The Bible (miniseries)

Last updated

The Bible
The Bible - Title Card.jpg
Genre Biblical epic
Drama
Created by Roma Downey
Mark Burnett
Based on Catholic Bible
Directed by Roma Downey
Mark Burnett
Starring Diogo Morgado
Roma Downey
Darwin Shaw
Andrew Scarborough
Narrated by Keith David (US version)
Robert Powell (UK version)
Theme music composer Hans Zimmer
Lorne Balfe
Lisa Gerrard
Country of originUnited States
Original languagesEnglish
Hebrew
No. of episodes10
Production
ProducersRoma Downey
Mark Burnett
Richard Bedser
Dirk Hoogstra
Julian P. Hobbs
CinematographyChristopher Titus King
Rob Goldie
Peter Greenhalgh
EditorsRobert Hall
Iain Kitching
Tom Parsons
Julian Rodd
Dominic Strevens
Running time440 minutes
Production company Lightworkers Media
BudgetUnder $22 million [1]
Original release
Network History
ReleaseMarch 3 (2013-03-03) –
March 31, 2013 (2013-03-31)
Related

The Bible is a television miniseries based on the Bible. It was produced by Roma Downey and Mark Burnett [2] [3] and was broadcast weekly between March 3 and 31, 2013 on History channel. [4] It has since been adapted as a feature film, Son of God .

Contents

Burnett, best known for producing prime-time hit reality shows, considers the scripted 10-hour series to be the "most important" project he has undertaken. The project was conceived by Burnett and Downey after watching Cecil B. DeMille's 1956 film The Ten Commandments for the first time since childhood.

The series is Mark Burnett's first scripted project. [5] In addition to Burnett and Downey, executive producers include Richard Bedser and History's Dirk Hoogstra and Julian P. Hobbs. [6] The first episode of the mini-series was seen by 13.1 million viewers, the largest cable television audience of 2013 to date. [7] The second installment continued "to deliver blockbuster ratings" for the network, attracting 10.8 million viewers. The third installment on March 17, 2013, was once again the No. 1 show on all of Sunday night television with 10.9 million total viewers. In addition, the series garnered 4.2 million adults 25–54 and 3.5 million adults 18–49. [8] In total, with subsequent airings, The Bible has received more than 100 million cumulative views.

The series received three Emmy Award nominations for best miniseries, and sound editing and sound mixing on July 18, 2013. [9]

Parts of the telecast – including unaired footage – have been turned into a feature film about the life of Jesus entitled Son of God . [10] A sequel series with the title A.D. The Bible Continues aired on NBC. [11]

Description

The series covers "Genesis to Revelation" in "one grand narrative," [1] structured as ten hour-long episodes broadcast in five pairs, [12] with each episode containing two or three biblical stories told through live action and computer-generated imagery. [2] [3] According to Burnett, it included "obvious" stories such as Noah's Ark, the Exodus, and the life of Jesus Christ. [2] Five hours are taken from the Old Testament, five from the New. [1] The series is based on the New International Version and the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. [3]

Downey and Burnett said their "greatest hope" in making the series was that it would "affect a new generation of viewers and draw them back to the Bible." [13]

"Part of what we hoped to accomplish with the series was to show the Bible is not simply a collection of unconnected stories which are often discussed and analyzed in snippets with chapter and verse numbers," the couple wrote in an op-ed in The Huffington Post. "Instead, we wanted to show how the Old Testament connects seamlessly to the New Testament. How they are one sweeping story with one grand, overriding message: God loves each one of us as if we were the only person in all the world to love." [14]

Cast

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateU.S.
viewers
(in millions)
1"Beginnings"Crispin ReeceRichard Bedser
Alexander Marengo
Colin Swash
Nic Young		March 3, 2013 (2013-03-03)13.10 [15]
While aboard the ark, Noah tells of the creation of the world, Adam and Eve, the fall of man and Cain murdering Abel (Genesis 1-4; 6-8); Abrahamic covenant; the Battle of the Vale of Siddim (Genesis 14); Hagar and Ishmael (Genesis 16); birth of Isaac (Genesis 21); Abraham is tested (Genesis 22); Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19).
2"Exodus"Crispin ReeceRichard Bedser
Alexander Marengo		March 3, 2013 (2013-03-03)13.10 [15]
During the time of Egyptian slavery, Moses learns of his roots, kills a soldier and flees Egypt (Exodus 2); God speaks to Moses through the burning bush (Exodus 3); Moses returns to Egypt; ten Plagues of Egypt (Exodus 7-11); Moses leads the Israelites in The Exodus; Moses parts the Red Sea (Exodus 14); Moses receives the Ten Commandments at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 20).
3"Homeland"Tony MitchellRichard Bedser
Adam Rosenthal
Nic Young		March 10, 2013 (2013-03-10)10.80 [16]
Joshua becomes the leader of the Israelites (Deuteronomy 31; Joshua 1); the Israelites camp outside of Jericho; Joshua sends spies into Jericho (Joshua 2); Joshua invades and conquers Jericho (Joshua 6); Delilah betrays Samson, a hero of the Israelites who battled against the Philistines (Judges 13-16).
4"Kingdom"Tony MitchellRichard Bedser
Colin Swash
Nic Young		March 10, 2013 (2013-03-10)10.80 [16]
Samuel anoints Saul as king, a move that could throw the nation into civil war (1 Samuel 15); Saul is consumed with jealousy over the crown when David defeats Goliath (1 Samuel 17); King David ushers a golden age for Israel, but is soon seduced by power and lust for Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11); God forgives David, and Solomon builds God's temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 6).
5"Survival"Crispin ReeceRichard Bedser
Nic Young		March 17, 2013 (2013-03-17)10.90 [8]
The Jews are enslaved in Babylon (Jeremiah 39); the image of gold and the three Hebrews in the blazing furnace (Daniel 3); Daniel is thrown into the lions’ den, but when his faith endures and God spares him (Daniel 6); the Jews are allowed to return to Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 36; Ezra 1).
6"Hope"Crispin ReeceRichard Bedser
Nic Young		March 17, 2013 (2013-03-17)10.90 [8]
During the time of Roman occupation, the Angel Gabriel tells Mary that she will bear a child (Luke 1); Joseph takes Mary to Bethlehem for the census, where Jesus is born (Luke 2); the Holy family escapes Herod’s order to kill Bethlehem’s male babies (Matthew 2); Judea comes under the ruthless rule of Pilate; John baptizes Jesus (Matthew 3); Satan tempts Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4); Jesus performs the miraculous catch of fish and calls Peter (Matthew 4).
7"Mission"Christopher SpencerRichard Bedser
Christopher Spencer
Nic Young		March 24, 2013 (2013-03-24)10.30 [17]
Jesus heals a paralytic and forgives the paralyticś sins, Jesus calls a tax collector, Matthew as a disciple, Jesus feeds crowds of thousands in Galilee (Matthew 14), walks on water and brings a dead man, Lazarus, back to life (John 11); Jesus enters Jerusalem riding on a donkey – a declaration that he is the Messiah; Jesus turns on the money-changers in the Temple (Mark 11).
8"Betrayal"Christopher SpencerRichard Bedser
Christopher Spencer
Colin Swash
Nic Young		March 24, 2013 (2013-03-24)10.30 [17]
Caiphas coaxes Judas into betraying Jesus; Jesus throws the disciples into turmoil at the Last Supper; Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14); Jesus is arrested and Malchus' ear is cut off by Peter and Jesus heals his ear; Jesus is confronted by the high priests at his Sanhedrin trial (Matthew 26).
9"Passion"Christopher SpencerRichard Bedser
Christopher Spencer
Abraham Christen Liando
Colin Swash
Nic Young		March 31, 2013 (2013-03-31)11.70 [18]
Peter denies Jesus (Luke 22) and Judas hangs himself; Pilate's wife has a dream and warns Pilate not to crucify Jesus (Matthew 27); Pilate has Jesus whipped 40 times and the crown of thorns are placed on Jesus' head (John 19); Jesus is condemned to death (Matthew 27); Jesus is crucified; Jesus is buried (John 19).
10"Courage"Tony MitchellRichard Bedser
Christopher Spencer
Nic Young		March 31, 2013 (2013-03-31)11.70 [18]
Mary Magdalene goes to his tomb, a figure walks towards her – He is back (John 20); Jesus commissions the disciples to "go and preach to all" before he ascends (Acts 1). The Holy Spirit comes at Pentecost (Acts 2); Stephen is stoned by the Pharisee Paul (Acts 7); Paul has a vision and experiences a miraculous change of faith on a journey to Damascus (Acts 9); martyrdom of the Disciples, John's survival and exile to Patmos, John receives a revelation – Jesus is coming back, and all who keep the faith will be rewarded.

Development

Mark Burnett in 2009 MarkBurnettJuly09.jpg
Mark Burnett in 2009

In May 2011, The New York Times reported that Downey, Burnett and their production team were selecting stories for the series, with production scheduled to begin in 2012 for a 2013 broadcast. [2] The budget for the series was under $22 million. [1] Researchers and theologians were asked to verify accuracy. [2] Academic consultants included Craig A. Evans, [19] Helen Bond, Paula Gooder, Mark Goodacre and Candida Moss. [20] Shooting took place in Morocco and elsewhere. [3]

Burnett and Downey consulted "a wide range of pastors and academics," including their friend Joel Osteen, Joshua Garroway (a rabbi from Hebrew Union College), and a Catholic cardinal. [1] Geoff Tunnicliffe of the World Evangelical Alliance, read each episode's script and visited the set in Morocco: he "wanted to be sure that the final edits would hold together as a singular thematic message throughout the entire series" and "was not disappointed." [21] Another consultant, Focus on the Family President Jim Daly, applauded the couple's courage for making the series: "Let's face it, it takes some moxie to lift up the Bible in the middle of Hollywood. In fact, when they first proposed the project they were told to try and tell the story without mentioning Jesus. They refused." [22]

Other project advisors included: [23]

Days before the series premiere, Downey and Burnett authored an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal arguing that Bible teaching should be mandatory in U.S. public schools because "(t)he foundations of knowledge of the ancient world – which informs the understanding of the modern world – are biblical in origin." [24]

Reception

TV ratings

The opening episode of the series premiered to very high ratings. [25] The miniseries was watched by 13.1 million total viewers, according to Nielsen. [25] In Canada, the premiere was watched by 1.05 million viewers. [26] The second installment saw a ratings slippage, but still brought in 10.8 million viewers, tops in all television for the 8–10 p.m. time period. [16] Week three's installment, meanwhile, garnered 10.9 million total viewers. [8]

Critical reception

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 14% of critics have given the series a positive review based on 14 reviews, with an average rating of 4.63/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "An earnest but shallow take on the Greatest Story ever Told, The Bible suffers from leaden pacing and mediocre special effects." [27] At Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 45 out of 100 based on 13 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [28]

Allan Yuhas of The Guardian compared the series to reality TV, as well as criticizing the lack of ethnic minorities in major roles. [29]

Distribution

On March 19, 2013, Roma Downey and Mark Burnett offered remarks on the viewership and its anticipated diffusion. He said: "We've realized, on the journey around the country to churches and all over the place, many people cannot afford cable TV. And those people need to see this Bible series. So we're rushing the DVD out April 2nd, also immediately with Spanish subtitles. This is very important. And this is only for America and Canada. Now we're about to start around the world. This will be in every country of the world. More people will see this series than everything we ever made; together, combined. Billions of people will see this series. Billions." [30]

Differences from the Bible

In the introduction to each episode, the message is displayed "This program is an adaptation of Bible stories that changed our world. It endeavors to stay true to the spirit of the Book." [31] Roma Downey stated in an interview, "we had a great team of scholars and theologians helping us, making sure that we told these stories accurately and truthfully". [32] A few of the cases of artistic license that have raised comment include:

  • In the Bible, Noah's three sons are fully grown men, whereas in the TV series they are depicted as boys.
  • Abraham is depicted as begging his nephew Lot not to part ways with him, whereas in Genesis they part amicably and Abraham is encouraging of Lot's decision.
  • In the Book of Genesis, the angelic visitors were approached by Lot who insisted that they stay with him. Then they feasted with Lot in his home. The series shows the angels approaching Lot, begging for help with no hospitality extended to them. [33] (Genesis 19:1-5)
  • The text describes a mob gathered outside of Lot's home wanting to rape his two angelic visitors, and Lot offering his daughters instead. The series omits this. [34] (Genesis 19:4-10)
  • The series shows Sarah running after Abraham once she realizes he is going to sacrifice Isaac. This is not in the text. [35] (Genesis 22:1-19)
  • In the Binding of Isaac, the text describes a ram (adult) caught by its horns in a thicket. The miniseries depicts a juvenile lamb caught by its leg. [36] (Genesis 22:13)
  • Moses's sister Miriam is depicted as a slave and as younger than him, while in the biblical story she is significantly older and has been watching out for him since he was a baby.
  • The Bible text says that Samson tied torches on 300 foxes' tails causing them to burn the Philistines' crops and plants. This was because Samson was angry with his father-in-law for giving his wife to another man. When they heard this they burned Samson's wife and her father to death (Judges 15: 4–6). In the series the Philistine commander has Samson's wife and her father put to death as a consequence for marrying Samson, who was an Israelite.
  • The incident in which Saul makes an unlawful sacrifice to God before the prophet Samuel arrives takes place before the famous Battle of Michmash. In the Bible, it was when he spared King Agag of the Amalekites that Saul was denounced as king by Samuel and the Lord, several years after King Saul's unlawful sacrifice.
  • When the Babylonians destroy Jerusalem, Jeremiah is depicted as escaping unnoticed by the invaders. In the text Jeremiah is captured, bound in chains and later released. [36] (Jeremiah 39:11-40:6)
  • The show depicts Daniel and his three compatriots being captured during the siege, when they were deported more than a decade before Jerusalem's destruction. [36] (Daniel 1; 2 Kings 24:10-16)
  • The miniseries depicts the prophet Isaiah as a contemporary of Daniel, living during the time of the Babylonian exile. This is a major inconsistency with the text as Isaiah prophesied that Cyrus the Persian would release the captives after a period of time. This prophecy occurred 150 years before Cyrus was born, 180 years before Cyrus performed any of these feats, and 80 years before the Jews were taken into exile. [37] meaning that Isaiah could never have existed contemporaneously—that is, at the same time—as Daniel and Cyrus. (Isaiah 44:28; 45:1; 45:13).
  • In the miniseries' depiction of the Temptation of Christ, the Devil took Jesus to a high mountain when he tempted Jesus to throw himself down. In the text, the Devil tempted Jesus to throw himself down from the pinnacle of the temple. The high mountain was where the devil tempted Jesus to worship him. [32] [36] (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13)
  • In the Bible, Jesus had the mourners remove the stone, and then he called for Lazarus to come out. In the miniseries, Jesus enters Lazarus' tomb and kisses him on the head, while not even addressing Lazarus, and gives a brand-new monologue. (John 11:38-44) [38]

Lookalike controversy

There have been claims of a resemblance of the actor in the role of Satan (Mohamen Mehdi Ouazanni) to then-U.S. President Barack Obama. The resemblance was first pointed out notably by Glenn Beck ahead of the episode's premiere. [39] This led the History Channel to announce:

History [C]hannel has the highest respect for President Obama. The Bible series was produced with an international and diverse cast of respected actors. It's unfortunate that anyone made this false connection. History’s "The Bible" is meant to enlighten people on its rich stories and deep history." [40]

Burnett and Downey responded in a joint statement that "This is utter nonsense" and that the actor, Mehdi Ouazanni, had previously played Satanic characters long before Barack Obama was elected as president. [40] Downey added separately:

"Both Mark and I have nothing but respect and love for our president, who is a fellow Christian. False statements such as these are just designed as a foolish distraction to try and discredit the beauty of the story of The Bible." [41]

In the film Son of God, all scenes with Satan were deleted. Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter, Roma Downey said,

"It gives me great pleasure to tell you that the devil is on the cutting-room floor. This is now a movie about Jesus, the son of God, and the devil gets no more screen time."

Awards and nominations

The Bible was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards: Outstanding Miniseries or Movie, Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special, and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or a Movie. [42] The 44th GMA Dove Awards gave a tribute to the miniseries in October 2013.[ citation needed ] In 2014, The Bible won the honor of Home Media Magazine's Best Miniseries or TV Movie on Disc for the year. [43] It was also awarded the Epiphany Prize® for Inspiring Television and the Grace Award(presented to Roma Downey) by MovieGuide at their 2014 MovieGuide Awards. [44]

Other media

International broadcasts

DVD release

The series became the biggest-selling miniseries on DVD in its first week of release, and biggest on Blu-ray and Digital HD of all time. In its first week on home video, The Bible series sold 525,000 copies. It was the fastest selling television show on DVD since 2008. [47] A Blu-ray version is also available via 20th Century Fox.

Novel

Roma Downey and Mark Burnett have also released a novelization of this miniseries, entitled A Story of God and All of Us: A Novel Based on the Epic TV Miniseries "The Bible." It debuted at No. 27 on the New York Times Best-Seller List. [48]

Soundtrack

The Bible: Music Inspired by the Epic Miniseries
Soundtrack album

A CD was released on March 12, 2013, with Christian music singers performing songs inspired by the miniseries: [49]

The Bible (Music Inspired by the Epic Miniseries)
No.TitleWriter(s)Artist(s)Length
1."In Your Eyes" Peter Gabriel Francesca Battistelli 5:08
2."Live Like That"David Frey
Ben Glover
Ben McDonald		 Sidewalk Prophets 3:57
3."This Side of Heaven" Chris August Chris August2:57
4."Starting Line" Jason Castro
Phillip LaRue
Seth Mosley 		Jason Castro3:32
5."Love Come to Life"Jeremy Redmon Big Daddy Weave 3:46
6."Crave" Shaun Shankel
Joel Smallbone
Luke Smallbone		 for King & Country 4:26
7."Fearless" Andy Anderson
Tony Battaglia
Blanca Callahan
Manwell Reyes		 Group 1 Crew 3:22
8."What Love Means" Seth Mosley
Nikita Odnoralov
Ruslan Odnoralov		 Everfound 3:36
9."Home"Paul Alan
Dara Maclean 		Dara Maclean3:53
10."Wash Me Away" Ian Eskelin
Nicole Witt
Tony Wood 		Point of Grace 3:03
11."Not for a Moment (After All)" Meredith Andrews
Stu G
Jason Ingram
James MacDonald
Andi Rozier		Meredith Andrews4:00
12."Mary, Did You Know?" Buddy Greene
Mark Lowry 		Kenny Rogers
Wynonna 		3:51

Score

The Bible (Official Score Soundtrack)
No.TitleArtist(s)Length
1."Faith" (featuring Lisa Gerrard) Hans Zimmer
Lorne Balfe 		12:49
2."In the Beginning"Hans Zimmer
Lorne Balfe		3:47
3."Romas Lament" (featuring Lisa Gerrard)Hans Zimmer
Lorne Balfe		5:30
4."Hope" (featuring Lisa Gerrard)Hans Zimmer
Lorne Balfe		2:22
5."Journey"Hans Zimmer
Lorne Balfe		3:18
6."Zedekiah's Sons"Hans Zimmer
Lorne Balfe		1:55
7."Daniel Prays"Hans Zimmer
Lorne Balfe		2:12
8."The Road to Jerusalem"Hans Zimmer
Lorne Balfe		2:05
9."Pentecost"Hans Zimmer
Lorne Balfe		2:15
10."King David"Hans Zimmer
Lorne Balfe		1:41
11."I Am" (featuring Lisa Gerrard)Hans Zimmer
Lorne Balfe		3:45
12."Pray for Us"Hans Zimmer
Lorne Balfe		1:51
13."Free Us, Save Us"Hans Zimmer
Lorne Balfe		2:28
14."The Nativity" (featuring Lisa Gerrard)Hans Zimmer
Lorne Balfe		4:33
15."Creation Choral"Hans Zimmer
Lorne Balfe		2:08
16."Rise up in Faith" (featuring Lisa Gerrard)Hans Zimmer
Lorne Balfe		2:45

Theatrical release

Mark Burnett announced in April 2013 that a three-hour version was being prepared for global theatrical release. He claimed that he has had no distribution arrangements yet, though he could possibly release it himself. [10] In June 2013, Burnett elaborated that the film, which has already been edited, would focus exclusively on the life of Jesus, and would run at two hours and fifteen minutes. [50] In September 2013, it was announced that 20th Century Fox would partner with Burnett on theatrical distribution, currently titled Son of God . [51] [52] In October 2013, it was announced that Son of God would be released on February 28, 2014. [53]

Sequel – A.D.

On December 17, 2013, it was announced that there would be a follow-up miniseries in 2015, titled A.D. The Bible Continues, also produced by Burnett, Downey, and Bedser. [11] [54] The limited series began airing on NBC on Easter Sunday, April 5. It airs in twelve weekly one-hour episodes. The story takes place immediately after the events of The Bible, beginning with the Crucifixion and Resurrection, and continues with the first ten chapters of the Book of Acts. [55] [56] On July 3, 2015, NBC canceled A.D. The Bible Continues after one season. However, producers Burnett and Downey plan future biblical productions on their OTT digital channel. [57]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Band of Brothers</i> (miniseries) 2001 American war drama miniseries

Band of Brothers is a 2001 American war drama miniseries based on historian Stephen E. Ambrose's 1992 non-fiction book of the same name. It was created by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, who also served as executive producers, and who had collaborated on the 1998 World War II film Saving Private Ryan. Episodes first aired on HBO from September 9, to November 4, 2001. Critically acclaimed, the series won the Emmy and Golden Globe awards for best miniseries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Burnett</span> British television and film producer and author

James Mark Burnett is a British television producer who served as chairman of MGM Worldwide Television Group from 2018 to 2022. He created the television shows The Apprentice, Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? and Shark Tank, and served as a producer for the reality shows Survivor, The Voice, Beat Shazam, and Generation Gap.

<i>Jesus of Nazareth</i> (TV series) 1977 British-Italian television drama

Jesus of Nazareth is a 1977 epic television drama serial directed by Franco Zeffirelli and co-written by Anthony Burgess and Suso Cecchi d'Amico, which dramatizes the birth, life, ministry, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. It stars Robert Powell as Jesus, and features an all-star ensemble cast of renowned actors, including eight who had won or would go on to win Academy Awards: Anne Bancroft, Ernest Borgnine, Laurence Olivier, Christopher Plummer, Anthony Quinn, Rod Steiger, James Earl Jones and Peter Ustinov.

<i>Touched by an Angel</i> American drama television series (1994–2003)

Touched by an Angel is an American drama television series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994, and ran for 211 episodes over nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and executive produced by Martha Williamson, the series stars Roma Downey as an angel named Monica, and Della Reese as her supervisor Tess. Throughout the series, Monica is tasked with bringing guidance and messages from God to various people who are at a crossroads in their lives. From season three onward, they are frequently joined by Andrew, the Angel of Death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Bible in film</span> Film that accounts Biblical narratives

Stories from the Bible have frequently been used in films. There are various reasons for motion picture producers to turn to the Bible as source material. The stories, in the public domain, are already familiar to potential audiences. They contain sweeping, but relatively straightforward, narratives of good versus evil, and feature crowd-pleasing battles, sword fights, natural disasters, and miracles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roma Downey</span> Irish actress, producer and author

Roma Downey is an Irish actress, producer, and author. She gained recognition for her role as Monica the angel, in the CBS television series Touched by an Angel, which ran for nine seasons. Downey portrayed Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in the Emmy Award-winning miniseries A Woman Named Jackie. Downey stars in and produces the television series The Baxters. She has a stage career, performing with the Abbey Theatre, the National Theatre of Ireland, and appearing on and off Broadway.

United Artists Television (UATV) was an American television production/distribution studio of United Artists Corporation that was formed on January 1, 1958. The company is remembered for producing series such as This Man Dawson, World of Giants, Stoney Burke, The Outer Limits, Gilligan's Island, My Mother the Car, The Fugitive, The Rat Patrol, thirtysomething, The New Phil Silvers Show, The Patty Duke Show and The Pink Panther Show. In September 2014, the studio briefly returned to full-time TV production under the new management of United Artists Media Group (UAMG), led in part by husband and wife producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey. With its folding back into MGM Television, UATV was temporarily dormant until 2020 when MGM Television was reincorporated.

<i>Battlestar Galactica</i> (2004 TV series) 2004 American science fiction television series

Battlestar Galactica is an American military science fiction television series, and part of the Battlestar Galactica franchise. The show was developed by Ronald D. Moore and executive produced by Moore and David Eick as a re-imagining of the 1978 Battlestar Galactica television series created by Glen A. Larson. The pilot for the series first aired as a three-hour miniseries in December 2003 on the Sci-Fi Channel, which was then followed by four regular seasons, ending its run on March 20, 2009. The cast includes Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Katee Sackhoff, Jamie Bamber, James Callis, Tricia Helfer, and Grace Park.

<i>The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible</i> 1985 American TV series or program

The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible is an animated direct-to-video film series produced by Hanna-Barbera that tells of three young adventurers who travel back in time to watch biblical events take place. Thirteen videos were released between 1985 and 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TheGrio</span> Digital television for African Americans

TheGrio, styled as thegrio, is a website with news, opinion, entertainment and video content geared toward African-Americans. TheGrio is also an American television network.

<i>America: The Story of Us</i> 2010 American TV series or program

America: The Story of Us is a 12-part, 9-hour documentary-drama television miniseries that premiered on April 25, 2010, on History. Produced by Nutopia, the program portrays more than 400 years of American history. It spans time from the successful English settlement of Jamestown beginning in 1607, through to the present day. Narrated by Liev Schreiber, the series recreates many historical events by using actors dressed in the style of the period and computer-generated special effects. The miniseries received mixed reviews by critics; but it attracted the largest audiences of any special aired by the channel to date.

<i>The Kennedys</i> (miniseries) 2011 multi-national TV series or program

The Kennedys is a television miniseries chronicling the lives of the famous political Kennedy family, including key triumphs and tragedies it has experienced. It stars Greg Kinnear, Barry Pepper, Katie Holmes, and Tom Wilkinson among others, and is directed by Jon Cassar. The series premiered in the United States in April 2011 on the Reelz Channel, on History Television in Canada and on the History Channel in the United Kingdom.

Darwin Shaw is a British stage, film and television actor, and director. Formerly practicing as a medical doctor, he retrained as an actor at LAMDA in 2004 after studying theatre in New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lightworkers Media</span> American Christian media production company

Lightworkers Media is an American independent Christian media and film production company helmed by President Roma Downey and her husband Mark Burnett and owned by Amazon MGM Studios.

<i>Son of God</i> (film) 2014 American film

Son of God is a 2014 American epic biblical film directed by Christopher Spencer, and produced by Mark Burnett and Roma Downey. The film retells the life of Jesus Christ and is an adaptation of the ten-hour miniseries The Bible, which aired in March 2013 on the History channel, and immediately following the movie begins another TV series called A.D. The Bible Continues. The film stars Diogo Morgado, Greg Hicks, Adrian Schiller, Darwin Shaw, Sebastian Knapp, Joe Wredden, Simon Kunz, Paul Marc Davis, Matthew Gravelle, Amber Rose Revah, and Roma Downey.

<i>A.D. The Bible Continues</i> 2015 television series

A.D. The Bible Continues is an American biblical drama television series, based on the Bible, and a sequel to the 2013 miniseries, The Bible, and follows up from the film Son of God which was a more in depth look on Jesus's story. It was produced by Roma Downey, Mark Burnett, and Richard Bedser. The limited series began airing on NBC on Easter Sunday, April 5, 2015, in twelve weekly one-hour episodes. The story takes place immediately after the events of The Bible miniseries, and then of the Son of God film, beginning with the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, and continues with the first ten chapters of the Acts of the Apostles. On July 3, 2015, NBC cancelled A.D. The Bible Continues after one season.

The Dovekeepers is a two-part television adaptation based on the book of the same name by Alice Hoffman from executive producers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett. It features the Siege of Masada by troops of the Roman Empire towards the end of the First Jewish–Roman War. The program premiered in the United States on March 31, 2015 on CBS.

<i>Messiah</i> (American TV series) 2020 American thriller streaming television series

Messiah is an American thriller television series created by Michael Petroni. It consists of ten episodes, which were released on Netflix on January 1, 2020. The series stars Mehdi Dehbi, Tomer Sisley, Michelle Monaghan, John Ortiz, Melinda Page Hamilton, Stefania LaVie Owen, Jane Adams, Sayyid El Alami, Fares Landoulsi, and Wil Traval.

Two soundtracks were released for the epic biblical film Son of God: an original soundtrack and an album that featured music inspired by the film and an original soundtrack. The former featured compositions from the musical score composed by Hans Zimmer and Lorne Balfe and also featuring Lisa Gerrard; the trio worked on the History Channel television miniseries The Bible (2013), created by Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, who also produced the film under the Lightworkers Media. The album also consisted of remixed songs from CeeLo Green, OneRepublic, Sara Bareilles amongst others. The latter was distributed by Word Entertainment that featured contributions from Christian music artists Francesca Battistelli, Chris August, Dara Maclean, Sidewalk Prophets amongst others. Both the albums were released on February 25, 2014, three days before the film's release.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Marrapodi, Eric (March 2, 2013). "Reality TV Goliath takes up Bible miniseries challenge, hopes for better outcome". CNN Belief Blog. CNN. Archived from the original on May 5, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Carter, Bill (May 24, 2011). "Reality-TV Producer Mark Burnett Tackles the Bible". The New York Times . p. C1. Archived from the original on May 27, 2011. Retrieved August 28, 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Elber, Lynn (May 24, 2011). "'The Bible': History Channel, Mark Burnett Creating CGI 10-Hour Miniseries". The Huffington Post . Archived from the original on August 27, 2017. Retrieved August 28, 2011.
  4. ↑ Littleton, Cynthia. "Mark Burnett, Roma Downey promo 'Bible' mini to faithful". Variety. Archived from the original on February 12, 2013. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  5. ↑ Levin, Gary (May 24, 2011). "Mark Burnett to produce 'The Bible'". USA Today . Gannett Company. Archived from the original on September 3, 2011. Retrieved August 28, 2011.
  6. ↑ Porter, Rick (May 24, 2011). "Mark Burnett producing 'The Bible' miniseries for History Channel". Zap2it. Archived from the original on August 28, 2011. Retrieved August 28, 2011.
  7. ↑ Hibberd, James (March 4, 2013). "Mark Burnett's 'The Bible' begets record ratings". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 15, 2014. Retrieved March 6, 2013.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Patten, Dominic (March 19, 2013). "History's 'The Bible' & 'Vikings' Rise In Week 3". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on January 8, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  9. ↑ Hayden, Erik. 'The Bible' Earns Three Emmy Nominations Archived August 12, 2020, at the Wayback Machine , The Hollywood Reporter , July 18, 2013.
  10. 1 2 "Mark Burnett Prepping 'The Bible' Miniseries For Theatrical Release". PMC. April 22, 2013. Archived from the original on March 3, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  11. 1 2 Elavsky, Cindy (November 17, 2013). "Celebrity Extra". King Features. Archived from the original on March 5, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  12. ↑ Lyons, Margaret (May 24, 2011). "Mark Burnett Declines to Make Bible Reality Show". New York . New York City, New York: New York Media, LLC. ISSN   0028-7369. Archived from the original on May 26, 2011. Retrieved August 28, 2011.
  13. ↑ Crosby, Robert (February 25, 2013). "From Survivor and Touched by an Angel to the Bible". Christianity Today. Archived from the original on March 2, 2013. Retrieved March 12, 2013.
  14. ↑ Downey, Roma; Burnett, Mark (February 28, 2013). "Making The Bible a Daunting, Deep Experience". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  15. 1 2 Bibel, Sara (March 4, 2013). "History's 'The Bible' is the Number 1 Cable Entertainment Telecast of the Year". TV by the Numbers . A+E press release. Archived from the original on March 7, 2013. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
  16. 1 2 3 "History's 'The Bible' & 'Vikings' Slip In Week 2, Still Tower Over Competition". Deadline Hollywood. March 12, 2013. Archived from the original on December 24, 2013. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  17. 1 2 Andreeva, Nellie. "History’s ‘The Bible’ & ‘Vikings’ Slip In Week 4" Archived June 12, 2014, at the Wayback Machine , Deadline Hollywood, March 26, 2013.
  18. 1 2 O'Connell, Mike (April 1, 2013). "TV Ratings: History's 'The Bible' Pulls 11.7 Million Viewers With Easter Ender". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on April 4, 2013. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  19. ↑ Evans, Craig. "Dr Craig A. Evans". Homepage. Archived from the original on March 30, 2013. Retrieved February 28, 2013.
  20. ↑ Goodacre, Mark (February 14, 2013). "More Bible Series News and Video Clips". NT Blog. Archived from the original on February 19, 2013. Retrieved February 28, 2013.
  21. ↑ Review: 'The Bible' – This Time, Hollywood Got It Right Archived May 10, 2013, at the Wayback Machine , a Christian Post review by Geoff Tunnicliffe, one of the film's consultants. RetrievedMarch 3, 2013.
  22. ↑ Draper, Electa (March 10, 2013). "Focus on the Family CEO Jim Daly consulted on TV mega-hit "The Bible"". Denver Post. Archived from the original on March 16, 2013. Retrieved March 12, 2013.
  23. ↑ About the Bible - Outreach.com Archived August 6, 2016, at the Wayback Machine RetrievedMarch 4, 2013.
  24. ↑ "Roma Downey and Mark Burnett: Why Public Schools Should Teach the Bible - WSJ.com". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on October 16, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  25. 1 2 Collins, Scott. 'The Bible,' 'Vikings' premieres tell a ratings epic for History Archived May 22, 2013, at the Wayback Machine , Los Angeles Times , March 4, 2013.
  26. ↑ "Redirecting". Archived from the original on December 24, 2013. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
  27. ↑ "The Bible: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango. Archived from the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  28. ↑ "The Bible - TV Show Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  29. ↑ Yuhas, Alan (March 25, 2013). "History Channel's The Bible series is worse than reality TV". The Guardian . Archived from the original on December 13, 2018. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
  30. ↑ Roma Downey and Mark Burnett Interview at The Bible Experience in New York Archived February 15, 2016, at the Wayback Machine (Video clip recorded March 19, 2013, located at YouTube)
  31. ↑ Owen, Rob. "Miniseries tries to stay true to spirit of the Good Book". Standard-Examiner. Archived from the original on December 30, 2013. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
  32. 1 2 Higginbotham, Steve (March 19, 2013). "The Bible: The Mini-Series". Archived from the original on March 24, 2013. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
  33. ↑ "The Bible: first episode, first impressions". March 8, 2013. Archived from the original on April 3, 2013. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  34. ↑ Garvin, Glenn. "Reviews of 'The Bible,' 'Red Widow' and 'Vikings'". Miami Herald . Archived from the original on May 10, 2013. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  35. ↑ Dawn, Randee. "One scholar takes issue with 'The Bible': 5 things the series got wrong". Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  36. 1 2 3 4 Jonathan Merritt, Jonathan. "Inaccuracies in The Bible . . . the miniseries, not the book". Archived from the original on May 21, 2013. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
  37. ↑ Ross, Hugh. "Reasons To Believe: Fulfilled Prophecy". Archived from the original on March 28, 2013. Retrieved April 3, 2013.
  38. ↑ "John 11 - The Death of Lazarus". Archived from the original on February 6, 2015. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
  39. ↑ "Anyone else think the Devil in #TheBible Sunday on HIstory Channel looks exactly like That Guy?". @glennbeck. Twitter. Archived from the original on October 30, 2013. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
  40. 1 2 Makarechi, Kia (March 18, 2013). "'The Bible': Satan Actor Looks Like Obama In History Channel Miniseries". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on March 20, 2013. Retrieved March 21, 2013.
  41. ↑ O'Connell, Michael (March 18, 2013). "History, Mark Burnett Defend Satan's Similarity to President Obama in 'The Bible'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 20, 2013. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
  42. ↑ "Emmy nominations 2013: "House of Cards" makes history, "American Horror Story" leads" (PDF). CBS. July 18, 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 22, 2013. Retrieved December 20, 2013.
  43. ↑ "'Breaking Bad,' 'Doctor Who,' 'Game of Thrones' Big Winners of 'HM' Awards - Home Media Magazine". April 26, 2014. Archived from the original on May 2, 2014. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
  44. ↑ "Winners Archives". Movieguide® Awards. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  45. ↑ (two 5 hour episodes) "A Bíblia - - Sic - Sapo". SIC. Archived from the original on May 30, 2018. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  46. ↑ http://www.channel5.com/shows/the–bible%5B%5D
  47. ↑ "TV News: On Set Interviews and TV Show Listings – EW.com". Entertainment Weekly .
  48. ↑ "'The Bible' Miniseries Novel Hits National Best-Seller Lists". Charisma News. Archived from the original on April 4, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  49. ↑ "CD". Jesus Freak Hideout. Archived from the original on October 13, 2013. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
  50. ↑ Patten, Dominic (June 9, 2013). "Produced By Conference: Mark Burnett On 'Bible' Follow Up, Feature Version Of History Series Finished Editing". Deadline. Archived from the original on June 19, 2014. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  51. ↑ "Fox Lands 'Bible' Feature Film Cut From Mark Burnett-Roma Downey Miniseries". Deadline. September 12, 2013. Archived from the original on March 10, 2014. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  52. ↑ Littleton, Cynthia (September 12, 2013). "'The Bible' Producers Resurrect Jesus for Expanded 'Son of God' Film (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on January 5, 2018. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  53. ↑ "Mark Burnett's 'The Bible' Feature Film Gets February 2014 Release Date". Deadline. October 15, 2013. Archived from the original on April 14, 2017. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  54. ↑ "NBC Greenlights 12-Hour Miniseries 'A.D.'". December 17, 2013. Archived from the original on April 17, 2017.
  55. ↑ Dent Brant, Ginny. "'A.D.: The Bible Continues' slated for primetime". The Biblical Recorder. Archived from the original on April 6, 2015. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  56. ↑ "About A.D. The Bible Continues". Lightworkers Media. Archived from the original on April 6, 2015. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  57. ↑ Littleton, Cynthia (July 3, 2015). "NBC Cancels 'A.D.' As Producers Plan Digital Revival For Biblical Drama". Archived from the original on December 26, 2017. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.