TELEVISION PREVIEW
“Answered Prayers,” six-part series hosted by Roma Downey. Premieres 10 p.m. Sunday.
For those who’ve ever wondered if there really is a God and if he (or she) listens to prayers, Roma Downey has one word for you: Yes. And yes. And if there’s anyone who seems to have God on speed-dial, it’s Downey, the devout co-star of “Touched by an Angel” and wife of Mark Burnett (creator of popular TV series, from “Survivor” to “The Voice”).
In recent years, the Hollywood power couple has found success creating religious-themed entertainment, and their latest venture - “Answered Prayers,” a six-part TLC series hosted by Downey - premieres Sunday. Using re-enactments and actual footage, each episode recounts true tales of people in dire circumstances experiencing what might be divine intervention. Like an Indiana family huddled in a closet as a tornado strikes their home, or a Florida couple whose young son’s leg is mangled in an accident.
A native of Northern Ireland, Downey and her husband now live in Los Angeles and have coproduced miniseries (“The Bible,” “The Dovekeepers”) and films (“Son of God,” and “Ben-Hur,” due out in 2016). She spoke with Newsday contributor Joseph V. Amodio.
Q: “Answered Prayers” has dramatic footage. That tornado’s intense.
A: When you see it coming down that street, you think, they don’t stand a chance - a mother, putting her kids in those bicycle helmets and padding their closet with pillows. They just cling to each other and start praying. It’s scary. We scoured the country on social media, in churches, looking for people to trust us with these extraordinary moments in their life. The response was overwhelming. We could run for 20 years, we have so much material.
Q: What inspired this?
A: My husband and I had watched the news one night, and I said, “I know it sounds naive, but it’s just bad news all the time. Wouldn’t it be great if we could start the good news channel?” (She chuckles.) I’m sure he was thinking, “Sweet, Roma, but no one would watch.” But I knew it would be refreshing to have a moment on a summer night to curl up on the couch with your family and watch these stories of people in their darkest hours calling out, and inexplicably help shows up. Whatever your faith journey might be, I think even the most cynical person will be left scratching their head.
Q: Have you experienced divine intervention yourself?
A: Yes. There’s nothing in my life, Joe, no decision large or small, that I haven’t prayed about first. When the answer comes … it’s never a booming voice or burning bush. It’s a quiet voice in my heart. So, yes, I’ve had prayers answered, from family illness to meeting my husband.
Q: Have you had unanswered prayers?
A: Yes.
Q: How do you explain those?
A: I think perhaps answers don’t show up the way we always expect them … or sometimes the answer is “No, not yet.” The Bible tells us God’s ways are higher than ours - God knows answers we don’t. All I know is I’m grateful for prayers He does answer.
Q: It does sort of beg the question, though - why some prayers and not others? Even good people - like the couple in your first episode whose son’s leg is mangled. They experience something miraculous, but after years of a child suffering. If they’re deserving of divine help, why didn’t they get it sooner?
A: I don’t know, I don’t know … (She pauses.) The great Maya Angelou said you may not always remember what people said, but you’ll always remember how they made you feel. These stories are opening hearts, bringing hope. And hope springs eternal.
Q: What other projects are you working on? There’s “Ben-Hur.”
A: Oh, it’s amazing. Just you wait. The horse-race scenes in the Circus Maximus - we were pinching ourselves. We have other projects, too - we’re creating a dramatic series using NASCAR as a backdrop. What a backdrop.
Q: You and your husband?
A: We have fun working together. We joke that the miracle is we’re still talking to each other.
Q: Even after that beard.
A: Oh, yes. (She laughs.)
Q: Your husband’s beard made headlines - it got longer … and longer. “Duck Dynasty” long. He recently shaved - was that an answered prayer?
A: I have to say … I loved it at first. But he had it for over a year, and by the end of the beard’s life, I was ready for it to go bye-bye. He shaved on an international flight, which just shows you how nutty he is. We were crossing the Atlantic, and I fell asleep. When I opened my eyes, he was walking down the aisle, and the beard was gone. It took me a minute to realize what was different - apart from the fact he looked 20 years younger. I said, “There you are. I got your face back.” It’s much more pleasant to kiss.
About the Author
