Posted on 03/08/2013 6:45:31 AM PST by SeekAndFind
Up until now, the year’s big cable-ratings story has been the ever-growing success of zombie drama The Walking Dead on AMC. Sunday night, though, History channel had the highest-rated scripted drama on cable for the year, for the beginning of a story in which only one main character rises from the dead, and that not until nearly the end.
The first two hours of History’s Mark Burnett miniseries adaptation of The Bible scored 13.1 million viewers, more than any fiction cable show of the year–and, as the New York Times notes, dwarfing anything on NBC for the past month. (The biblical epic numbers did not quite match The Walking Dead in viewers aged 18 to 49, the demographic that determines advertising rates, but it did get a healthy 5.6 million.)
Those are the kinds of numbers that get TV executives’ attention, and “attention” in the TV business means copying. Last year, History pulled meganumbers with Hatfields and McCoys; now NBC is developing a Hatfields and McCoys series. So I wouldn’t be surprised to see more religious epics coming to TV–stories aimed, like The Bible miniseries, at the comfort zone of believers. (I haven’t watched the entire History miniseries, but the first two hours were sort of a Picture Bible come to life, with the Old Testament violence dialed up and the Old Testament sex dialed down, and the kind of stiff dialogue that avoids seeming to “disrespect” Biblical figures by making them sound like people rather than animatronic figures.)
(Excerpt) Read more at entertainment.time.com ...
Acknowledged and understood LOL
When I was a kid I had this AWESOME book of Bible stories done up in Classic Comics style, that was a hand-me-down from my brother's childhood. When he had his son many years later, we both looked high and low for another copy of that book and could not find it anywhere.
Then, the week after my nephew graduated high school I wsa in a doctor's office, and there on the table was a copy of the book, with a flyer inside with a website for the publisher. At that point I had no need for the book anymore but I ordered it anyway, mainly because I was so annoyed I had not been able to find it when I wanted one.
Now my nephew has a baby girl of his own, and I know just what somebody is getting for her fourth birthday!
Considering what normally passes for “biblical/Christian” documentaries on tv, I rate this as “Fanstasically Great.” It was not denigrating to the Bible or giving the usual insults. Although some may say that stories were skipped over, ‘not truly/faithfully presented,’ or made theatrical; my view is that it gave a decent summary of the beginning books of the Bible, especially considering that the 1st installment of 5 was only 2 hours long, and that the plan is to do the entire Bible in 10 hours, thus somethings must be cut out.
I find this series, based upon the 1st show, to be much better than what is usually passes as “show about Christianity” on the History and other channels. The only exception is Father Barron’s series on PBS and also EWTN on Catholicism ( http://www.catholicismseries.com/ )
I recommend you watch it and make your own decision. And think of this series as an “introduction to the Bible” and not a “post-graduate course.”
Calm down; it said “more than any fiction” not “more than any OTHER fiction.” Since a quantity can’t be more than itself, “more than any fiction” means that the show cannot be fiction.
If you believe that Abraham lived to be 175 years old, wouldn’t 100 years old be middle-aged and not elderly?
DeMille spent 3 hours just on Exodus, not the entire first 5 books; and he had a larger budget (adjusted for inflation). And he didn’t use CGI (of course it didn’t exist then, but that’s a minor point.
The UFOs and Hitler version of the Bible. ;)
Anitius: Well Said!
I suffered through the first hour but couldn’t take it any more.
For those who want to see reviews and a preview of this book: BIBLE STORIES FOR GROWNUPS,
See here:
Bumping your comment to the top!
What a shameful mistreatment of the Bible’s accounts. I just can’t watch the second dose.
My favorite show... Duck Dynasty... is all about FAITH and FAMILY.
And guess what? Its popular! Its a refreshing change from metroqueers designing window treatments or pregnant teenagers smoking dope or overtly sexual filthy rich socialites on a 24/7 drunken vacation.
This show has FAMILY, NO FOUL LANGUAGE, NO DRUG USE, NO OVERSEXUALIZED TEENAGERS.
And its popular. Networks see it. Advertisers see it.
The people on this show PRAY! They actually say grace around a supper table at the end of every episode.
CHRISTIANS PRAYING ON TV! THE HORROS! AND ITS POPULAR IN AMERICA! GASP!
I thought it was very good. Not perfect. But, for those who have never been exposed to the Bible, it might be a great introduction to the Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
will tv get religion? no.
They lost us with the Brit accents and Ninja Angels. Ninja? Really? One would think that angels could smite Sodomites without Samurai swords.
“I heard it was awful”
We saw the first episode and there were no end of things in it that had been edited away.
It was the Politically Correct Bible, but not at all The Bible.
Also they depicted Abraham’s son Isaac as fighting his father when he was to be burned as a sacrifice when the Old Testament clearly states that Isaac inherently knew why he and his father were going up the mountain and went willingly with Abraham.
Thank you for the link to
For those who want to see reviews and a preview of this book: BIBLE STORIES FOR GROWNUPS,
See here:
yes, that is what I figured
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