologise to Jacek Koman as well this is one of his best performances in years and yet he got casted here.

The story jumps up and down and the B story is like three stories that mix together in some confusing way and someone in the script department just went "make everyone sound as nervous as possible." it's fine but gets old quick and most of the way the characters speak is like they aren't used to talking in such a way.

Maybe give it a few years and I might watch it again, but if it does get a second season I hope they replace the writing team.

Godforsaken

[ozjosh · 3/10 · 22 January 2024]

Richard Roxburgh is great at playing delusional hypocrites, so there was reason to be optimistic about him playing the pastor of a Hillsong-like mega church. Sadly, Prosper fails to deliver. Its fictional pastor, Cal Quinn, is a rather wishy-washy megalomaniac, it that makes sense. Sure, he's a controlling, egomaniacal, duplicitous piece of work. But compared to the real-life megachurch leaders we've all read about, he's really not worth getting too excited about. The writers seem to want to have it both ways: Cal is something of a con artist, but he's also a genuine believer, albeit with a tortured relationship with the man upstairs. It's the latter proposition that fails to convince. Cal's wife, Abi, also barely registers on the Tammy Faye scale, and it doesn't help that she's played by Mrs Suburbia herself, Rebecca Gibney. The rest of the family is an equally dull lot, and the murder mystery plonked into the megachurch narrative does nothing to generate the much-needed suspense. In short, it's typical Australian drama: an under-cooked concept, lame storylines, uninspired dialogue and ho-hum direction. Roxburgh and Gibney give it their best, but without much support from an otherwise lacklustre cast. Another not-half-bad idea utterly wasted.

Stunning Exploration of Hubris and Family

[thefreedomofstyle · 9/10 · 20 January 2024]

Incredible performances - Richard Roxburgh is truly one of the best actors around today. Great writing, stunning cinematography, complex character studies, nuanced, intelligent music, editing and stylised direction. The twists and turns are incredibly compelling. There are still lots of unresolved stories so would love season 2 asap! We binged it all in one day. Stylistically it's part Succession, part Fall of the House of Usher, and its own style of mystery and drama. Prosper is a brilliant achievement - a stunning exploration of hubris, family, love, desire, hypocrisy, deception, influence and the fall of man. Wow! Very excited for season 2!

Succession goes to church

[aussiedramafan · 7/10 · 27 January 2024]

Right off the bat I will say this is one of the slickest looking Australian shows I have seen. It looks expensive and I suspect it probably is.

Five minutes in it was clear the writers and producers are big fans of Succession as the family dynamics are very similar, though in this show the setting is a Sydney mega church. Most Australians will appreciate the direct associations with the Hillsong church right down to the fictional Bieber-esque pop star. There's also a bit of Jim Baker in the Roxburgh character, who is something of a cliche when it comes to the US megachurch culture.

For these reasons I felt I have seen the story before. But the pacing is fast and the performances are very good so it's a positive review from me all up, even if I wanted more originality.

Roxburgh's (Cal Quinn) worst performance. Poor writing and cringe performance

[CharlesHowl · 2/10 · 19 January 2024]

Oh dear... Who did the casting? Because Richard Roxburgh did not fit this role, either that, or he poorly prepared for it. From the very first scene of him yelling out an unconvincing and cringe-worthy "Hallelujah!". Every time his character would attempt to preach, it was impossible to buy and ended up being super cringey, it wasn't believable and just lacked passion.

To be honest, the writing played a role in the poor performance. Whoever did the screenplay probably did very little research on mega churches and the embedded culture, which made the dialogue in scenes feel unnatural. You could tell a lot of the characters feeling uncomfortable expressing particular lines.

It's a shame, I was looking forward to this for a while. I specifically bought a subscription to stan just to watch it.

Brilliant

[timhartland-64431 · 10/10 · 22 January 2024]

Accurate and powerful, the exposes people who who they are and portrays man's follies. The church is bigger than the people who run it, however is it? The people who run become the focus and is this spiritual or real greed? The Bentleys, private jets and helicopters, the Sydney Harbour cliff top views, the clothes and cash- is this what God would want, or is this man tricking mass people. As a Christian watching this I found it uncomfortable and accurate in sections and is so well written and acted. Brilliant Aussie drama at its best, I do have trouble not seeing Roger Rogerston and Mrs Ratter, however what talents they are ! Loved this show.

Badly written and often badly acted

[dearrobbi · 1/10 · 20 January 2024]

I grew up in this environment and this series reeked of inauthenticity. I don't think any of the actors understood the characters and the writers certainly didn't research this world. I love Richard Roxburgh. But not this show. Greenleaf depicted this evangelical world perfectly. Prosper is a big miss and will only be enjoyed by people who have no knowledge of this world. It's Succession but set in a pseudo church instead of a company with characters/actors talking and acting with no conviction and the religious framework makes no sense because of this. The show is trite, predictable and insulting to those who do actually know this world and culture. I was really disappointed in this series. Especially after green leaf was so so good. How hard would it have been to find writers who know this world? Not to mention there was also some ridiculous diversity casting of people who can't act or didn't fit the role they were being jammed into.

Prosperity meets succession!

[laurencary-74321 · 10/10 · 18 January 2024]

Couldn't help myself so binged the entire 8 episodes in one day ! Richard Roxburgh is of course outstanding as is Rebecca Gibney. Whilst I have previously seen them in light hearted roles with a side of humour this was completely different and I felt myself almost uncomfortable by how unlikable they were. This I believe was the writers goals and they certainly achieved it.

The supporting cast leaves a little to be desired with some of it over acted but definitely gave it a succession vibe! While they all fight to take over the church each one's problems unravel much like succession! So if you enjoyed that I definitely recommend this but be prepared to stay put an atheist or question your belief system.

wow, the lengths the go attacking the Republican voters

[boryagin · 1/10 · 30 January 2024]

Anyone who has ever attended an Evangelical church, can see what a piece of BS the show is. They try to mimic services, worship, and preaching but it looks plain dumb. Because nobody has any idea what they are trying to recreate.

Of course, there are crooks in church and religion generally, just like in every other area of life, including business, politics, healthcare, etc. But it's literally impossible to build a mega church while being a crook.

I am not a Christian myself anymore and not even an American. But it's evident where the Soros' money go. Isn't it ridiculous that now they are trying to attack influential faith preachers collectively.

You will like this show only out of hate when you know nothing about Pentecostals and Charismatics. The fake comments by supposedly former Hillsong members are plain silly.

An attempt to have Succession meet God, but God wasn't buying this trite

[MrStuffUp · 4/10 · 22 January 2024]

I was actually looking forward to a good piece of drama - they certainly had the cast - but the writing was soap opera awful.

And I'm not talking about decent soap opera, but the very worst soap opera you can think of - then imagine the worst of that show and you basically have this script.

Trying to create drama where there really isnt any is I suppose a skill, but the cliches were so old and so tired, you could smell their sweat and flatulence as they reared their heads again and again.

There is no real plot to this series, but an abundance of sub plots. Well, sub sub sub plots really. So deeply entrenched but you find that they had been planted in a hydroponic unit and therefore had no roots whatsoever.

Such a pity and a wasted cast on a series that was as bland as my cooking (which I suck at).

And they cant blame covid for this failure. Lazy writing, no real character room for the actors to explore other than maybe a millimeter.

I'm going to stop now in case I say siomething really bad,

Stolen from the best, threw out everything good.

[tobywatson13-1 · 3/10 · 24 January 2024]

The whole premise of this show and pretty much all of the story lines are stolen directly from brilliantly funny and revealing show The Righteous Gemstones. Then for some inexplicable reason, showrunner Matt Cameron, strips every humorous aspect from what he has stolen and given two of Australia's greatest comedic actors, Richard Roxburgh and Rebecca Gibney absolutely nothing to deal with.

To steal The Righteous Gemstones and try to make it into Succession is only amazing in that someone decided to fund it.

I expected this to be so good, knowing so many of the people who created it, but unfortunately apart from the great acting ability this is just embarrassing.

A poor Australian Succession-esque wannebe

[nathan-886-87101 · 2/10 · 19 February 2024]

Well casted with Australian Television heavyweights in Rebecca Gibney and Richard Roxburgh, whose performances admittedly don't disappoint. But the setting in Sydney within the walls of a Pentecostal megachurch is hardly "inspirational" stuff (no pun intended).

With the recent finale of the uber-successful HBO series 'Succession', the timing of this is unfortunate. Where Succession shows us inside the power-driven Roy family where a billion-dollar multi-national media conglomerate is at stake. Prosper shows us a similarly power-hungry family where there is again no heir apparent. But rather than the Manhatten-based Waystar RoyCo, we are instead inside the walls of the relatively smaller U-Star, a primarily Sydney-based megachurch, albeit with ambitions to plant a church in LA.

While the controversies presented in Prosper are based on the real-life Hillsong Church which is indeed also based in Sydney, this is hardly a relatable setting in a modern Australia that is going to church far less than it did decades ago.

Sure, perhaps the Hillsong scandals of yester-year are fodder for some people (and clearly the creators of this series). But in 2024, when American super-series with Succession-esque tales (ala Succession, Billions, Game of Thrones, etc) have already crafted such stories of deceit, betrayal and personal family power struggles, then Propser fails to amaze. 2/10.