Juvenile Prosperity

"*Before he was Travis Rogers, he was David Mayfair. And as this vagabond will learn...life is what **you** make it,*"
—The announcement of *Juvenile Prosperity***[src]**
***Juvenile Prosperity***, subtitled ***The Story of Mr Old Soul***, is an episodic coming-of-age adventure-drama story that serves as a prequel and spin-off to both *Extrasensory* and *Kings of the Road*, beginning fourteen years prior to the events of the latter. It follows David Mayfair, the missing uncle of Michael Mayfair, and tells the story of his transformation into and his life as the singing vagabond Travis Rogers from *Kings of the Road*, as well as the adventures, events and characters that influenced his transformation. As the series progresses, it grows to follow a regular cast of characters known as the Fr8ers and their own experiences as they join Travis on his journey.

Since its debut, *Juvenile Prosperity* has evolved from a side-project into the flagship instalment of the *Life Is A Lesson* franchise as it emcompasses almost all of the themes present in the series' universe, especially the subjects of homelessness, LGBTQ+ representation, depression, addiction, loyalty and family.

*Season 1* was released in June 2020, with *Season 2* quickly following from November-December 2020. A third season is in development, with a 2022 release date. In February 2021 it was renewed for a fourth season and for a fifth season in August 2021. A spin-off, *Matty and the Nomad*, is in development.

## Plot

*After a life of privilege and abuse, young David Mayfair decides to escape his life and live out his dreams of seeing the world. Faced with the brutality of the new life he has chosen, David must face all manner of people and experiences while dealing with a tumultuous inner conflict, and will slowly transform into the living legend of the road known as Travis Rogers.*

* Season 1
* Season 2
* Season 3
* Season 4

## Season 1: "The Ballad of Travis Rogers"

### Plot

*Young, restless, and denied personal expression, David Mayfair abandons all the norms and setbacks of society and sets out on a life-changing journey into a brave but brutal new world, encountering all varieties of people and experiences that will slowly transform him into the singing vagabond Travis Rogers.*

### Credits

#### Main:

* Travis Rogers
* Ethan Mayfair
* Pennywise
* Athena

#### Supporting:

* Vince
* Matthew Wroe

## Season 2: "The Legend of the Fr8ers"

### Plot

*Given the chance of a new life and abandoning everything that has held him back, Travis Rogers returns to the road to fulfil a new mission. On his long journey, Travis will encounter bonds unlike he has ever felt, and learn and guide the stories of these lost souls of the road.*

### Credits

#### Main:

* Travis Rogers
* Melody Jones
* Bernadette Rogers
* Marie Brodie
* Matthew Wroe

## Season 3: "Tones of Dirt and Bone"

### Plot

*One shot and left for dead, another taken by the enemy. Divided and beaten down, the Fr8ers struggle to regroup as the story of Mr Old Soul continues.*

## Season 4: "All Hail the King"

### Plot

*Leaving the west behind them, the Fr8ers begin their most epic adventure yet, unaware of the series of dangers, schemes and revelations that are about to befall them.*
## Themes

### Supernatural

*Juvenile Prosperity* is noted for its difference to other instalments in the *Life Is A Lesson* for being absent of supernatural themes: Michael Mayfair (David's nephew) possesses extrasensory perception in *Extrasensory*; the Wolff Brothers are possessed by a supernatural presence in *Kings of the Road*, and Tommy Garcia possesses telekinesis in *Onwards*. From *Season 2* onwards, the series includes the character of Melody Jones, whose unstable superpowers and Travis' attempts to control them are linked to Travis' mission to guide other runaways; in the same season, Travis discovers that he can "sense" people with supernatural abilities, although this itself is not considered a superpower and instead a heightened sensitivity to the world. However, *Juvenile Prosperity* is unique for not focussing on the supernatural and instead incorporates supernatural themes.

## Trivia

* The prequel's title, as well as its plot, is inspired by the photographer Mike Brodie, the "Polaroid Kidd", who trainhopped around the US from 2004 to 2008, taking pictures of the people he encountered along the way. He published these photos in a book called *A Period of Juvenile Prosperity.*
* While the prequel focuses on David's transformation into Travis, it also introduces several new characters with their own stories who influence David's transformation.
	+ In the first season, these characters are referred to as:
		- The Clerk
			* Vince, the leader of the Lost Boys, who used to work in a discount video store as a clerk, who brought Travis further into the hippie-punk scene
		- The Conman
			* Pennywise, who uses his cunning to scheme others out of money; he taught Travis to be far savvier and formed a brother-like bond with him
		- The Drifter
			* Gordon, a Vietnam veteran who gave David the advice to reinvent himself, the catalyst for his transformation into Travis Rogers
		- The Agent
			* Watson, who recognised Travis' talent and offered him a record deal, resulting in Travis' relative fame in later life
		- The Girl of Blue
			* Athena, Travis' first true love, who gave Travis a home and a job for eighteen months before forming a passionate yet brief relationship with him
	+ In the second season, these characters are:
		- The Child
			* Melody Jones, a homeless girl encountered by Travis, who vows to look after her and give her the skills needed to survive on the road, eventually becoming her father-figure
		- The Changeling
			* Bernadette, a young transgender woman who is referred to as female, who joins Travis and Melody on their journey to form the Fr8ers
		- The Pirate
			* Matthew Wroe, a former member of the Lost Boys alongside Travis, who reappears in Travis' life, this time smarter, tougher and missing an eye
		- The Veteran
			* Marie Brodie, a veteran trainhopper who forms a bond with Matthew and joins the Fr8ers on their journey
		- The Hunter
			* Philip Young, an enforcer for the Robinson family sent to find Bernadette and bring her back to her abusive family
	+ In the third season, these characters are:
		- The Voice
			* Minerva, a nomad travelling in her van with her twin brother Tommy that comes to form a bond with Travis
		- The Hippie
			* Tommy, a nomad travelling in his van with his twin sister Minerva that forms an attachment to the Fr8ers
		- The Villain
			* Archibald Robinson, Bernadette's bigoted father who aims to foil all of the Fr8ers' efforts to rescue her
* The name "Travis Rogers" is a combination of country singers Randy Travis and Kenny Rogers.
* The series' framing device is a song that Travis composes titled "The Ballad of Travis Rogers".
* *Juvenile Prosperity* had several working titles throughout its development, including "The Ballad of Travis Rogers"; "Dirt and Bone"; and "A Story About Michael's Uncle".