Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Wednesday, April 1, 2015
For decades, television would relegate Bible-related stories to miniseries and films rather than a full-fledged series. ABC every Easter (including this Sunday) still airs the 1956 Moses classic "The Ten Commandments."
But it took the magic touch of actress Roma Downey ("Touched by an Angel") and her husband Mark Burnett, known for creating powerhouse reality TV series such as "Survivor" and "The Voice," to make it happen in 2015.
On Easter Sunday, NBC debuts "A.D. The Bible Continues" as a weekly series focused in season one on the immediate years after the Crucifixion and Resurrection in ancient Jerusalem.
NBC is hoping to leverage the success of the Downey/Burnett limited 10-episode series "The Bible" from 2013 on the History Channel. The series averaged more than 11 million viewers per episode, by far the biggest in the cable network's history.
"People are hungry for these stories, hungry for hope, hungry for connection," said Burnett in a recent phone interview with his wife Downey. "It's also an opportunity to reach people who don't know the Bible, who don't go to church."
For him, this is a far cry from overseeing the entertaining but comparatively trivial reality programming he has become known for.
"It's our faith," he said. "In the end, we managed to somehow combine what we believe into incredible drama. And I get to do it alongside the person I love."
While friends had warned Burnett against working with his wife so closely, he said the production "made us closer. We're best friends. Roma jokes that this was the real miracle!"
"We're still speaking to each other - most of the time!" Downey added with a laugh.
Downey said while the History miniseries was an overview of a wide expanse of the Old and New Testaments, this new series gives them a chance to go into a "deeper dive" into a specific time period after Jesus returns. "There is a lot of political intrigue," she said. "The oppression of the Roman authority. The zealots and their desires for freedom. There are the disciples and their courage and faith."
Burnett said he's amazed how human traits such as ego and the thirst for power haven't changed in 2,000 years. "Kingdoms are so desperate to retain their power," he said. He notes how Roman governor Pontius Pilate questions Jesus' quest for truth. "What is truth to a politician?" he said. "It's a lot like 'House of Cards.' "
The trick was to adhere close to the Bible's teachings while creating dialogue and interactions to fill in gaps. "On one level, it's a big epic story," Burnett said. "On another, it's a deeply personal intimate story. And as parents of teenagers, we were told to make sure it was cool and not in any way corny."
Early reviews based on the first two episodes have been mixed. Christopher Heffron of Catholic News Service finds the quieter moments more effective than the more dramatic ones, noting "they would be wise to apply a less-is-more approach as the series progresses."
Dominic Patten of Deadline.com called it a "sophisticated and layered."
Michael Foust, who covers films for the Christian Examiner, calls the acting "stellar," citing "standout performances" by Adam Levy as Peter and Argentinian actor Juan Pablo Di Pace as Jesus.
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
Indeed, the producers went out of their way to hire a multi-ethnic cast from all over the world. There's a black John the Beloved (British actor Babou Alieu Ceesay ) and a black Mary Magdalene (Zimbabwe's Chipo Chung).
"It was important that the cast reflect the racial diversity of the world we live in," Downey said. "We want the audience to turn on A.D. and see themselves on the screen." (Downey, who is Irish, chose to stay behind the camera this time around after appearing in "The Bible.")
The couple spent months in Morocco re-creating the labyrinth of alleyways and courtyards of ancient Jerusalem. "It was dusty and gritty," Burnett said. "The scenery and mountain vistas lent themselves to the landscape we needed to make this series."
Despite the success of 'The Bible" in History, Burnett said they opted to air this series on a free broadcast network after realizing many fans didn't have or couldn't afford cable.
Downey is thrilled NBC gave them Easter Sunday as the launch date. "We're so grateful," she said. "It's a perfect day for this show. It's our hope and prayer families will gather together and watch this story unfold. It's exciting."
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
TV PREVIEW
"A.D. The Bible Continues," 9 p.m. Sundays, starting April 5, 2015, NBC
About the Author
